Edition: April 2011

Cover Story

Battle For Dominance

Are you closely watching the stock indices and waiting for some direction to emerge that would help you to decide when to take the next plunge or press the sell button?

Volatile market tests investors The current stock market volatility has changed nothing for those who believe in the maxim that the bulls prevail over the bears in the long run.
'Lacklustre trading for more quarters' Raj Bhatt, Vice-chairman and CEO, Elara Capital Plc, tells Rahul Oberoi what investors can expect post the Union Budget and which sectors are looking good.
'Firms with good management deliver well' Pankaj Pandey, Head of Research, ICICIdirect, tells Rahul Oberoi that it is important to stick to companies that give consistent results over 6-7 years.
How to hit jackpot on stock market Spotting multi-baggers is no doubt a herculean task for the retail investor. The best strategy is to stay invested in stocks with sound fundamentals.
Pick the best IPO to invest in Planning to go IPO hunting this year? Here are some tips to make sure that you are not handed a raw deal by the IPO-issuing company.
Check grades before investing in IPOs Short-term investors, chasing listing gains, often ignore IPO grades. But investors looking for sustainable long-term returns should not do so.
Weighing the Inner Mettle IPO grading is not a recommendation to buy shares of companies that have been graded but a comment on the fundamentals of the firm.
8 Deadly Sins of Investing Speculation, hope, fear, and greed - Graham has very effectively summarised the ailments that stock market investors suffer from. Here are the eight common mistakes to avoid.
Inclusion will Drive Markets Of a population of over a billion, only 18 million are invested in equities and 10 cities contributed to over 80% of trading volume in 2010.
'Expected mixed response to MII report' Bimal Jalan, who chaired the committee on market infrastructure institutions (MIIs), talks to Sarbajeet K. Sen on what the panel's report means for investors.

Stocks

Rahul Oberoi/Money Today

Best stocks to invest in

The Budget often changes the investing arena and offers an opportunity to review your portfolio. A few experts tell Rahul Oberoi their recommendations.

Investment

Dipak Mondal/Money Today

Fixed-income units help amid volatility

Part of your savings should be invested in fixed-income instruments to stave off the risks inherent in equity instruments.

Safety during hard times Fixed income instruments offer steady returns during periods of volatility in other asset classes.
Is it Time to Dump Your Fund? It isn't past performance alone that will help you decide when to part with your fund. There are a number of other factors at play.
What are Employee Stock Options? It is that time of the year again when employers tell you what you are really worth. If you are a star employee about to get Esops, we have a plan for you.
Overloaded with Information In the last part of this series, find out how excess data can lead to erroneous financial decisions.

Insight

Top ranked Mutual Funds

Equity market volatility has started having an effect on short-term performance of equity funds with 1-year average returns falling below 6% across categories.

Best Performing Stocks Metal companies have done well in the past five years, with three among the top 10.
Reliable Wager: UTI Equity MF UTI Equity Mutual Fund has outperformed its benchmark index and its category in the past three years.

Editors Note

Sarbajeet K Sen/Money Today

From the Executive Editor, April 2011

Stock markets have minds of their own and can surprise anyone. During good times equity markets can be the biggest creators of wealth. But, at times, the tectonic shifts below the market surface can have deadly repercussions and cause unimaginable damage.

Commodities

Rahul Oberoi/Money Today

Commodities hit by Budget 2011-12

Prices of some commodities are expected to take a knock in the long run due to the finance minister's budget proposals for 2011-12.

Talk Back

Letter to the Editor

Are education loans (Lessons on Credit, February 2011) available for part-time or correspondence courses and is the student's age a major consideration while applying? - HEMA PRAKASH, e-mail

Smart Spending

Auto Build

Buying a car? Here are budget buys

We rate all the cars currently available in the market to help you choose the one that suits your budget and requirements.

The Hot & the not so Happening Sam Abraham introduces new products and services to help you zero in on those that offer value for money.

Last Word

Bodyline Bowling!

Pranab Mukerjee's decision to impose a 5 per cent service tax on healthcare services has been promptly called a 'no-ball' by observers.

Perspective

Tanvi Varma/Money Today

Reining in Inflation

From a low of 4.75% in 2010, the repo rate has been increased by 2 percentage points to 6.75% and the reverse repo rate by 2.5 percentage points, from 3.25% to 5.75%.

Quotes 'It is not too tough to find multibaggers. You can find such stocks by careful analysis of the market. Current valuations and future prospects should be the guiding factors,' says Sudip Bandyopadhyay, president, Destimoney Securities.
Mending the Tax Net In an attempt to streamline the procedure of income-tax scrutiny, the income tax department has said that returns filed by small taxpayers and senior citizens will not be brought under the scanner without substantial information.
Trivia and Telling Figures 38 lakh mobile subscribers have submitted their requests for porting their mobile number to different service providers till February. The facility was introduced in India on 20 January 2011.
Under Irda Watch To make online information more reliable, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) will soon be regulating the online insurance information providers.
Invest in Gold through SIPs Investors who have been unable to invest in gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) due to lack of a demat account or found investment thresholds high can now benefit from the growth in gold prices.
All that Glitters... Concerns over the global security and political situation may push gold to new highs in the next couple of quarters.
Motor Premium: Driving North Insurers are planning to increase the premium for motor insurance policies after Irda recently asked general insurance companies to maintain a minimum reserve of 150% for compensating the victims of road accidents.
Regulator Watch A look at the recent rulings from tax, banking, markets and insurance sectors that can affect you.