Friday, December 28, 2012

Book Review - Think Like A Billionaire !


Book: Trump-Think like a Billionaire - Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, & Life

Author: Donald J Trump & Mciver Mciver

Binding: Paperback
Publishing Date: 2005
Language: English
Rating: 3.9/5



This book is just a billionaire's dairy. Trump has detailed the importance of a real estate agent in any real estate deal.

He also divulges on details of his personal life such as his dining interests, dressing styles, holiday interests and has termed them as billionaire's way of life.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

An Investment Rally missed - again !



Equity MFs OUTPERFORM STOCKS
Category
Open
Close
Returns(%)
Sensex
15,535
19,476
25
Nifty
4,640
5,930
28
Gold
27,465
30,540
13
Silver
52,130
60,170
18
Multicap Equity MFs
33
Debt MFs
9
RESIDENTIAL HOUSING
Delhi


7
Mumbai

3
Chennai

5
Kolkata

1
Pune
9
Source: Times of India 20th December 2012


 The above mentioned returns are based on the figures of 19th December'12. 

It should be noted that again the retail investors couldn't reap in the benefits of the rally in the equity markets.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

RBI for the common man !



The RBI left the key policy rates unchanged today in the mid-term monetary policy review of the year.

Interestingly in an interview the SBI chairman Pratip Chaudhuri, CEO & MD ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar and MD HDFC Bank Aditya Puri were heard saying that they are surprised at the RBI's inaction in towards policy rates. They were all of the view that we are in a declining interest rate trend, but aren't we hearing that since almost a year now.
Pratip Chaudhury
During the interview Aditya Puri candidly admitted that he has stopped guessing about the possible rate cuts in future.
Aditya Puri

Chanda Kocchar
The common man’s concern is that the inflation should be controlled. Though the recent WPI inflation figures show a decline in inflation, thanks to RBI policy action,

Thursday, December 13, 2012

IIP a Big Surprise but a Non-Event !

The BSE Sensex closed over 120 points lower from its intraday high of 19478.79 on Wednesday after the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for the month of October’12 expanded at a robust 8.2% versus a contraction of 0.7% in September’12. (It has registered a total fall of 246 points on 12th & 13th December'12.)
 
It is the fastest annual pace in nearly a year in October 2012 after unexpectedly contracting in September

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Devil in Pinstripes - Book Review


Book: Devil in Pinstripes
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Binding: Paperback
Publishing Date: 2009
Language: English
Rating: 4.3/5
From the author of ‘If God was a Banker’ & ‘I bought the Monk’s Ferrari’ comes an interesting story of how, Amit Sharma, a management graduate tries to make it big in an international bank in a very short time.
The story switches between 1994 & 2007 continuously only to merge later in 2007. 

State of Indian Cricket Team



Indian Cricket team, earlier this year, lost 4-0 to England and then again 4-0 to Australia (both were series defeat) needs a major overhaul. 

We, the Indian fans, can’t except the lame excuse of fast green tracks abroad; as the team hasn’t been able to achieve anything in the domestic slow and turning pitches either.

BCCI had then projected as there were another 10 test matches scheduled to be played later this year in India. The Indian team would be able to turn the coin and deliver as expected.

Friday, December 7, 2012

FDI in multi-brand retail

The parliament (both the lower and the upper house) has cleared the much debated and controversial FDI in multi-brand retail.

The single brand retail segment was opened for up to 51% FDI in 2006 and the limit increased to 100% in July this year. In spite of opening the single brand retail completely to FDI,

Monday, December 3, 2012

Breakout Nations - Book Review


Book: Breakout Nations – In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles
Author: Ruchir Sharma
Binding: Hardcover
Publishing Date: 2012
Language: English
Rating: 4.8/5

A meaningful insight on how the world economies fare. Ruchir Sharma has given exhaustive, country by country aspect of how the economies of the world are prospering / faltering. He observes the world from an investor’s point of view, searching for a fresh investment destination.
After reading the book, my confidence in BRICS had faded. 

Originally BRICS nations were Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. But with the changing dynamics in the world economy which is periled with corruption and political intervention at all stages, these nations are no longer the frontiers of the world growth.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Indian Retail Equity Investors tend to lose more than profit from it.



Indian retail equity investors tend to lose more than profit from it. Either they are in a habit of selling the winning stock too early or holding back the losing stock for too long. Ultimately they are trying to chase a zero rate of return on their stock investments when investing themselves.
A Study was conducted in ISB Hyderabad the under the leadership of Sankar De. 

The study states

The Future Of Money - Book Review

Book: The Future Of Money
Author: Oliver Chittenden, Vince Cable
Binding: Paperback
Publishing Date: 2011
Language: English
Rating: 4.0/5



This book is a compilation of opinions & interpretation of all the great thinkers, on what is the future of money. How the recent world economic crisis can be handled and; how & what  the money will transform into. There are many different stories to the recent crisis and equally different solutions to it, in this book. The facts are immense, as how to handle the latest economic crisis, to be put in a simple book review. 

P.S. - This is not a bed time read as one has to really think the facts through.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Gold nearing 33K




Gold prices touched a new high on Tuesday, reaching Rs 32,975 per 10 gm in New Delhi. Gold prices in India have increased over 15% in the past one year. As discussed in my first blog dated 2nd Oct QE3 or QuEstion3, the gold prices have moved in a predicted trajectory. There are two things that set the price of gold in India;

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)


The much awaited launch of Aam Aadmi Party has officially taken place yesterday. 

What needs to be seen in the coming days is that how this party shapes up and starts working on its anti-corruption agenda. What shall be their common minimum programme and most vitally what shall be there party symbol.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Ajmal Kasab's Execution

http://www.ndtv.com/news/images/topstory_thumbnail/kasab-closeup-120.jpg
Mohammad Ajmal Kasab’s execution came both as a shock and relief to most of the Indians. The long awaited execution was finally serviced on the morning of 21st Nov 2012 in Yerawada jail, Pune. This came just 5 days prior to the 4th anniversary of the massacre created by Ajmal and his team. He was the lone survivor of his entire team.

All the details of what Ajmal Kasab did and how the judiciary took its course of law can be found all over the different media, and that won't be discussed here!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Indian Democracy - A Big Hoax

We live in one of the largest democracies in the world! We don't like to call ourselves a developing nation anymore, we shout out loud "Shinning India".

Under the constitution of India we have been given some rights and duties. One of the basic right’s is the right of speech (right to express). But in the last one month, after the arrest of Ravi and now the Mumbai girls over their Twitter & FB expressions respectively, it sounds that this freedom is all but a deception.

Out of so many writers, journalists, speakers in this country, no one had the nerve to come out and say what these normal people (mango men) said. It sometimes feels that these people, who share the prime time on television reality debate shows, between 9-11 in the night, are also hand in glove with the ones in power; or maybe they are equally scared to speak like the mango men.

We the mango men, the so called tweeples are all scared. We sit in front of our computer screens and vent out but do nothing fruitful. It is the goons who actually rule us. It is the same country which it was pre-independence & we are still the slaves. We were never free and will never be so. Not at least in my lifetime.

We can vent out about our apprehended freedom over the internet but that’s about it. But nothing much can be done against these people who are in power, either. One can sight the example of how swiftly Ravi and Mumbai girls were captured by cops, but it took them more than 48 hours to capture people who vandalized the clinic of a doctor.

Jonathan Swift once said:

“Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through.”

I am not happy scripting such a pessimistic blog, but that’s the reality we live in.

Think! Can we really change the system, sitting in front of our computer screens? Can we manage to take on those in power, without being susceptible?

Five Point Someone - Book Review

Book: Five Point Someone
Author: Chetan Bhagat
Binding: Paperback
Publishing Date: 2010
Language: English
Rating: 3.0/5

If you have seen the movie 3 Idiots then you know the whole story. But still, if you are a keen reader, this book can be given a read. It is a very light plot of three friends who are studying in an IIT. The author strictly mentions that it is neither a book on how to deal with the college life nor a guide on how to survive the hostel, but a story of three friends who join college the same day.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Losing My Virginity - The Autobiography Richard Branson - Book Review

Book: Losing My Virginity - The Autobiography Richard Branson

Author: Richard Branson
Binding: Paperback
Language:  English
Rating: 4.8/5

Think, dream, believe and achieve! This is what I can say about Richard Branson after reading his auto-biography.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Chanakya's Chant

Book: Chanakya's Chant
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
Rating: 4.5/5


Chanakya's Chant is a  fast paced book which keeps switching between 340 B.C. to present day. 

The book depicts a picture of the present day politician, Pandit Gangasagar Mishra, who will do anything to achieve power. Pandit, who's inspired by Chanakya's chant, achieves power following his footsteps.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

If God was a Banker

Book: If God Was A Banker
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
Rating: 4.8/5

Interesting book, but only a one time read though. The plot surely divulges what happens currently in the corporate world. How things move around

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Markets in 2013


Reading and listening to all the fund managers’ over various channels gives me a feeling that they are trying to create euphoria about the markets breaking out on the upside, during the Fiscal year 2013-2014.

I heard one of them even stating that the index will rise up at-least 20% if the reforms in governance (Lokpal) / investment (NIB) / fiscal (GST & DTC) are seen through. Well aren’t we waiting for some of them since 2007?

Everyone is expecting the interest rates to come down

Saturday, November 10, 2012

India of the rich! Money Trails





It has been ascertained once again in Arvind Kejriwal's accusations yesterday. If one is rich in India, no matter what you do your interests will be taken care of. There will be someone looking out for you at all times. Once again it was highlighted how the rich and mighty were not investigated at all. 

There are rich businessmen or rich business houses

Saturday, November 3, 2012

CRR - GOD Help PSU Banks !



State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Pradip Chaudhuri said: “I still hold that CRR is a waste for the economy.”

What! When he is talking about the CRR it is the depositors’ money. The bankers today feel that the depositors’ money is an asset which can be used to make profits instead of keeping it safe in the bank.

CRR (cash reserve ratio) is the amount of funds that the banks are required to keep with the RBI. Which means that the bank cannot loan out the entire deposit, but have to keep something as reserve!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

No-one knows when the inflation will come down



What an irony? No one … not even the RBI knows when the inflation will come down. On one hand RBI has reduced the CRR by 25 bps which, for sure, will release around Rs 18,000 crores in the coming months and then you can’t say RBI has no clue about when inflation will come down.

The businessman, media and the stock markets will keep pressurizing and cling to demanding lower interest rates from the RBI. But it’s the RBI governor’s

Monday, October 22, 2012

Reforms !!!



Reforms ahem!
 
There was unprecedented rumble of benevolence when PM announced the reforms in various sectors. 

The govt, long accused of policy paralysis, started aggressively issuing statements which are still being debated as being mere announcements or actual reforms. 

I’ve tried to list the reforms below:
·         Proposed FDI of 51% in multi-brand retail
·         Proposed FDI of 49% in aviation
·         Proposed FDI of 49%

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Give Vijaya Mallya a break !!!



This morning I came across below article and thought of writing about it strongly.
Give Kingfisher Airline a chance ( or give Mr. Mallya a break)
My views: Yes he deserves a fair chance. The KFA also deserves a good chance, not to forget it was one of the best airlines while flying.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

We the Mango People !


We the mango people!
Yes we the mango people are in abundance all around. (guess that’s what makes us mango people at first place)
We the mango people just about ignore all the flaws around; just accept everything as is, because we the mango people are PATIENT.