Cover Story

Copy the big daddies
FIIs invest in stocks with strong fundamentals and good prospects. You will seldom go wrong if you follow in their footsteps.

Learning by trial & error
Small investors are scripting their own strategies to survive and gain from the stock markets.
The best buys
Seven equity analysts give their wishlist of promising sectors and stocks for this year and spell out the reasons why they prefer these scrips.
What to expect in 2010
Will the bull run continue or will the bears return to spoil the party in 2010? We look at how the growth in corporate earnings is likely to affect the market direction this year. Tracking sectoral leanings Copy the big daddies How to invest without fear
How to invest without fear
If your appetite for risk is low, consider these investment options. They are all designed to ensure that you get decent returns—and a good night's sleep.

2010-01-01

Digital

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Insight

Cheaper than the cheapest?

Accidental death cover is not a replacement for life insurance. It covers death due to an accident, while a term plan covers death under any circumstance.

Careers

Happy days are here again

After two years of pink slips and lay-offs, 2010 may be the year of the employee as companies recovering from the slowdown go on a hiring spree.

Show me the money

Find out if the returns from investing in a mid-career MBA programme justify the move.

Stocks

Finding moneyland

Market rookie Kamya Jaiswal is set to invest in stocks. In this series, we bring you excerpts from her diary to help you learn from her mistakes.

Pegging it right

The price to earnings growth ratio helps evaluate a stock more accurately than the PE ratio. Here’s how to calculate it and find out if a stock is fairly valued.

'There could be a correction in gold prices... it won't be based on a bubble'

Anjani Sinha, MD and CEO, National Spot Exchange Limited, talks about the future of gold and silver prices and the benefits of trading in bullion at the spot exchange.

The long & short of straddle

Beat the market volatility and squeeze it for profit by using a combination of call and put options called long and short straddles.

'The market correction is likely to make valuations more reasonable'

Manish Kumar, Head, Investments, ICICI Prudential Life, tells why he is optimistic about the performance of equity markets over the long term and the sectors that are likely to outperform.

Expert View

Will there be a new high?

If the market moves up, it is likely to find some selling taking place in the future at a pressure point of 19,779. It may encounter some resistance on a strong pressure day around May 21, 2010.

The value of currency

There is a huge amount of dollar liquidity, along with that for the yen and pound, which is earning close to zero investment returns. There is a fear of purchasing power erosion on account of deficits.

Stocking up the right way

Possibly the best way to make money in the stock market these days is to buy small portions of great businesses run by brilliant entrepreneurs, and picking the stock at a reasonable price.

'The financial services have a huge growth potential'

Sukumar Rajah, CIO, Asian Equities, Franklin Templeton Investments, talks about his forecast for 2010.

Tracking sectoral leanings

This year, we are likely to see a transition to stable markets from the wild swings of 2008 and 2009. Over the past two years, the markets have been driven top-down, primarily by the risk trade.

2010 investing challenges

Consider this before you read any prognosis for 2010: anything that's being written about investing in this year can, and probably will, go wrong.

Tax

Pay for being rich

Did you know you are required to pay tax if the value of select assets exceeds a certain limit? Find out more about wealth tax and ways to avoid it.

Smart Spending

Not so cheap trills

While the pay-per-second plans may seem attractive, consider the other tariff schemes offered by telecom operators before picking up one.

To buy or not to buy

In this series we review new products and services to help you sort the best buys from those that do not offer value for money.

Query Corner

What are the tax implications of demat account?

If shares are transferred from your wife's demat account to your account, it will be treated as a sale and she will be taxed for the capital gain.

For The Record

Terms of enrichment

While online trading allows retail investors to buy and sell stocks on their own, it is important to be familiar with the trade jargon. Here are some basic terms and their implications.

Travel

What the stars tell

With no universal rating system, hotels across the world provide different facilities. Here's what three-star hotels in three countries offer.

But naturally

An eco retreat off the beaten track not only promises an enriching holiday but also an income stream for entrepreneurs and the locals.

Real Estate

Theme for a dream home

Theme-based townships are offering exotic lifestyles at affordable rates. But check for location and infrastructural advantages before buying one.

'Check the track record of the developer, especially the project deliveries in the past'

Manu Goswami, Head, Marketing & Sales, Jaypee Greens, talks about the things to consider before investing in a theme project.

Mutual Fund

Missing the woods

Trading of mutual funds on the NSE will bring down costs for fund houses, but there's not much in it for the investor.

Banking

It pays to revamp

The RBI is working on a more efficient electronic payment system, which means your financial transactions will soon become faster and cheaper.

Talk Back

The story on the impending GST raised pertinent questions

The story on the impending Goods and Services Tax (Will it Help Cut Prices? December 2009) raised pertinent questions on the impact of the new tax structure on consumers.

Perspective

Food for thought

Ambivalence is always fishy. More so when it comes from the finance minister of India on a subject as critical as the frighteningly high food inflation.

A nest egg that can be dipped into at will

The over-riding advantage of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) launched in 2009 has been its flexibility, be it in terms of plan options or fund managers.

The cult of the mighty little people

Have you heard of Cindy Naugle? The 61-year-old book keeper from Fort Lauderdale, US, recently won a $300 million lawsuit against Philip Morris, the makers of her favourite cigarette brand for 25 years, due to which she is battling lung cancer today.

The pros and cons of the realty bill

Think real estate and what is the first adjective that springs to mind? Murky? How about transparent? Perhaps not yet, but if the Model Real Estate (Regulation of Development) Bill is passed, customer rights will get a fillip.

Driving on the wheels of great fortune

Despite the fact that luxury cars constitute only 3-4 per cent of total car sales, India is emerging as a key market.

Portfolio Doctor

Juggling money for a large family

Regular readers might be taken aback at this new avatar of one of the most popular sections of the magazine. New readers might wonder about all the fuss. In the interest of full disclosure, let us try and explain what it's all about.

Editor's Note

From the Editor

The day of reckoning, according to the Maya calendar, is some time in December 2012. And if Hollywood is to be believed (own up, those of you who watched that disaster epic 2012), the only survivors will be those who can cough up $1 billion to escape on a modern-day Ark.

Investment

'We never expected NPS to have a spectacular beginning'

D. Swarup, former Chairman, PFRDA, talks about the tepid response to the New Pension Scheme and the measures required to get it off the ground.

Books

Trading routes

Read the book only if you want to benefit from investor psychology or if you are an aspiring trader with strong fundamentals.

In the market for profit? Don't panic

Do you feel like kicking yourself for the mistakes of 2008? If you are like the millions of equity investors who do, Market Panic by Stephen Vines should help you avoid repeating the costly blunders.

Cover Story

PREVIOUS EDITIONS