When it comes to different investment options in India, fixed deposits (FD) top the popularity charts. It is not unusual to find people having invested in them for all kinds of needs, be it those for the longer-term or to meet imminent needs. Unfortunately, this often means ignoring four potent dangers faced by FDs.
Four Limitations Of Fixed Deposits
In April this year I wrote that investing in equities had a lot in common with parenting. The market is volatile and it will throw a tantrum every now and then. And you will have to deal with it just as you deal with the tantrums of a child or a teen. Being both a parent and an investor I see the similarities. I also see the difference. Most children eventually move on from the tantrums as they mature and grow older. But the market– it will always remain a teenager. Frequent tantrums are the nature of the market.
“Change is the only constant” is an adage which applies perfectly to not just the macroeconomic environment but also to the equity markets in general. Behind every ‘fall in the market’ there will always be some events just as behind every ‘rally in the market’ there will be other events. It is the circle of life for markets. At some point the markets will get over-valued, events seen as negative will happen; resulting in markets getting “de-rated” and dropping into the “cheap” zone.
Forest fires always start by one of two ways - naturally caused or human caused. Natural fires are generally started by lightning, with a very small percentage started by spontaneous combustion of dry fuel such as sawdust and leaves. Fires caused by human intervention can be due a range of reasons from carelessness (for eg a carelessly dropped cigarette) to arson.
As we head into 2019 the question I am asked most often is “What is my view of the elections and how it will impact the market”.
To this, my preferred answer is: ‘I don’t know’.
It is generally believed that economic growth is good for the stock returns. This belief holds that there is a positive correlation relation between the real economy and capital markets. Therefore it should make sense to invest in stocks of countries where the economy is stable and which has strong growth prospects.
Election 2019 is underway and even as the summer heat is yet to pick up, the heat and dust of electioneering are raising the temperature. It is a good time to pause and think about the challenges and opportunities that would face the incoming government.
Capex cycle is one of the most important economic trends one needs to track in the macro space as it is a critical ingredient in order to achieve a higher trajectory of economic growth in later years. Making capex decisions are usually very complex.
While there is no text-book definition
Investment in Equities is the vehicle to participate in the long-term India growth story. Investment in Index fund is the simplest way to invest in Equities and can be core part of Equity allocation due to simplicity of investment and low cost.
