My prediction mistakes…

I have never claimed that I can predict well. However having been a broker and having dealt with bankers, I made two predictions – both went wrong. 1. When the Standard Chartered IDR was lapped up by the Indian population, I had predicted on this blog and said ‘now there will be a spate of  [...]

Increasing investor protection…

SEBI, IRDA, Ministry of Company Affairs are all very concerned about the small investor. Tch, Tch..aaiyo pavam (bechara in Tamil)..so they make all the right noises. Let us hear them: 1. Make motherhood statements: when a regulator or a journalist makes mother hood statement like – ‘Subra do you agree that the retail investor should [...]

If people disagree..what do you do?

What do you do if people disagree with you? Get angry, resign to fate, fight, ignore them…well look up the Cognitive disonance….but first read on.. There are some deep beliefs that you cannot question. Let us say the scientists in the world believed that the world is flat. It means many years of research including [...]

SKS/IDFC or SBI?

One important part of portfolio management is to have self confidence. What I mean is if you have a good company in your portfolio, do not think it is a bad share . ‘Ghar ki murgi daal barabar’ becomes a reality even while you are handling a portfolio. If say I have 1000 shares of [...]

Banking: the only profitable business?

Of course the BFSI space is booming and there are all types of stories about it. However the mutual fund industry, the life insurance industry and the brokerage industry are not as profitable as the pundits tell us. The profitability of the banking business is visible to all. Even the Psu banks make money – [...]

SBI issue closed! OMG I missed the bus!

I got a few calls in the morning (late last evening perhaps) saying ‘OMG I missed the SBI bonds issue…now I will get a much smaller allotment than what I had thought’. Let me correct you Ma’am. You will NOT GET ANYTHING if you applied on Tuesday, because the issue was fully subscribed on Monday [...]