The Hindu Business Line : Sunday, March 06, 2005

Tax savings — Higher returns, optimal portfolio
IN THE end, the Budget proposals must have come as a pleasant surprise to salaried taxpayers and the self-employed, especially the latter. The expected overhaul of personal tax laws has not increased the tax ... More

Budget strikes the right chord
IN a post-Budget rally, the Sensex, Nifty and CNX Midcap 200 indices touched all-time closing highs last week, after moving in a narrow band in February. Is this rally a direct outcome of the 2005-06 Budget presented ... More

Chidambaram's different strokes
TIRED of reading about complex Budget proposals that run into reams of newsprint? Here, we have tried to lighten your load by outlining the impact of some offbeat Budget proposals that may affect you as a common ... More

A fund that could glitter
The recent Budget decision to introduce Gold Exchange Traded Funds with `gold' as the underlying asset will facilitate buying and selling of the yellow metal even in the smallest of units. This is a welcome move that signifies India is catching up wi th the developed markets. More

Equities, PPF and the right mix
The Budget may have made equity investments worthwhile, but also consider PPF, which is a potent investment capable of delivering `equity-like' returns in the later years. More

BUDGET

Budget 2005: An investor's perspective
A LOOK at the implications of the changes in direct taxes in the Budget as far as they relate to individuals. The changes take effect from April 1, 2005 (assessment year: 2006-07). Change in tax slabs/shelters: ... More

MUTUAL FUNDS

SBI Magnum TaxGain: Invest in small lots
AN investment may be considered in SBI Magnum TaxGain Scheme'93 as it has shown signs of maintaining the considerable improvement in its performance over the past couple of years. We had advocated a hold ... More

Principal Growth Fund: Invest
INVESTMENTS may be considered in Principal Growth Fund. The fund has performed impressively over the past year, delivering a return of nearly 50 per cent. Its three-year track record compares well with the likes of HDFC ... More

Dividend galore from funds

Stay invested in ELSS funds

STOCKS

Andhra Bank: Buy
AN investment in the stock of Andhra Bank can be considered at the prevailing price. The stock is trading at a price-to-earnings multiple (PEM) of nearly eight times its earnings for the 12-month period ended December 2004. The earnings for this ... More

Welspun India: Buy
EXPOSURE to the Welspun India stock can be considered. The stock trades at about 25 times its expected FY-05 earnings per share, taking into consideration the expansion in the equity base on account of the merger with ... More

HEG: Wire it on
INVESTORS may include the HEG stock in their portfolio. Taking into account the growth prospects and the implementation of capacity expansion projects, HEG's performance can be expected to improve. Investors may buy ... More

MRPL: Buy
Having staged a turnaround in 2003-04, the company is now all set to wipe out its accumulated losses this fiscal. More

Gujarat Alkalies: Buy
INVESTORS with a long-term perspective can buy the stock of Gujarat Alkalies. Firm trends in caustic soda price and the likely price stability at higher levels, a likely boost to revenues from capacity expansion, debt ... More

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Positive outlook for Nifty
Preferred view: The index managed to hold above the crucial negative trigger level of 2043 that was mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Though there was an intra-day breach of this level on a couple of days, the index managed to close ... More

Bullish near term for Reliance, HLL
Tata Power (Rs 404): The stock ruled weak as anticipated a couple of weeks ago. The stock has turned weak after the completion of a bearish upward sloping "wedge" pattern. The share price could drop to the Rs 370-380 range. A drop below Rs ... More

Focus of the week
Bombay Dyeing (Rs 351.5): The outlook for the stock was covered a few weeks ago (edition dated February 6). The stock has moved well past the target zone that was mentioned earlier. The stock appears to be in the Wave 3 of 3 in Elliott ... More

Query corner

CARS

The power sting of Scorpio
THE Scorpio has been a runaway success for Mahindra & Mahindra. So much so, that it has revved up the company's confidence in becoming a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer (of not just the utility vehicles ... More

Versa a great bargain
I propose to buy a car in the Rs 4.5-4.75 lakh price range and have shortlisted the Tata Indigo petrol. I am told that the Indigo petrol only offers a mileage of about 9 kmpl in city and about 11 kmpl on the highway. Is that mileage figure ... More

STOCK MARKETS

When alpha becomes beta
IT HAS become difficult for traders to accumulate stocks in the market without immediately impacting prices. After all, when everybody wants to buy, sharp increase in volumes in a stock will not go unnoticed. Such ... More

DERIVATIVES MARKETS

Active trading in Infosys, Tata Steel
ON the back of some positive announcements in the Budget, trading activity picked up smartly; the average daily turnover jumped to Rs 14,293 crore against the previous week figure of Rs 13,956 crore. Budget booster: According to the ... More

Options guide

FIXED DEPOSITS

FD OPTIONS

Advantage company deposits
THE recent Budget plans to do away with Section 80 L, which exempted interest on certain types of debt investment from tax. Once the proposal takes effect, investment in small-saving schemes and bank deposits would ... More

INCOME TAX

A date with the rates
WHAT are the new rates at which incomes would be taxed? The rates of tax proposed for individuals, Hindu undivided families (HUFs), association of persons (AOPs) and body of individuals (BOIs) are as shown in Table 1. ... More

Tax on cash from bank
CHAPTER VII of the Finance Bill, 2005 contains provisions relating to banking cash transaction tax. This proposed new chapter will be applicable to whole of the country barring Jammu and Kashmir. This chapter shall come ... More

PUBLIC OFFERS

Punjab National Bank: Invest at Rs. 390
IN<150>VESTMENT can be considered in Punjab National Bank at Rs 390. The offer price is at a discount of about 10 per cent to the prevailing market price. At Rs 390, the higher end of the price band set for the ... More

Emami: Avoid
INVESTORS may refrain from subscribing to the public offer of equity from Emami. At the two extremes of the price band, the asking price for this offer translates into a price-earnings multiple of 16 and 20 times ... More

BOOKS

Wishful thinking is not the way to get rich
YOU don't need to be an economist, a CA, or a math wizard to profit from shares. "All it requires is common sense, and a willingness to spend some time and effort in collecting and analysing information on companies and their business ... More

CARTOON