Chief Statistician of India, Pranob Sen, demystifies inflation indices and explains why it isn’t wise to follow headline inflation blindly. Excerpts from an interview.

The nose-diving Sensex and the damp market sentiments may be giving you sleepless nights. We put the spotlight on the biggest market concerns at the moment and outline the way things may play out in future.

Pondering whether the recent fuel price hike was really necessary or cursing the government for hitting our pockets when inflation is already running high is an exercise in futility.

Given technological and regulatory uncertainties for the green sector, invest small amounts and gradually increase your exposure. Monitor closely and exit if things go wrong.

Leaving the two portfolios unchanged, Dipen Sheth reflects how and why better governance would have helped us bear the oil shock better.

The ever-increasing demand for oil and its transportation is fuelling the growth of pipeline manufacturing. R Sree Ram picks out some attractive stocks.

In a dramatic move to reduce risk, Dipen decides to sell off a big chunk of the holdings of the two portfolios and sit on cash till the weather clears.

People who have been investing regularly with discipline and taking the financial planning route are still comfortable and are not asking many questions.

With both global and domestic cues far from encouraging, our fund manager Dipen Sheth decides to cash out to reduce volatility shocks.

India seems to be firmly “coupled” with this contagion. From FII money backing out, and derivatives losses on the books of leading banks, we are seeing it all. The Sensex is down over 30% from its peak. So is it a time to average out your trades?

Periodic spurts notwithstanding, stock prices are down 25% from their peak. Learn what to do now.Why aren’t you panicky?A tempting opportunityWhy and when to sell stocksFeb 21 cover story: Riding the market swing

Did you know that a 6% growth in inflation can hurt you more than an 8% growth rate? No, we are not hallucinating, nor have we got our numbers mixed up but it’s a matter of historical fact.

Weighing the prospects of a US recession with continuing growth in developing countries, Dipen Sheth suggests investing in stocks with sustainable profits.

Natural resource is a broad canvas and it could be a sure winner for the next three years or more. You can invest in this, especially now that the global meltdown has brought down prices.

Read the impact on stocks of nine sectors that are likely to be most affected by the Budget proposals. We also list out some of the stocks in each sector that you might want to consider buying or selling.

The small-cap universe is a treasure trove of bargains—provided you can spot them. Between the four stocks listed on this page and the one that Mudar Patherya analyses in detail in his column, we will track five small-cap stocks in every issue.

You might have an account with a wellknown bank that gives you great service—but which has only a handful of ATMs in your city.  The lack of ATMs can be a limitation, especially when you see State Bank of India or ICICI Bank ATMs on almost every street.

Advice to buy is coming in thick and fast. But how do you decide what to buy? Is price the only yardstick? We look at the third-quarter results to find how value also matters.

More than three years of record breaking wealth creation on the stock market has every investor wondering how much money can still be made, and how. A quick answer is—a lot and without taking too much risk.

We scan dozens of research reports from investment houses every fortnight to present you the six most relevant stock recommendations.