Do it yourself

Thought for the day "How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!" —Jane Austen (British, 1775-1817) Word for the day Otiose (adj) Being at leisure; idle; indolent. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none Many seem to be implying that if you had chosen not to protest in 1975, 1984, 2002, 2013 - you have seized your right to protest! Someone remind them that Lord Krishna acted only when Shishupal abused him for 101st time. Reign your temptations The current result season has expectedly started on a low note. Industry leaders like TCS, HUL and ZEE have posted results which were below even moderate expectations. More importantly, the managements of these companies are not sounding particularly optimistic about the prospects in near future. The management of HUL has categorically confirmed many trends that I have been highlighting from time to time ( see here ). For example: (a) ...

Thought for the day "I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle." —Jane Austen (British, 1775-1817) Word for the day Cognoscenti (n) Persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a particular field, especially in the fine arts, literature, and world of fashion. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none What is the raison d'être of Shiv Sena today? Protecting the vulnerable Indian government has raised tariff barriers on import of steel, aluminum, vegetable oils, etc. in recent weeks to protect the domestic manufacturers from global dumping. This week India's three copper majors — Hindalco Industries, Vedanta Ltd and Hindustan Copper Ltd—have reportedly warned ( see here ) "the government that the sector is facing an imminent shutdown in the face of a surge in cheaper imports from Japan and ASEAN countries, which could jeopardise the Narend...

Thought for the day "Vanity working on a weak head, produces every sort of mischief." —Jane Austen (British, 1775-1817) Word for the day Bromide (n) A platitude or trite saying. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none All said and done - may I dare ask "Who is this Mr. Kulkarni and what business does he have with Mr. Kasuri?" Strategy update - II The global financial crisis and consequent economic challenges have provided India with a great opportunity to consolidate her position in the global order - economic as well as geopolitical. Factors like a 1.25bn strong mostly conservative society, young demography, a strong leadership fully committed to democratic traditions, large pool of English speaking workers, well developed market system, underdeveloped economy with good appetite for investment - make India standout in a world struggling with fast aging and highly indebted societies, torn ...

Thought for the day "Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure." —Jane Austen (British, 1775-1817) Word for the day Divulgate (v) To make publicly known; publish. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none No one has any doubts that the Congress Party is playing as 12th man in the Bihar Polls. No one dare ask the leadership — "what's the plan?" Strategy update Continuing from last week ( see here ) I present my thoughts on the appropriate investment strategy in accordance with the emerging economic trends. Trend 1: Economic growth will remain slow to moderate for FY17 too, as the global economy struggles with Chinese slow down, EU and Japan stagnation, and US policy adjustment. The capacity utilization in India which is presently at much below optimum level, may not improve so as to motivate capex even in FY17; regardless of lower rate...

Thought for the day " There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves. " —Jane Austen (British, 1775-1817) Word for the day Jejune (adj) Without interest or significance; dull; insipid. Lacking knowledge or experience; uninformed (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none Earth quack with epic center in Delhi - first in many decades. No damage done. Mother Nature has warned! Please do not let this warning go unheard! Nifty: Greed paving way for fear, very slowly Since the current up move in Indian market started from September 2013, last month for the first time large caps have outperformed the broader markets. Also for the first time in many months, domestic investors were net sellers in equity when foreign investors were net buyers. This combined with the fact that the market has been losing momentum for many weeks, is sufficient indication tha...

Thought for the day "Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be." —Marcus Aurelius (Roman, 121-180) Word for the day Frabjous (adj) Wonderful, elegant, superb. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none Why market is not bothered about Syria? It could potentially inflict much more damage to global markets than Greece default could have! Re-set is on As mentioned in past two few days ( see here ) the economic conditions continue to remain challenging, both in local and global spheres. My investment strategy recognizes this and is placed accordingly. Speaking specifically for the local economy, the following trends envisioned in making strategy a few years ago have taken roots and are likely to strengthen in next couple of years, viz., (a)    The potential growth rate for Indian economy has been realistically accepted and adjusted to 7-8% (new series) level. ...

Thought for the day "Anger cannot be dishonest." —Marcus Aurelius (Roman, 121-180) Word for the day Flummox (v) To bewilder; confound; confuse. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none "Talvar", the movie, is projected as a neutral inquest into the infamous NOIDA double murder case. Ask anyone coming out of theater and you will find a distinct bias towards accused parents' innocence! So is film a success or failure, I mean regardless of the box office collection? Near term markets to track Yellen 1HFY16 was generally a bad period for investors, particularly so for emerging market investors. Currencies, equities, commodities, and real estate all asset classes have seen material price erosion and higher volatility. Except for some safe haven bonds and currencies, which could sustain the onslaught, most developed economies' bonds and currencies also suffered. Demand s...

Thought for the day "To refrain from imitation is the best revenge." —Marcus Aurelius (Roman, 121-180) Word for the day Amphigory (n) A meaningless or nonsensical piece of writing, especially one intended as a parody. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none Nawaz Sharif says UN must intervene to protect Kashmiri people from atrocities of Indian government. Azam Khan says UN must intervene to protect the Indian Muslims from the atrocities of Indian government. What do you say?   An Investor's Diary With each passing day, the expectations of the market participants from legislative reforms are diminishing. The acrimonious Bihar election is obliterating any chance of any political rapprochement in near term. It is well recognized that even if NDA wins Bihar elections, the Rajya Sabha arithmetic will not be in favor of the government for another one year at the least. The GST law and other legi...