How to pick stocks

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 11 Apr 2019
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How to pick stocks

Picking the right stocks is the key to success. But there lies the challenge. There isn’t any single theory that can be applied when it comes to understanding how to pick stocks. There isn’t any definitive science that you can stick to. What there is a plethora of factors that need to be taken into account before putting your hard-earned money in a company stock. That’s because analysing the various factors can help you make the right pick. So, let’s go through the various factors you need to take into account before knowing how to pick good stocks in Indian market and optimising your investment:
Company fundamentals: To discern how to pick stocks, you would have to do some research and find companies that have strong fundamentals. Analyse the financials of the company based on some key financial ratios.

Earnings per Share (EPS): This indicates post-tax profits of the company on per share basis. For instance, increasing EPS indicates that the earning power of the company is on the rise.

Dividend Yield: Consider this aspect if the primary



objective of your investment is to know how to pick stocks for long term and earn a steady income. It indicates percentage of return that can be expected in the form of dividend on your investment at the current market price. An increasing dividend yield indicates that the investment has potential to provide regular stream of income.

Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio: This is calculated by dividing the current market price of the company’s stock by its earnings per share (EPS). It shows how much the market is willing to pay for the earning prospects of the company. If P/E ratio is high, it means the stock is overpriced. If P/E ratio is low, it means that the company has a good growth potential. However, this strategy holds water if you compare the stock with its peer company.

Price to Book (P/B) ratio: This ratio is calculated by dividing the current market price of the company’s stock by its book value per share. High P/B ratio indicates that the market value is more than the book value. Lower P/B ratio indicates that the company is undervalued. It’s one of the ways to evaluate banking stocks.

Thus, companies with increasing earnings per share, increasing dividend yield, lower price to earnings ratio (P/E) and lower price to book ratio (P/B) are considered healthy. Basically, these records show past performance of company. Based on the fundamentals, you can shortlist companies that are worth investing.

However, you can further distil your stock choices by looking at the following factors:

✓ Nature of business: A company’s business model can give you an insight into its future prospects. It’s also better to invest in businesses that you understand. Knowing the nature of business and its model can help you take better decisions.

✓ Company’s management: Details of a company’s promoters and their background are easily available on the internet. Look for a management that is stable and experienced. These traits can be a good indicator of the company’s future potential that can help you understand how to pick stocks for day trading.

✓ Stock valuation: Picking the right stock at the right price is the key. It’s important to analyse whether the price of the particular stock is fair or expensive. So, do due diligence before you buy the stock. Make sure you aren’t paying a premium.

In a nutshell, informed decision is the key to knowing how to pick the best stocks for successful investing. Although there is no Bible to guide you, poring over the company’s activities can help you gauge its future prowess.






Disclaimer: Investment in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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Investing versus trading in gold and commodities

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 10 Apr 2019

Investing and trading are two sides of the same coin. That’s because both the approaches help in building wealth. The only difference between difference between trading and investing is that while investing money is done for a longer period of time, trading is more dynamic and is conducted over a day or two, or maybe a week tops. The same principles are applied while investing money in commodities too. So, let’s look at different scenarios that can help us understand the difference between investing and trading in detail.✓ Investors and traders generally prefer to deal in different commodity instruments. While investors, who have a medium- to long-term perspective, like to put their money in commodity stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), traders usually prefer commodity futures. It is not to say that traders don’t dabble in forward trading in commodities stocks or ETFs, but they usually swear by commodity futures. A commodity futures contract is an agreement to buy and sell commodities at a specified price on a specific future date. Crude oil and agricultural commodities futures are short-term contracts that locks in the price of commodity a few weeks or months in advance. Traders take various factors into consideration to keep actively buying and selling on a regular basis. The investor, meanwhile, likes to bide his time, maybe even take over a year, before he plans to cash in on an opportunity. ✓ An investor plays the waiting game in order to evade the daily market volatility. A trader, meanwhile, uses several financial tools to figure out which instrument can make him money over a short period of time. To understand the difference between day trading and investing, we borrow a cricket analogy -- an investor is like Rahul Dravid while a trader is like a Virender Sehwag. Both can fetch you runs but in vastly different fashion. The reason the investor has a long-term perspective is because past data show that commodities like gold have usually fared well in the long run. Let’s take gold’s case as an example. In 2007, the metal was valued at Rs 10,800 per 10 gram. Today, it’s priced at Rs 31,800. This is the reason why investors usually have to be patient. A trader though usually uses experience, nous and technical know-how to make money over a shorter period. The objective here is to predict market volatility to make money. In short, investing is relatively less risky than trading. The commodity trading market, therefore, works for those who have a high risk appetite. ✓ An investor looks at the fundamentals of commodities. That means they consider various economic factors that would impact supply and demand of the commodity. But, traders do a technical analysis to predict the direction of the market. Since traders make predictions based on price movements of commodities, the focus is more on the commodity’s market price rather than the factors that affect the price. To sum up, both the practices require different ethos. While both may have the same destination, the paths chosen are different. It also depends on your risk appetite and time horizon. If you are new to trading in commodity-producing stocks, you could read more on reserves, rates of production, value of enterprises and net present value. Better still, you could seek the advice of a financial expert or professional to guide you through investing in commodities successfully.Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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4 mistakes to avoid while investing in gold and other commodities

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 11 Apr 2019

Gold is so popular in India that 11 out of 10 people in the country are interested in owning it. That statistic may not be true but you get the drift. This piece of yellow metal has captivated a billion people for thousands of years. Other commodities like agricultural products, energy and livestock don’t hold the same degree of fascination. That said, the commodities market is a popular avenue among investors in the country. But if you are newcomer to commodity trading, you need to be careful of avoiding some of the common mistakes people make. It’s always better to learn from experience, even if they are not yours. So, let’s look at a few banana skins you should look to avoid in the field of commodity trading when you set out on the road to commodities investing. 1) Investing for the short termGold is a very valuable asset among Indian investors for short term investments. However, to avoid mistakes to avoid while investing in gold, don’t invest with unrealistic expectations. Hopes of a 50% appreciation in gold price in six months or a year can leave you disappointed. When you invest in gold for short term investments, it is better to have a long term approach. This can help you ride the volatility in the short term. In addition, be careful not to depend too much on gold during short-term financial requirements. In case you liquidate your investment at a short notice, your returns may be much lesser than expected. 2) Not maintaining a stop lossWhen it comes to investments, everyone makes mistakes. But the good investor knows when to exit an investment at the right moment and minimize his losses. It is well known among investors that commodity trading comes with a certain amount of risk. A wrong investment can result in big losses for the investor if he is not careful. That’s why it is important to maintain a stop loss to personally protect your trading positions. 3) Going big right from the beginningMany novice traders make the mistake of going big on their first investment itself. This can be a risky proposition in commodity trading. If you are new to the market, here’s one of the most important commodity trading tips -- it is best to begin your journey with a small sum of money. This way, you protect your capital against unnecessary losses. Over time, you can improve your trading record by expanding your knowledge on global events and price fluctuations in the market. With respect to gold, you can invest in even 1 gm through gold ETFs online. This is another one of the crucial good investment tips to begin your investment journey into commodities. 4) Lack of diversificationNever invest your entire capital in a single commodity. For example, you might find the metal sector very attractive or perhaps the energy sector shows great potential for high returns in the near future. Regardless, it is better to allocate your capital into different assets to minimize your losses in case a single commodity or sector falls unexpectedly.To sum up Commodity trading offers great opportunities for good returns. However, it is important to remain calm and patient when you invest in commodities. When compared to investment in the stock market, commodities futures contracts provide investors with a greater degree of investment flexibility. That’s why, it is important to be aware of your personal risk-reward ratio and invest accordingly.It is important to know that not all commodities are equally risky. To ensure your te right pic, you may want to gauge the amount of risk suited to your profile. This is crucial, because commodities undergo extraordinary price movement on the slightest hearsay of critical news.Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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  • IPO Process - 5 Steps for Successful Listing in India
    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Jan 2020

    The last two years have proven to be very fruitful for the IPO (Initial Public Offer) market. Investors have cashed in the opportunity and made huge returns in the IPO. The journey of the company to offer its shares to the public is exciting and at the same time, it also offers an opportunity to the investors to reap the benefits of IPO. Seeing the performance of recent IPOs, the attention of investors towards it is at an all-time high and they are always on a lookout for the new opportunities to arrive. When a private company decides to go public, the initial public offering process starts. The companies go public to raise a huge amount of capital in the exchange of securities. An IPO is an important stage for the growth of any company because they have access to public capital which enhances their credibility and exposure. The initial public offering process in India is regulated by the ‘Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). In this article, you will learn about 5 steps of the IPO process for a successful listing on the Indian stock exchange. IPO Process in India Step 1: Selection of an Investment Banker for Underwriting Process Before understanding the IPO process, let us understand what underwriting is. Underwriting is a process in which the shares of the companies are issued and sold during the initial public offering. During this process investment bank advices and gives suggestions to the company against a fee. The investment banker understands the financial situation of the company and accordingly suggests them plans to meet their financial needs. They sign an underwriting agreement with the company. The agreement has all the details about the deal and the amount that will be raised by issuing securities. The companies may select an investment bank after determining various factors such as the reputation of the bank, expertise in the process, quality of their equity research and experience in the sector they deal. All these factors help in selling the IPO to the investors, traders and retailers. Step 2: Due Diligence and Regulation Process After the selection of the investment banker, the company is required to make an initial registration statement as per the regulations of the SEBI. In this process, the company and the underwriters submit the SEBI its fiscal data and the future plans of the company. The company is also required to give the declaration about the usage of funds that will be raised from IPO procedure. This declaration ensures that the company has given each and every disclosure that an investor must know. The company must file various versions of the prospectus from the initial stage to the final stage with the investors. The prospectus consists of the company’s details like valuation of the company, risk and rewards of the investment along with other details. This IPO process ends with the filing of the above-mentioned documents. Step 3: Pricing The final price of the Initial Public Offering is determined by the investors. The investment bank markets the IPO. To attract the public to the IPO application process, they are priced at a discount. By issuing shares at discount, the share performs well when they are listed on the stock exchanges. The price of the stock during IPO procedure can be a fixed price with the price mentioned in the order document. On the other hand, a book building issue will have a price band within the bids that can be made by the investor. Step 4: Stock Listing and Price Stabilization When the shares of the company are listed on the stock exchange and trading begins, the investment bank takes measures to establish the price of the securities. When there are not enough buyers, the bank will purchase the shares. The role of the investment bank in stabilizing the share price is essential. However, one must remember that such buying would last only for a short period of time because the IPO process already consumes a huge amount of capital investment. Step 5: Transition to Market Competition When the company's transition period to the normal competitive environment is over, the company is required to make disclosures like its financial results, significant news, etc. that is material in nature and can affect the price of the shares. The role of the investment bank is still significant. It can continue as an advisor to the company and assist in increasing the price of the shares over a period of time.   Conclusion The above mentioned are the IPO process steps for a successful listing. An IPO can change the fortunes of the company and it can grow at a rapid pace. Apart from the company, investors can also reap the benefits of an IPO by investing in them. Since there are many risks and uncertainties associated with a company going public, good research before investment can be fruitful. The investors can compare the company with its peers and check its fundamentals before investing. An investor must also consider his risk appetite and availability of funds before investing money in the IPOs. If you are an investor and need any assistance regarding investing in the stock market, you can contact IndiaNivesh.Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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  • IPO Allotment Status – All you need to know about IPO Allotment Process
    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Jan 2020

    Initial Public Offerings have been in existence for a long time. But recently they have come under a lot of limelight. In the July-September period of last year, funds to the tune of USD 0.86 billion were raised from just 10 IPOs. And as per an EY report, IPOs are expected to gain more momentum in 2020. IPOs or Initial Public Offer are the buzzwords these days. Especially after the successful ones like IRCTC and Ujjivan Bank. Indian stock exchanges (BSE & NSE) ranked 6th worldwide in the highest number of IPOs in Quarter 3 of 2019. Read on to understand the IPO Allotment process in detail. Important aspects of bidding in an IPO Before we move to the allotment, we should know some important basics about IPO bidding. These days, most IPOs take the book building route. Some important terms to be aware of: Price Band Each IPO involves a price band. It is a price range within which applicants can make their IPO bids. The upper limit (or maximum price) is s the cap price. The lower limit of the price band is the floor price. The final issues price (known as the cut-off price) is decided based on the bids received.   Lots The total shares (on offer in the IPO) are divided into small lots. Each applicant needs to bid in these lots and not for individual shares. For instance, if a company intends to issue 1 lakh shares and the lot size is 20 shares per lot. Hence, the total number of lots on offer is 5,000. As per the SEBI guidelines, applicants cannot bid for shares quantity which is lower than the lot size. Also, bidding for lots in decimals (such as 1.5 lots) is not permitted. It is important to note that the lot size is applicable only at the stage of IPO allotment. Post listing, investors can trade their shares in the market in whatever quantity they want. ASBA ASBA stands for Application Supported by Blocked Amount. This facility lets you bid in IPOs without paying any money upfront. The amount remains blocked in the bank account and is deducted only after the allotment. IPO Allotment process Share allotment in an IPO needs to be done as per the SEBI guidelines. With the changes introduced by the regulator in 2012, all RII (Retail Institutional Investors) applications need to be treated equally. Some important points about IPO Allotment process: Only bids which are equal to or higher than the issue price qualify for allotment. Retail applicants (with qualified bids) need to be allotted the minimum application size, subject to stock availability in the aggregate. Apart from retail investors, there are two other types of investors in an IPO – QIB (Qualified Institutional Buyers) and NII (Non-Institutional Investors). Allotment to them is done on a proportionate basis. Post submission of all the bids, a computerised application is used to eliminate all invalid bids. This helps to identify the number of successful bids. There can be two situations –Under subscription (number of applications received is lesser than the total lot of shares offered) and Oversubscription (number of applications received is higher than the total lot of shares on offer). Allotment Rules for over and under subscription In case of an under subscription, every investor gets full allotment, regardless of the application size. For retail investors, in case of an IPO oversubscription, the max number of retail applicants eligible for allotment of the minimum bid lot is determined by using this formula – Total no. of shares available for RII (Retail Individual Investors) divided by Minimum Bid Lot. If the IPO is oversubscribed by a huge margin, the final allotment is done through a computerised lottery method. This would mean that some applicants will not get any allotment. If the oversubscription is not by a huge margin, then all applicants will get the minimum bid lot and the balance is proportionality allotted to applicants who had bid for multiple lots.   IPO Allotment Status IPO Allotment Status of each applicant gives the details regarding the number of shares applied for and final allocation in the IPO. The IPO status details are available online on the website of the registrar. Each IPO has a specific registrar such as Karvy, Linkintime, etc. Applicants can check their IPO allotment status by providing details such as PAN, IPO application number, etc. IPO Allotment Status Online is available within one week of the IPO closing date. The entire allocation process takes almost 10 business days. In the case of non-allotment within that period, the amount paid by the applicant is refunded back. The registrar also publishes an allotment document which has all the details regarding the IPO allotment such as the total number of applications received, IPO allotment calculations, etc.   Why were shares not allotted to you in the IPO? There can be three reasons for this. Invalid Bid Bids in an IPO can be rejected or considered invalid for numerous reasons. Some of these are invalid Demat or PAN details, incomplete information, multiple applications by the same person, etc.   Over Subscription Oversubscription means that the demand for the company’s shares exceeds the number of shares issued. In case of a hugely oversubscribed IPO, the shares are allotted based on a lottery. The rationale being that every applicant has an equal chance. If your name does not come up in the lucky draw, you will not be allotted the shares.   Bid Price is below the issue price IPOs following the book building route requires applicants to bid for lots as well as the price they are willing to pay. If the bid price you have submitted is less than the final issue price, you will not get any IPO allotments.   If you want to stay on top of the IPO game, a financial expert can be of great help. A partner like IndiaNivesh, who has more than 11 years of experience in the Indian markets, can keep you informed about all the upcoming IPOs and help you make the most of it.  Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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  • Tax Saving FD – Know About Tax Saving Fixed Deposit
    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Jan 2020

    Every salaried individual as well as a business person is required to pay taxes as per the income tax laws. While paying taxes, we all aim to legally save it in some way or the other. But how do we do that? It is the most confusing question for most of the taxpayers. One of the excellent ways of saving taxes is by investing in tax-saving investment schemes. They not only help you save taxes but are also instrumental in effectively achieving your financial goals. There are many investment avenues available in the market that either offer tax exemption or tax deduction. Having said that, selecting the most suitable and right tax-saving investments may not come easy for everyone. While choosing the right scheme, one needs to access several factors such as safety, returns and liquidity, among other things. A very popular tax-saving investment option among taxpayers is investments under section 80C. As per section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, investments of up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs can be claimed as a deduction. Tax saving fixed deposit is a type of fixed deposit where you can get a deduction of maximum Rs. 1.5 lakhs under section 80C. To arrive at the net taxable income, the amount invested in tax saving FD is to be deducted from gross total income. Let us learn about some of the important points that you must consider before investing in tax saving FD. Things to Know About Tax Saving Fixed Deposit Investment in tax saving FD can be done by individuals and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) only. The minimum amount for fixed deposits varies from bank to bank. Income tax saving FD has a lock-in period of 5 years. You cannot make premature withdrawals and loans against these FDs. Investment in these FDs can be made only through private or public sector banks. Rural and co-operative banks are not eligible for these FDs. Tax-saving fixed deposits can be held in ‘singly' or 'jointly'. When the holding is in joint mode, the tax benefit is available to the first holder. Tax saving FD interest rates vary from bank to bank. The interest rate ranges from 5.5% – 7.75%. However, note that some banks offer higher rates on FDs to the senior citizens. These fixed deposits have nomination facilities. The interest earned on the income tax saving FD is taxable according to the investor’s tax bracket. The interest on tax saving FD is payable on a monthly or quarterly basis. The main advantage of investing in tax saving fixed deposits is that they are less risky in comparison to equities. Since many banks offer this type of FD, let us learn about its details. Banks and Income Tax Saving FDs SBI Tax Saving FD Tax saving FD interest rates of SBI is 6.25% for general customers and 6.75% for senior citizens. The maximum deposit in a year is Rs. 1 lakh and the minimum deposit is Rs. 1,000. By using a tax saving FD calculator you can know the amount receivable after the lock-in period of 5 years depending on the maturity period of your FD.   HDFC Bank Tax Saving FD Tax saving FD in the HDFC Bank can be opened with a minimum amount of Rs. 100. The maturity period of this FD is 10 years. Tax saving FD interest rates is 6.30%. Senior citizens get an added benefit of 50 basis points over general customers.   ICICI Bank Tax Saving FD The interest rate on tax saving fixed deposits at the ICICI Bank to the general customers is 6.6% and for senior citizens, the interest rate is 7.10%. These rates are applicable to FDs having a maturity period of 5 to 10 years. The maximum amount that can be deposited is Rs. 1.5 lakhs and the minimum amount for opening tax saving FD at the ICICI Bank is Rs. 10,000.   PNB Tax Saving FD Punjab National Bank offers an interest rate of 6.30% on a five-year tax saving FD. The minimum amount for opening tax saving FD at the PNB Bank is Rs. 5,000.   Bank of Baroda Tax Saving FD Bank of Baroda offers an interest rate of 6.30% on a five-year tax saving FD.   The Bottom Line The above mentioned are the basic details about the major banks that offer income tax saving FDs. You may access each individual option carefully and select the suitable one after doing good research. You can find all the basic information on the bank’s website. If you want to find out the returns that you will be earning from the fixed deposit, you can access the tax saving FD calculator and find out the returns by entering your fixed deposit details. If you want to learn more about income tax saving FD or want to learn about other investment options, you can contact IndiaNivesh. We are among one of the most trusted and value-enhancing financial groups in India.Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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