Cover Story
Sowmya Kamath
We explore stocks and sectors that have limited
downside for those who wish to be safe and yet do not want to miss the bus in
case the markets rise in 2012.
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How to bet on commodities
For retail investors, direct investing requires either
taking delivery, which is difficult, or trading in futures, which most find
tough to understand. Take your bets through mutual funds.
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Discounts expected in 2012 housing market
For all its problems, the real estate market - both consumers and
companies - lived through interesting times in 2011. Relentless rise in
property and interest rates, controversies over land acquisition, the
landmark Noida Extension court judgment and, to top it all, the various
reform proposals, made for a heady cocktail. The next year is expected
to be no different.
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Will stock markets rebound in 2012?
As the year draws to a close, the question every investor is asking
is - will India's stock markets smile in 2012? They might, say experts, if
the government can pull the economy out of its current mess. If not,
they say, the markets are hugely undervalued and so have limited
downside potential.
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Insurance sector promises to be exciting in 2012
The industry is on a high growth path and many new players are expected
to enter the market. With a rapidly-evolving landscape and competition,
the customer will be empowered with more choices and customised products
that fulfill specific needs.
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Volatile mkt: Discipline is crucial for MF investors in 2012
For long-term mutual fund investors, strategy for 2012 is simple. Invest in a
staggered manner for at least three-five years without bothering much
about volatility and immediate market sentiment.
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What 2012 holds for the four big commodities
Most asset classes saw heightened volatility in 2011, reponding to global cues amid high inflation, corruption and concerns about policy paralysis. Here's the outlook for the year ahead for gold, silver, copper and crude oil.
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'Auto, pharma and technology sectors likely to perform well in 2012'
Anup Bagchi, MD & CEO, ICICI Securities, talks to Tanvi Varma about the outlook for 2012 and factors that investors should watch out for when entering the equity market.
Diversified equity funds performed badly in 2011 with average one-year
return at -19%. However, debt funds came as a respite with average
return on income funds at 8.6%.
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How to choose the right Mutual Fund
CICI Prudential Mutual Fund, in collaboration with MONEY TODAY, has been
organising investor conferences, Investor Awareness Initiative-2011, in
several cities to popularise this. Here are excerpts from the
interactive session during the third such conference held in Bangalore.
Here is a list of some of the investments and expenditures that qualify
for exemptions/ deductions under various sections of the Income-tax Act.
In the first part of this series, we told you how to create your own
website. Now, we tell you how to earn from your online portal.
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Search Engine Optimisation
The title of the
webpage, which appears on top of the Web browser, appears in search listings.
It should include your target keyword(s), preferably in the beginning. Making
your title descriptive will attract visitors.
Amtek India is among the top gainers in the last six months with return of over 115%.
Careers
Devashish Chakravarty
Negotiating gender bias at workplace is important for the success of every organisation.
I usually buy when the net asset value of a fund is low and exit when it's value is relatively high, just as with the stock market. Is that a prudent strategy for investing in mutual funds?
As most investment gurus advise, the best time to build a portfolio is
when the general mood is pessimistic so that when things begin to look
up once again, which they surely should at some point sooner or later,
you will not be left ruing that you missed the bus.
I think it is better for the common investor to go for fixed-income
securities, which are giving decent returns at present. In this context,
your cover package, which gives the various options for investment in
fixed-income instruments, was timely.
Smart Spending
Nidhi Singal
Most cell phone operating systems have been upgraded in the past few months. But, how will this change the way you use your phone?
In 2011, real estate markets in India have seen wide variations in price
movement of houses. Homes became more expensive in the Delhi-National
Capital Region and Mumbai.
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RBI deregulates NRE rates
A look at recent rulings which can affect you.
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Nabbing online fraudsters
Now, you can report such scam offers to any of the 34 nodal agencies identified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
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ICICI launches Money Manager tool
ICICI Bank along with Intuit, a global developer of business and
personal finance management solutions, recently introduced 'Money
Manager', a web-based solution for their customers to manage their
finances effectively.
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Auto insurance premium likely to go up
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority is planning to soon
replace the current commercial third-party motor pool with a 'declined'
pool.
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Unified Fund Statements
If you have investments across different mutual funds, you can now
receive a consolidated account statement (CAS) instead of multiple
statements from different fund houses.
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How to know if you'll be loan defaulter
Consumer credit reporting firm Equifax Credit Information Services has
launched a new credit scoring system which offers credit scores for both
consumers with credit history as well as those without any existing
records (such as first-time borrowers).
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Remittances: India Stays on Top
India has maintained its position as the world's top recipient of
officially recorded overseas remittances in 2011, according to the
latest issue of the World Bank's Migration and Development Brief. This
is the fourth consecutive year when India remains at the top of the
chart.
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Quick Deposits at ATMs
If the recommendations of a government-appointed committee on automated
teller machines (ATMs) are accepted, besides dispensing notes, the machines may
soon start accepting cash directly.
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Insurers allowed to tap stock market
As per the recently announced guidelines by the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (Irda), insurers that have completed 10 years in
the business will be allowed to raise capital from the market through
initial public offerings (IPOs).
