https://soundcloud.com/ithought-advisory/validating-advice Podcast Transcript Every portfolio often needs validation. Our ideas are constructed in a particular context and we find that soon thereafter the market context changes dramatically. My own experience from previous bull runs is what comes to mind. When we come out of a bull market, we tend to…
Investment Strategy: The RBI’s stance of calibrated tightening indicates that rate hikes are possible but not mandatory. As investors, it is important to capitalize on rising yields to structure a layered portfolio. The spread between the repo rate and the 10 Year Government Security is nearly 1.5%. This presents a…
The markets saw heightening volatility this week. The stress was very visible in financials, small caps, and midcaps. The sharp cut in valuations of companies in this place has come as a nasty surprise. What went wrong? Firstly, investors assumed that growth would last for a long time. Secondly, they…
A relatively insignificant event triggered a massive scare in Indian financials on Friday. But, the story does not lie there. It lies in the institutional imperatives clashing with individual investor interests. When there is a problem, either of solvency, liquidity or of risks, it is the bigger investors who bail out…
In good years, defensive investors have to be content with the knowledge that their gains, although perhaps less than maximal, were achieved with risk protection in place, even though it turned out to be not needed. – Howard Marks Every investor scrutinizes the relationship between risk and…
The purpose of monetary policy is to manage inflation, facilitate growth, and regulate credit in the economy. The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has a clear mandate to target inflation and maintain it around 4%. In terms of bond markets, 2017 and 2018 are like chalk and cheese. 2017 witnessed…
At a time when everybody has overdosed on equity, elections are looking imminent, macros are getting challenging, and benchmarks are outperforming portfolios, it makes sense to take a re-look at asset allocation. Clearly, the most important thing now is to get our asset allocation right. A wrong allocation can affect…