The Hindu Business Line : Sunday, November 06, 2005

Riding the wealth generation theme
IN MARCH 2000, fund managers at DSP Merrill Lynch were excited about the launch of DSP ML Opportunities. This fund set out to spot trends in the stock market and invest early. Sold on the idea, it said such ... More

The storyline
THEME-based investing is not new. All bubbles, starting from the boom and bust of the stock price of South Sea Company in 18th century, were based on themes. It has, however, caught the imagination of global investors in recent times. But what ... More

Public offers and sustaining the rally
FOUR of the last five book-built offers, that have since listed, are now trading at a discount to their offer prices. There are indications that a few banks may postpone their public offer plans. Some, such as ICICI, are reported to be ... More

A peek into a trader's diary
An intrepid day trader who has now changed tack, shares his experiences in the stock market and the lessons of caution and control he's learnt. More

COURTS/LEGAL ISSUES

Life is a gift, given in trust
LIFE is a gift, given in trust — like a child, says Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Alas, cruel destiny can at times doubly snatch back such a gift, leaving behind grieving parents and a lifeless child. Which is what one ... More

MUTUAL FUNDS

Deutsche Alpha Equity: Sell
INVESTORS in Deutsche Alpha Equity Fund may sell their holdings to take advantage of the upward trend in equities since July. The fund's performance has slipped and it has not capitalised on the rise in large-cap stocks; as a result, it has ... More

Morgan Stanley Growth Fund: Invest
INVESTMENTS can be considered in Morgan Stanley Growth Fund, a close-ended fund that can be bought only in the stock market. The fund is trading at a discount of close to 18 per cent to its net asset value. This discount is at the lower end of ... More

STOCKS

Dabur India: Buy
INVESTORS with a medium term investment horizon can consider exposures in the Dabur India stock at the current price of Rs 166. The consumer goods sector is reviving from a prolonged downturn. Investing in the Dabur ... More

Gateway Distriparks: Hold
SHAREHOLDERS of Gateway Distriparks can retain their exposure, as the company's growth prospects over a two/three-year period appear promising. Stocks in the logistics space are likely to figure prominently in investor preferences, as this sector ... More

Balrampur Chini Mills: Hold
CONTINUED buoyancy in sugar prices, an increase in cane crushing volumes and new revenue streams from by-products have helped Balrampur Chini Mills report a 53 per cent jump in operating profits on a 40 per cent rise in net sales, for the ... More

Arvind Mills: Hold
ARVIND Mills has delivered an impressive performance over the past four quarters, powered by lower cotton prices, an upswing in demand for denim and lower fuel cost. But the likely slowdown in demand for the fabric appears to have given the ... More

India Cements: Hold
SHAREHOLDERS of India Cements can remain invested, as there has been a big boost to the debt-reduction process. The fundamentals in the southern market also appear to rest on more solid ground than a year ago. These ... More

KEC International: Buy
INVESTORS with a penchant for risk can consider taking exposure in the KEC International stock with a one/two-year perspective. At the current price of Rs 258, the stock trades at about 17 times its expected FY-06 earnings. A strong ... More

Manugraph India: Buy
AN investment may be considered in Manugraph India with a one-to-two year perspective. Manugraph manufactures printing presses used in the newspaper industry and also makes products that are used for printing a variety of ... More

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Focus of the week
HDFC (Rs 1,002): The stock has been a star performer over the past couple of years. After moving to a high of Rs 1,080, the stock has been in a corrective mode over the past couple of months. This corrective phase appears complete at ... More

Nature of recovery is a question mark
Preferred view: The market sentiment was distinctly bullish during the just-concluded week. The Nifty notched up a gain of about 100 points during the truncated trading week. It is positive to notice that the index has managed to ... More

Query Corner
I purchased FDC at Rs 50.75 and Centurion Bank at Rs 19. Please advise whether to hold or sell these shares from a short-term perspective. — Rekha Ravindra FDC (Rs 47): There short-term outlook is positive and a move to the ... More

Reliance perched above crucial trigger
Reliance Ind (Rs 777): Similar to most of the other index heavyweights, this stock, too, managed to hold above its crucial bearish trigger level. The recent rally appears to be part of a correction to the earlier fall. This upward ... More

CARS

Skoda accelerates with quick launches
SKODAAUTO India's strategy has been akin to that of the tortoise in Aesop's Fables: Measured, steady and understated. Such an approach is unusual for companies in the automobile industry. But ... More

Question 'N' Auto
NOWADAYS a lot of cars come in full beige finish interiors, which includes even the dashboard area right below the windscreen. I find that this affects the vision of the driver, as the reflection on the ... More

Porsche drives in the Carrera
PORSCHE has launched the 911-type Carrera 4 and 4S all-wheel drive coupes in India. A 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine, which generates a maximum of 325 bhp, powers the Carrera 4S from 0-100 kmph in 4.8 seconds. The ... More

Maruti's Mega Celebration
Maruti has come out with yet another offer. As part of its Mega Celebration offer, the company is providing full insurance for just one rupee on purchases of its small cars — the Maruti 800, the WagonR and the Zen (petrol) — and ... More

SBI's festival offer
SBI, as part of its festival offer, is providing car loans up to 85 per cent of the on-road cost at an interest of 7 per cent per annum. EMIs are Rs 1,509 per lakh. SBI is offering free accident insurance cover as part of the scheme, which is ... More

Market buzz
Maruti plans to increase production of the Swift by 30 per cent, to 6,500 cars per month. This is to reduce waiting time for its customers. Maruti has sold more than 27,000 cars since the launch of the Swift five months ago. It also announced ... More

LIFE INSURANCE

SBI Life Dhana Vriddhi
JUST when you thought that guaranteed return insurance products were a thing of the past, SBI Life has launched a plan that promises just that. Called Dhana Vriddhi, the plan assures an annual guaranteed compound return of 5.75 per cent on the ... More

ECONOMICS

Of stocks and opportunity cost
MY FRIEND hired a professional money manager to invest in equity. The money manager gave my friend a list of stocks but suggested that he buy them at higher levels. My friend argued that if a stock were worth buying at a higher price, it ... More

DERIVATIVES MARKETS

F&O POINTERS
Undertone in Nifty turns positive
If the Nifty begins on a positive note and holds on to current levels, it may go up to 2465-75 levels. More

Options guide
Call option: A call option gives the buyer `the right but not the obligation' to buy the stock at a specified price on a future date. Put option: A put option gives the buyer `the right but not the obligation' to sell a stock ... More

FIXED DEPOSITS

Jindal Steel and Power: Invest for one-year scheme
Jindal Steel and Power: Investments in the fixed deposit scheme of Jindal Steel and Power can be considered with a one-year perspective. Low-cost sponge iron operations along with backward integration (it has captive power plant) ... More

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Safeguards in a takeover
What are the safeguards incorporated in the takeover process so as to ensure that shareholders get their payments under the offer/ receive back their share certificates? Before making the Public Announcement, the acquirer has to open an ... More

M-COMMERCE

mChq transforms your mobile
IMAGINE doing your shopping without any money or credit/debit cards! You can, if you had a "mobile wallet". A concept that has caught on in Japan and other Asian countries, mobile wallets allow you to use your cell phone like a wallet. You not ... More

INTERVIEW

`Services add flavour to your portfolio' — Mr Nilesh Shah, CIO, Prudential ICICI MF
At 8800 Sensex levels, some stocks in the services space were expensive and it was harder to find value in them. With the market correction, we find a lot of great investment opportunities opening up for those seeking to invest into this fund. More

INCOME TAX

MBA degree at your cost
I WORK for a multinational company at Bangalore. I am doing a part-time course in Management for which the tuition fee is around Rs 1.50 lakh. Will this tuition fee be eligible for any tax benefit? Monish Reply You cannot claim any ... More

Is medical expense tax exempt?
MY FATHER was suffering from cancer before his death. Can I claim the tax deduction under Section 80DDB in respect of the expenditure incurred on his treatment? Jairam Reply The expenditure incurred on medical treatment by an ... More

BOOKS

Make your life count for what really counts
Cecil O. Kemp Jr is an unusual author. He is a CPA who has worked in one of the world's largest accounting firms, and then as CFO and COO elsewhere, but his books are about wisdom, inspiration and hope, rather than number crunching or tax ... More

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