India will continue to attract FPI flows this month too, although at a slower pace as compared to August, given continued rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve along Foreign investors have pumped in a little over ?51,200 crore into the Indian equity markets in August, making it the highest inflow in 20 months, amid improving risk sentiment and stabilization in oil prices. “Foreign investors started pumping in money into emerging markets as interest rates curve flattened and oil prices stabilised. Currency markets gained sanity and commodity prices fell as China’s growth and financial market took a hit,” said Vijay Singhania, Chairman of TradeSmart.
After three consecutive repo rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), several banks have raised interest rates on fixed deposits (FDs). HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd, IDBI Bank are among those lenders that have hiked interest on term deposits recently. Smaller and new private banks are also offering lucrative rates to general public as well as senior citizens. In August, the central bank increased repo rates by 50 basis points to 5.4 percent.So, amid the rising FD rates, is it good time to invest in fixed deposit (FD). What are the market experts saying? One of the most difficult part of investing is determining start and end of cycles. Be it market cycle or the interest rate cycle, one can only get it right on hind sight on a consistent basis, said Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart.
The only thing that can push the market to a level of 70,000 (on the BSE Sensex) is foreign investors flow or an end of the Russia-Ukraine war, believes Vijay Singhania of TradeSmart. However, uncertainties abound, especially with the coming winter and stoppage of gas flow to Europe, the growth uncertainty in China with its banking system witnessing an unprecedented crisis is adding to the market anxiety, the TradeSmart Chairman shares in an interview to Moneycontrol. The chartered accountant with an insight of over 30 years in the industry believes that given the strong growth rate in India but uncertainty globally, the consumption, especially domestic consumption, continues to be a safe play. Most companies in this sector have low levels of debt and decent cash flow which can help survive the uncertainty, he says.
After turning net buyers last month, foreign investors have become aggressive shoppers of Indian equities and have invested Rs 22,452 crore in the first two weeks of August amid softening inflation concerns. This was way higher than a net investment of nearly Rs 5,000 crore by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in the entire month of July, data with depositories showed. "As long as energy prices remain low and there are no surprises from the war zone, foreign flow is likely to continue," Vijay Singhania, Chairman at TradeSmart, said.
Freedom doesn’t come easy, and when it comes to financial freedom, it is “earned”, literally. Financial freedom has a different meaning for different people. For some it may mean being debt free, for others, it may mean having sufficient cash flow. According to Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart, achieving financial freedom early in life is all about learning and living the formula of compounding. There are two components in compounding your wealth – time and return on investment. The longer you stay invested in a quality investment, the higher return you will get. It is therefore important to start saving early in life. "One should start saving before they start spending. There are many mathematical tools to help you achieve financial goals. For example, the 15-15-15 rule says that in order to be a crorepati (have Rs one crore in your account) you should save Rs 15,000 every month for 15 years in an instrument that gives a return of 15 percent. A return of 15 percent is possible only in equities. Investing early in quality stocks or good mutual fund schemes can help achieve the target," Singhania stated.
On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu festival, a sister ties Rakhi on her brother’s wrist as a sign of love and in return seeks protection. The brother in turn bestows gifts while assuring her that he will be there to take care of her. Over the years the ‘protection’ has moved from physical to financial. These days it is more important to provide financial protection which has a lasting effect. After providing for risk, that is taking a comprehensive medical insurance policy and life insurance, it is important to focus on building a sister's capital so that she achieves financial independence. One way to do that is to ask her to invest in a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) in an equity-linked plan and allow her to reap the benefit of compounding. There is no need to take an MBA or a CFA degree to be educated enough to learn about investing. As the legendary portfolio manager Peter Lynch said “All the math you need in the market, you get it in fourth grade”.
Today is Raksha Bandhan, a festival showcasing the beautiful brother-sister relationship that is celebrated in large parts of the country. In this festival, the sister ties a rakhi or amulet on her brother’s hand and in turn asks him to protect her (Raksha). With changing times the meaning of ‘raksha’ has changed frToday is Raksha Bandhan, a festival showcasing the beautiful brother-sister relationship that is celebrated in large parts of the country. In this festival, the sister ties a rakhi or amulet on her brother’s hand and in turn asks him to protect her (raksha). With changing times the meaning of ‘raksha’ has changed from physical security to financial security. At a time of rampant job insecurity, providing a financial shield or financial ‘kavatch’ for one’s sister is very important. Below are some ways of doing that.om physical security to financial security. At a time of rampant job insecurity, providing a financial shield or financial ‘kavatch’ for one’s sister is very important. Below are some ways of doing that.
After a nearly three-month break, domestic primary markets will get some life back. While a fresh IPO season will start in the coming days, experts believe that investors should not jump the gun. Despite the recovery in the broader market, the primary space has been out of favor for a while and there is not much buzz of more issues hitting the street in the near term either. Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart said that primary markets move with a lag and the sentiments are still feeble amid the rising volatility and geopolitical worries. "It takes calmer waters for the primary market to revive."
Bank fixed deposit also known as term deposit is one of the most popular investment products in our country. Bank FDs are preferred by investors of all ages as they are considered safe and can be easily liquidated whenever needed. Amid the Covid pandemic, during the last 2 years fixed deposit (FD) investors saw their returns declining but things are improving now. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiking repo rates to tame rising inflation, the banks are too expected to pass on the benefits to customers. Whenever policy rates start going up, the banks start hiking the interest on FD rates. Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart says RBI has been increasing repo rates but fixed deposit rates are not moving in tandem. On the other hand lending rates have kept pace with repo rates. Most banks have hiked interest rates to the tune of 20-30 basis points, which are much lower than repo rates.
After nine consecutive months of relentless selling, foreign investors have turned net buyers and invested nearly Rs 5,000 crore in Indian equities in July on softening dollar index and good corporate earnings. This is in sharp contrast to a net withdrawal of Rs 50,145 crore from the stock market seen in June. This was the highest net outflow since March 2020, when foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) had pulled out Rs 61,973 crore from equities, data with depositories showed. Vijay Singhania, Chairman at TradeSmart, said strong corporate numbers also boosted the inflow.
At a time when the central banks globally opting for monetary policy tightening to control inflation, the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is set to meet this week to decide on the interest rates in the country. Though there is a consensus that the RBI will increase the key repo rate, but experts differ on the quantum. An analyst poll conducted by news18.com suggests that the RBI might hike the repo rate in the range of 25-50 basis points (bps) this week, with most experts forecasting a 25-35 bps hike. TradeSmart’s Chairman, Vijay Singhania says the policy rate is likely to increase 30-50 bps. In the last monetary policy review in June, the RBI’s MPC had hiked the repo rate by 50 basis points to 4.9 per cent. It was the second hike within a month after an off-cycle monetary policy hike of 40 basis points in May. Currently, the repo rate stands at 4.90 per cent, SDF at 5.65 per cent, marginal standing facility at 5.15 per cent, bank rate at 5.15 per cent and the reverse repo rate at 3.35 per cent.
TradeSmart, one of India’s leading new-age online discount brokerage companies, has partnered with service provider Modern Algos, a SEBI registered research analyst firm that develops various models of Trading and Investment Advisory Services, powered by technology. TradeSmart users will now have access to Modern Algos’ suite of new-age trading services, and can avail specialised guidance and trading strategies from the company’s extensive network of experienced and qualified professionals TradeSmart will also be providing a seamless trading experience to Modern Algos customers after availing recommendations and trading strategies from the platform. Modern Algos services are backed by quantitative and technical analytics. The platform also uses in-depth insights based on algorithms and AI to provide an efficient order management system for users, ensuring they have the right customized advisory as per their age, investment and future goals. A very interesting offering is the algorithmically designed readymade Option trading strategies based on Time/RiskReward/Probability of Success>65 per cent. Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart said, “The current business landscape is brimming with numerous new-age trading and investment players. All are competing to simplify these processes using advanced technologies and provide the best user experience to consumers. However, to excel in this competition, collaborating with the right partner is equally important. We are delighted to welcome Modern Algos onboard and are confident that this collaboration will help us facilitate traders who are experienced as well as new entrants investing based on their individual research and analysis.”
The relentless selling by foreign investors appears to have taken a breather as they have turned net buyers so far this month with an investment of nearly Rs 1,100 crore in the Indian equity market. This comes following a net withdrawal of Rs 50,145 crore from equities in June. This was the highest net outflow since March 2020, when they had pulled out Rs 61,973 crore from equities, data with depositories showed. There has been an exodus of Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) from Indian equity markets over the last nine months, since October 2021. Vijay Singhania, Chairman at TradeSmart, said, "poor economic data in the US has given hope that the Federal Reserve might not increase rates at the speed as envisaged earlier along with better-than-expected corporate results also helped improve investor confidence".
Salaried persons can save a lot of money through various avenues available for tax savings if planned and executes in a proper manner. It is always better to start your tax planning at the start of the year rather than towards the end. An early start helps in better planning and better allocation. Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart says " Investment in tax-saving instruments is the most popular amongst tax- payers. Tax deductions are allowed on the amounts invested in specified instruments under section 80C of the Income-tax Act, 1961. Among the popular investment options are Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Public Provident Fund (PPF), Fixed deposits of minimum 5 years tenure or more. Life insurance policies, ELSS mutual funds, National Pension Scheme (NPS) and other pension plans. Effective April 1, 2022, when the FY 2022-23 started, all individual salaried taxpayers have been given the option to either choose the old income tax regime or opt for the new one."
The onslaught of crypto winter and recent events have marred the spirits of crypto investors. Various events like the recent breaks in operations where Vauld (a leading crypto exchange platform) paused the withdrawals and called off their operations, Voyager Digital (a crypto broker) filed for bankruptcy, the collapse of Luna crypto and many such cases across the world are shaking up the investors. Is investing in cryptocurrency still safe? What experts say - Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart says apart from TDS, the brokerage, and GST charges have added more risk to trading in cryptocurrencies. “The TDS of one percent on Cryptocurrency implemented from 1st July is a dampener for trading in the asset class. While it may not affect investing volumes, trading volume in the sector will be surely hit. Just an example of how it will impact the trader -If a trader takes 10 trades in a month, he will have to earn at least 10 percent on these trades cumulatively, just to recover the TDS cost," said Singhania.
Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart says "The market is the greatest & one of the best teachers in the world in the field of investing or trading. In trading, it is said the best book one can ever read is your trade log. The trade log requires a sincere trader to register his trades and lessons learned from it. After hundreds of trades, the trader would have made all possible mistakes. Reading from them and trying not to repeat the mistakes is how one progresses. The market is a great teacher, provided one is attentive. Most losing traders do not take notes in the form of a trader log to register what the market is trying to tell us."
Indian equity space has been under severe selling pressure in the first half of 2022 due to rising inflation, FPI exodus, monetary policy tightening, geopolitical worries and falling rupee. Despite this market mayhem, more than two dozen penny stocks have defied gravity to deliver multibagger returns to the investors in the first half of the ongoing calendar. Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart, said that bear markets tend to be illiquid, which offers fertile ground for micro-cap stocks. Companies with questionable fundamentals are easy to rig. As investors are looking for ideas to invest, they fall prey to such stocks, he warned. "It is important to do thorough due diligence before investing, especially when it comes to unknown names." Some typical characteristics of these stocks tend to be low promoter holding, huge debt, etc.
Studying abroad is a dream come true for many. However, for studying in a foreign university, one has to arrange funds to pay admission fee, tuition fees, buy tickets to travel to the country for admission, accommodation, food, etc. The high rate of inflation in the education sector and fluctuation in currency rates make it even difficult to estimate the fund requirements. To start saving and investing early, one needs to plan early and determine the financial goal properly. “Many factors will decide the investment planning like a tentative idea of the fee keeping in account inflation, the number of years left to achieve the goal, the amount one is willing to save every month and the instrument to save in,” said Mr. Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart
An article by Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart - “Rule No. 1 is never to lose money. Rule No. 2 is never to forget Rule No. 1,” says Warren Buffett. In a simple world, it means that when you are out to make money in the stock market, take decisions in line with your financial goals. Thus, it’s imperative to understand that a market strategy may bring profit for an investor, but the same may result in losses for a trader. This principle also applies to the strategy of averaging.
After two years of robust outperformance, primary market has turned out to be disappointing for D-Street investors in the first half of 2022. However, if deep dive, the performance of debutants of 2022 has been impressive. Between January-June 2022, as many as 16 companies made their debut on the bourses with half of them trading below their issue prices, whereas the second half delivering positive response with two multibaggers. Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart said that poor listing gains and performance of most of the new age companies, resulted in a reluctance on part of companies and merchant bankers to approach the primary market. "The poor performance of LIC post its listing also put pressure on primary markets, resulting in fewer companies approaching the markets to raise funds," he added.
