The phenomenon of economic growth engines slowing down is not new. 2012 was the last time we saw something comparable. Growth really worried the government then. So, what makes this time different? Slowdowns at the beginning of a government’s term can truly shake up their finances. It can disrupt revenues,…
Weeks after the election results, we saw oil prices spike and the trade wars worsen. Yet, FII flows into Indian markets held steady and India’s forex reserves hit an all-time high. Elsewhere, gold prices hit a six-year high. Clearly, something very interesting seems to be happening in currency, gold and…
Economic news will turn speculative in the coming weeks. We will either be sold hope or fear depending on the intent of the newsmakers. The budget will always be an event around which volatility will be more, the speculative activity will rise, guesswork will be dominant, and the excitement quotient…
Podcast Transcript As an investor and an advisor, I have had the privilege of closely interacting with thousands of people on matters relating to their personal finance. There is on running observation that keeps recurring. People who have done very well in life are often the least prepared, financially,…
“In the short run, a market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.” – Benjamin Graham Where are markets headed in the post-election scenario?
The RBI’s monetary policy announcement did not do much to improve the market sentiment. The clear shift in stance, willingness to be accommodative, the confidence on inflation management and a decisive bend to act and do more if necessary were all simply not enough to reassure markets. The markets seem…
Election fever is just about to begin. This election is probably unique for its competitive intensity. On one side, we have a strong coalition with a clear leader. On the other, there is a strong opposition of divided forces to that leader. While the impact of a united opposition could…
Podcast Transcript Teaching is seen as the finest form of giving. Sharing what one knows is the noblest thing. Which is why we call teaching a noble vocation. Teaching helps us learn several subjects. Subjects have syllabi that can be taught to a method. Investing is not a subject. It…
Podcast Transcript Mindful investing can at first glance sound abstract. When we define different ways of investing, we mostly find empirical ways of describing them. We quantify why we want to do something. We are able to rationalize our thoughts clearly through numbers. That makes it easy to reason.…
Podcast Transcript 2018 is turning out to be a difficult year for many among us. Most investors have not seen their portfolios stay above cost. Most portfolios have lost money. This very much applies to mutual fund portfolios as well. In fact, the losses seem to be higher for…
Being Contrarian is never easy. Most of the time, the Contrarian makes choices that are very different from the consensus. Given that consensus is far more powerful, a Contrarian has to withstand time and performance pressures for a very long time. Only if he holds steady, can he benefit from…
The month of October ended on a positive note for the markets. Trends seem to be indicating that the economy is doing reasonably well. Firstly, the GST collections crossed 1 lakh crore once again. Oil prices softened from the menacing levels it hit earlier in the month. Sales of the…