Investing in popular sectors or themes with the hope of beating the market can sound like a smart strategy. But in reality, consistently outperforming a diversified portfolio through active sector or thematic bets is as difficult as timing the market—often with results no better than a coin toss. The challenges of picking winners Sectors can…
At a meeting last week, close to 10 qualified stock brokers (QSBs) requested that market regulator Sebi extend the 1 May deadline for offering a same-day settlement option to any of their clients desirous of such a cycle. As most top brokers are operationally unprepared for such a cycle, Sebi could extend the deadline for…
India’s retail trading revolution has delivered an uneven outcome. While new-age brokerage platforms are raking in record profits, millions of individual investors—particularly in the derivatives market—are nursing heavy losses. The paradox at the heart of India’s stock market boom is this: Technology has made trading more accessible, but not necessarily more profitable for the average…
“No, it is the stock market,” he quipped. While benchmark indices have clawed back some lost ground after a prolonged spell of weakness, Verma’s portfolio is still sporting an enchanting shade of crimson. Has Lady Luck singled him out for special consideration? Or did bad decision-making also play a part? Verma, who started his investing…
The recent recovery suggests that markets may have found some floor even as risks from global uncertainties and tariff war persist, but investors would do better to stick to large caps amid volatility, according to Niraj Kumar, chief investment officer at Future Generali India Life Insurance. “The prevalent VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) environment will…
A typical theme that has dominated equity market conversations over the last six months is whether domestic institutional investors (DIIs) should keep funding the relentless exodus of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) from Indian markets. Experts, speaking at the Mint India Investment Summit and Awards 2025 in Mumbai on Saturday, however, said investors should look beyond…
The Nifty gets a makeover twice a year and this time, Zomato and Jio FInancial are in, while BPCL and Britannia are out. A lot of regular investors think this is a chance to make easy money. A Mint analysis reveals that over the past decade, roughly 64% of retail investors chasing similar index additions…
The Indian IPO market, which has witnessed unprecedented demand from retail investors in recent years, has slowed down in the current calendar year as weak sentiment toward risky assets, driven by a prolonged downturn in the secondary market, has forced companies to delay their listing plans. Adding to the market jitters, stricter SEBI regulations on…
Stock market: Indian retail investors, who have actively invested in mid- and small-cap stocks in recent years due to their relatively low trading prices compared to large caps, now seem to be gradually shifting away from them. Increased volatility in domestic markets, driven by both local and global headwinds, coupled with weak earnings, has made…
Most stories were about companies supplying either goods or services to a government or a quasi-government entity, maybe for highways, railways, power, defence or something of that kind. This was not surprising, as for the last few years, India’s economy has been running on a single engine of government expenditure. So naturally a lot of…
