Author - Pratik Mate

This week in a nutshell (03rd October – 07th October)

 

 

 

 

Technical talks

NIFTY opened the week on 3rd October at 17,102 in the red and ended in the green at 17,315 on 7th  October, after high volatility during the week. The index closed marginally in the green during the week. The next support and resistance levels for the index would be 17,262 and 17,412 respectively. The RSI (14) of 50 indicates the index is showing signs of recovery.

Among the sectoral indices, MEDIA (+5.5%), REALTY (+3.8%), IT (+4%), and BANK (+2.7%) were the gainers during the week while METAL (-1.2%), OIL AND GAS (-1.0%) and HEALTHCARE (-0.9%) led the losers.

Weekly highlights

  • US major indices closed the week in red after the US Employment data erased the gains made during the week, the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones closed the week with losses of 1%, 2%, and 1% respectively.
  • Oil prices settled higher on Friday as OPEC has maintained its policy of cutting down production in the wake of an impending demand slowdown, the Brent crude and WTI crude ended the week with a gain of 10% and 9% respectively.
  • India’s tax collection from the sale of goods and services soared 26 per cent to Rs 1.47 trillion in September, on account of rising demand, higher rates, and greater tax compliance. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection remained above the Rs 1.4 trillion mark for the seventh straight month during the month up 27% YoY.
  • S&P Global India Manufacturing PMI in September was 55.1, as against August’s 56.2. Despite cooling down from August, despite India’s manufacturing activity losing a bit of momentum the rates of expansion remained historically high. The S&P report stated that manufacturing PMI was in expansion for the 15th month in a row.
  • Indian automakers witnessed strong sales growth in September as an improved supply of vehicles and pre-festive season inventory build-up at dealerships boosted dispatches. Carmakers either reported the highest-ever monthly sales or touched peak dispatches in many months. For two-wheeler companies, exports were weak with motorcycle sales also disappointing in the domestic market. The sales volumes in the commercial vehicles and tractors segment were also robust, suggesting an even stronger festival season for companies.
  • The World Bank on Thursday projected a growth rate of 6.5 per cent for the Indian economy for FY23, a drop of one per cent from its previous June 2022 projections. India is expected to be the outperforming economy in FY23 despite multiple headwinds.
  • OPEC+ agreed on its deepest cuts to oil production since the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday by 2 million barrels per day. The cut could spur a recovery in oil prices that have dropped to about $90 from $120 three months ago on fears of a global economic recession, rising US interest rates and a stronger dollar.
  • The foreign institutional investors (FII) continued to be sellers and sold equities worth Rs 360 mn while Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to be buyers and bought equities worth Rs 9,640mn during the week.

Things to watch out for next week

  • This week will be very crucial for Indian Equity markets as the investors will closely watch Q2 Earnings releases from IT companies, and commentary about demand headwinds and deal pipelines would be on the radar.
  • Various Macroeconomic statistics such as IIP, CPI, WPI, Balance of Trade and the RBI MPC Policy Meet Minutes will be out in the upcoming week which may lead to increased volatility during the week.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Beginners’ guide to investing…

“Bro, suggest me some good stocks please.”

“Hey, I heard stock X is going to go up, should I buy it?”

“I want to start an SIP, how to do it?”

“So, like can you double my money?”

As a 20 somethings guy working in the financial advisory industry, I have had my fair share of interactions mentioned above. Somehow you become the de-facto person in your circle whom people confer for financial advice. In this series of articles, I’ll be sharing some of the very basics of Investing for any beginner who has very little information about how the system works. Be advised that this is a very generalised heavily simplified version and the actual actions may differ on a case-by-case basis. Let’s take a dive into the world of bulls and bears, shall we?

 

  • The Difference Between Saving and Investing: A common misconception amongst first-time investors is that both are the same. However, there’s a critical difference between the two. Savings, in essence, are any money that you don’t spend from your earnings. For eg. On a salary of Rs. 50,000/- per month, a person is left with around Rs. 20,000/- every month, those are their savings. Investing is when you allocate these savings with the expectation of generating income and wealth. An example, of the Rs. 20,000/- saved the person buys Mutual Funds of Rs 10,000/- and Rs. 10,000 in a bank FD, only then can it be considered investments.
  • Set Goals: It might feel like a boring and tedious task, but a lot of investment decisions are based on the person’s financial goals, their risk appetite. The first step before investing is asking questions, why am I doing this? when/how will I be using this money? To appropriately assess investment options.
  • Safety Cover: A critical aspect before starting the investment journey is deciding on an adequate safety cover. It is generally advised to have at least 6 months of your expenses stored away in a rainy-day fund; any unexpected setbacks should not deter an investor from their investing goals. Unexpected illnesses/ accidents or death are the biggest threats to an investor’s long-term investing goals as they can cause wealth erosion pretty quickly. Investors should adequately Insure themselves before investing.
  • Discipline: Investing has very little to do with markets and everything to do with behavioural impulses. It’s easy to start investing, it’s difficult to keep investing and it’s hardest to stay invested. Many first-time investors lack the discipline to consistently keep investing, but persistence is the only thing that generates wealth in the long term. Another trap most first-time investors fall for is consistently checking their portfolio for gains and losses, which is as unpredictable as the wind blowing and are tempted to cash in on their investments for short-term gains or stop investing altogether because of losses. Discipline wins in the end.
  • Uncertainty: Like all things in life, Investing too is unpredictable and difficult to understand at times. Not every investment will give an investor their desired returns, nor does an average investor have the time and skills to analyse their investments periodically to take corrective actions. In order to mitigate the risks, it is recommended that investors confer with SEBI registered Investment Advisors to guide them through their investing journey.

This is the 1st Part of the Introduction to Investing Series, which will discuss critical aspects of investing aimed at first time investors. Stay tuned for more.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

This Week in a nutshell (06-10 June)

Technical talks

NIFTY opened the week on 06th June at 16,531 and closed on 10th June at 16,202. During the week, NIFTY was down 2.3%. The index has breached the 50-week moving average on the weekly chart with RSI at 43. The immediate support for the index stands at 15,845 and resistance at 16,793.

Financial Services (-3.0%), IT (-2.6%), and Media (-2.4%) were the top losers, and PSU (+1.0), and Auto (+1.0%) were the only sectoral gainers during the week.

Weekly highlights

  • US inflation accelerated to a fresh 40-year high in May, a sign that price pressures are becoming entrenched in the economy. That will likely push the Federal Reserve to extend an aggressive series of interest-rate hikes. The consumer price index increased 8.6% YoY resulting in all 3 broad-based US Indices ending in the red by 3%.
  • Despite a dip on Thursday, benchmark crude oil rates were near their 13-week highs. Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures traded above $120 a barrel each. High crude prices hurt markets such as India, which meets much of its oil demand through imports. Brent closed at $121/barrel.
  • Official data released last month showed India’s official GDP growth reading hit a four-quarter low of 1 percent on a year-on-year basis in the January-March period. Economic growth for the full year ended March 2022 came in at 8.7 percent due to a low base of the previous year, though lower than the statistics office’s estimate of 8.9 percent.
  • RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday announced the unanimous decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to hike the repo rate — the key interest rate at which the central bank lends money to banks — by 50 basis points to 4.9 percent. The RBI MPC also decided to remain focused on withdrawing its ‘accommodative’ stance to ensure inflation stays within target levels while supporting growth.
  • The RBI MPC raised its forecast for retail inflation — gauged by the Consumer Price Index — by 100 basis points to 6.7 percent. The RBI Governor acknowledged that inflation has accelerated to a faster-than-estimated pace in April and May. It is expected to be higher than 6 percent by December 2022, mainly due to elevated food prices.
  • American employers added 390,000 jobs last month, the government reported Friday, a sign of a slowdown in hiring but still a better-than-expected result amid a shortage of workers. The jobless rate held steady at 3.6 percent for the third consecutive month, just a tenth of a point above the pre-pandemic level in February 2020, the Labor Department said.
  • A report showing stronger hiring last month than expected is good news for the US Economy amid worries about a possible recession. But many investors saw it keeping the Federal Reserve on its path to hiking interest rates aggressively, thereby causing weakness in US Equities, The US Federal Reserve is on track for half-point interest rate increases in June, and July, and last week’s jobs report boosted expectations of continued tightening by the US central bank.
  • Shanghai and Beijing are placed on new COVID-19 alerts. The cities imposed further lockdown restrictions on Thursday and announced a fresh round of mass testing for millions of their residents. India too reported a total of 7,584 new coronavirus infections on Friday, prompting health authorities to a high alert on a possible resurgence of a 4th Wave
  • Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to be sellers, selling equities worth Rs 126,629 Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to be buyers and bought equities worth Rs 96,100 mn.

Things to watch out for next week

  • Volatility is expected to remain high as rising global inflation forces investors to reconsider their expectations for strong earnings growth. Fears of a further rise in Interest rates by Central Banks across the world, geopolitical concerns, and oil price volatility will keep investors on edge.
  • With the inflation data released, investors are looking forward to Fed’s intended 50 bps interest rate hike in the next meeting. The United States housing market updates for May are expected next week. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data will be released for key economies, indicating whether global inflation rates have peaked.
  • With Q4 earnings out of the way, stock-specific actions will be limited as indices would track macro developments and geopolitical developments.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

e-XUV 300 to be launched in 4QFY23- Mahindra and Mahindra

 

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Wednesday, NIFTY closed in the red at 16,523 (-0.4%) dragged by BAJAJ-AUTO (-3.7%), APOLLOHOSP (-3.3%), and HINDALCO (-2.9%). JSWSTEEL (+3.6%), COALINDIA (+2.0%), and HDFCLIFE (+1.5%) were the top gainers. Among the sectoral indices, PSU BANK (+0.7%), BANK (+0.4%), and PRIVATE BANK (+0.3%) were the top gainers, and HEALTHCARE (-1.5%), IT (-1.4%), PHARMA (-1.3%) were the top losers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director (ED), Mahindra and Mahindra published in Moneycontrol on 30th May 2022:

  • The revenue market share for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) is back to the top position, the company is getting 9,000-10,000 bookings every month for the XUV 700. The recently launched XUV 700 has seen only 10-12 per cent cancellations despite a waiting period of 18-24 months.
  • The Company has seen huge success in its XUV 700 Utility Vehicle and is not able to match the demand despite producing more than 5000 vehicles every month. The company plans to ramp up its production once supply issues subside.
  • The Management believes the worst supply constraints are behind it. And that as the company ramps up the capacity with semiconductors supplies expected to improve further, the waiting period will come down.
  • The Company announced the launch of Scorpio-N a new newer generation model of the classic Scorpio on 27th June marks the 20th anniversary of the first launch of Mahindra Scorpio in 2002.
  • While commenting on the overall market situation, ED reiterated that some risks remain on the external environment front and supply has been disrupted due to lockdowns in China. ED, however, added that they expect to see “strong growth” in the auto business in FY23E.
  • The company reported its highest-ever standalone revenue for auto and farm segments at Rs 553 bn for FY22 with April traction in tractors being strong, better than expectations. The farm equipment sector (FES) tractors market share for FY22 is at 40 per cent, up 1.8 per cent year on year with the highest ever farm export volume of 17,500 tractors in FY22.
  • The management reiterated the company’s goal to reach an 18 per cent return on equity (RoE), adding that focus on capital allocation and improved financial metrics continue to deliver results.
  • The Company is planning to launch the fully electric version of its XUV 300 SUV in the market in the first quarter of next year and is expected to unveil its electric vehicle business strategy, ‘Born Electric Vision’ of EV concept in Aug-22.

 

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • Mahindra and Mahindra continue to cement its position as the market leader in the utility vehicles segment and with the expected launch of e-SUV, the company can better consolidate its leadership.
  • The farm Equipment segment has been performing really well for the company, increased farm incomes due to government policy, and strong monsoon forecasts will augur well for the company’s demand in the medium term.

Consensus Estimates: (Source: market screener and investing.com website)

  • The closing price of Mahindra and Mahindra was ₹ 1,047/- as of 01-June-2022.  It traded at 16x/ 11x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 69/ 94 – for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1,150/- implies a P/E Multiple of 12x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 94/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

E-Sports to be the new driver of growth – Nazara Technologies

 

 

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, NIFTY settled lower at 16,125 (-0.6%). DIVISLAB (-6.0%), TECHM (-4.0%), and GRASIM (-3.9%) were the top losers. DRREDDY (+2.0%), HDFC (1.7%), and KOTAKBANK (+1.4%) were the gainers. Among the sectors, MEDIA (-2.6%), IT (-1.9%), and HEALTHCARE (-1.5%) led the losers. FINANCIAL SERVICES (+0.3%), and BANK (+0.1%) led the gainers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Manish Agarwal, CEO, Nazara Technologies with Economic times on 24th May 2022:

  • The company’s revenue mix is an evolving pie chart as it is operating in 5 growth segments viz gamified learning / E-Sports / freemium / ad tech and skill-based real money gaming. All of these areas have a very large Target Audience Market and strong tailwinds based on organic growth momentum and inorganic velocity in different segments.
  • Gamified learning was the largest segment in FY21 and now E-Sports is the largest segment in FY22 the company believes E-Sports has the potential to further evolve if mid-size M&A were to happen in skill-based real money gaming.
  • The online gaming segment has been on the rise for a few years now. In 2020, this segment grew to Rs 79 billion and had a steady growth of 28% in 2021. Even with the lockdown being lifted, this sector has continued to show growth.
  • The Online Gaming sector was valued at Rs 101 billion in 2021, according to an EY FICCI report. The number of esports players doubled from 3,00,000 in 2020 to 6,00,000 in 2021. Additionally, the number of online gamers grew by 8% from 360 million in 2020 to 390 million in 2021, and is expected to rise to 450 million by 2023. The gaming segment is expected to grow exponentially in all verticals including E-Sports for the company.
  • The management expects the online gaming industry to reach 500 million gamers by 2025 and will become the fourth largest segment of India’s M&E sector. It is expected to reach Rs 153 billion at a CAGR of 15%. This growth is expected to be mainly driven by three things: NFTs, Metaverse, and esports.
  • For the next few quarters – the management expects esports to continue to build on the momentum of Q4 and the opening of offline events and the growth of D2C biz with M&A of Wings and Planet Super Hero will be key drivers of growth for the company.
  • The company is present in 5 of the most dominant consumer trends in gaming and will also participate in web 3 so besides this, the management doesn’t think there are any unexplored new opportunity segments. The management’s aim this year is to strengthen leadership in each of the segments that the company operates across emerging markets outside the Indian subcontinent.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • The online gaming sector is still an underpenetrated segment in India. With increasing internet accessibility and smartphone availability, India offers a largely untapped market in the online gaming segment, which has been accelerated by the pandemic and lockdowns.
  • Being the market leader in this segment, Nazara Technologies is well poised to strengthen its leadership in the E-sports category for the medium term.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of Nazara Technologies was ₹ 1,200/- as of 24-May-2022.  It traded at 28x/ 21x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 43/ 58/- per share for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1796 /- implies a P/E Multiple of 31x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 58/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Q1 festive sales indicating a bumper quarter  – Titan

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

The Indian indices closed flat. NIFTY ended at 16,683 led by TECHM (4.2%), HEROMOTOCO (4.1%), and INFY (3.3%). INDUSINDBK (-4.1%), BRITANNIA (-3.4%), and SUNPHARMA (-3.1%) were top losers.

Among the sectoral indices, IT (+2.1%), METAL (+0.6%), and AUTO (+0.4%) were the top gainers. REALTY (-1.6%), HEALTHCARE (-0.8%), and PHARMA (-0.8%) led the sectoral laggards.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. CV Venkatraman, MD, Titan with ETNow on 04th May 2022: 

  • 4QFY22 was a challenging quarter because of Covid 3.0, because of the global crisis in March which put the price of gold in a spin, rising a lot and also being very volatile. Naturally, consumer sentiment in the jewelry market was dampened and thus Company was not surprised by a decline in sales in Q4.
  • The management looks at annual performance as opposed to every quarter. For FY22 as a whole, the management was exceedingly satisfied despite Q4 pressures FY22 ended well.
  • The company’s sales growth for FY22 is upwards of 35% on a pretty normal base. The jewelry business in FY21 itself had recovered to the FY20 level. The profit grew almost 100% over FY21, indicating sustained momentum and growth.
  • The management gives a lot more weightage to the company’s competitive position in the industry which is tracked in real-time. The management is very confident that it is rising demonstrating one more step towards its ability to continue to compete much better in the future.
  • Titan has begun April on a very good note. Management is very confident about how April and early May are showing signs that the issues which clouded Q4, particularly Covid on one hand and the intense global crisis which was in its early stages in March. Both the threats look watered down and therefore the environment is very conducive to growth and it expects Bumper Akshay Tritiya sales.
  • The Bharat story is very strong for Titan across all formats and it’s seeing that playing out month after month and particularly in the April-June quarter, there will be a lot of semi-urban, and rural weddings which will certainly benefit through. The company has been penetrating deeper and deeper into small towns with around 50% tier-3 cities where large format Tanishq stores are being opened.
  • The Watch segment is a 30-year plus business and in the WFH situation, the demand for new watches and different kinds of watches is low. So it is the most challenged category out of all the categories.
  • The Titan EyePlus brand is well positioned and therefore the management is unmoved about one quarter’s EBIT margin dilution as it is looking at a two-three-year window for the category and a similar two-three-year window for a category like Analog Watches which are intrinsically an accessory that has been under some kind of pressure.
  • The jewelry category is a Rs 300,000 crore plus category; Titan accounts for less than Rs 30,000 crore. There is no brand like Tanshiq in this country that has multiple dimensions and therefore the management believes the runway of growth for Tanishq is very long as the majority of the market is unorganised.

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • Titan Company has suffered over the last 2 years due to Covid-19 waves washing out traditionally bumper quarters for the company. The under penetration of organised players, strong brand image, and an inherent uptick in jewelry demand make it one of the best-placed players in the segment and has significant tailwinds for growth.
  • Titan’s other segments such as Eyewear, and Apparel (Taniera) are also dominated by local small-scale players. The Titan brand, increasing consumer preference towards branded goods, and rising per capita income are key levers for the company’s growth in these segments.

 

Consensus Estimate: (Source: Marketscreener website)

 

  • The closing price of Titan was ₹ 2,262/- as of 05-May-2022.  It traded at 69x/ 54x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 33/42 for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 2,720/- implies a P/E Multiple of 65x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 42/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

This week in a nutshell (18th – 22th April)

Technical talks
NIFTY opened the week at 17,183 on 18th April. The index closed 1.7% lower at 17,172 on 22nd April. RSI (14) of 47 and MACD are trending upwards. On the upside, the 17,465 could act as resistance while 16,965 could act as support.

Auto (+3.1%) was the only sectoral gainer in the week. IT (-5.6%), Financial Services (-4.3%), and Media (-4.2%) led the laggards.

Weekly highlights

  • The US indices closed the week lower as the market priced in persistent inflation and US Fed’s imminent 50 bps interest rate hike. S&P 500 was down by 2.6%, Nasdaq 100 by 3.7%, and Dow Jones was down by 1.7%.
  • Q4 result season continues to be in the fray as various Nifty 50 companies reported results, increasing input costs, supply, and logistical challenges and margin pressures continue to be a persistent challenge across the board.
  • Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday that China’s economy slowed in March as consumption, real estate, and exports were hit hard, taking the shine off faster-than-expected first-quarter growth numbers and worsening an outlook already weakened by COVID-19 curbs and the Ukraine war. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 4.8 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier.
  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its growth forecast for India for FY23 by 80 basis points to 8.2 percent, warning that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would hurt consumption and hence, growth, by way of higher prices reflecting in part weaker domestic demand – as higher oil prices are expected to weigh on private consumption and investment – and drag from lower net exports.
  • The blockades by groups in Southern and Eastern Libya citing political demands have caused National Oil Corporation to declare force majeure on output from several major fields and ports in recent days. Libya is currently losing more than 550,000 barrels per day in oil production from blockades on major fields and export terminals, creating supply challenges in an already affected market due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell moderately last week, still suggesting that April was another month of strong job growth. The report from the Labor Department on Thursday also showed unemployment rolls shrinking to the lowest level in 52 years in the first week of April, reinforcing the tightening labor market conditions. An acute shortage of workers is keeping layoffs low, helping to fuel inflation, and forcing the Federal Reserve to adopt a restrictive monetary policy stance.
  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that a 50 bps interest rate hike is imminent when the Fed meets next on May 3rd. The Fed is expected to be aggressive in its actions going ahead as inflation in the US is running roughly three times the Fed’s 2% target.
  • Wholesale inflation in India – measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) — worsened to 14.55 percent in March from 13.11 percent in the previous month, data released on Monday showed. WPI for March was the highest in four months indicating worsening inflationary challenges.
  • FII (Foreign Institutional Investors) continued to be sellers this week and sold shares worth Rs 1,84,433 mn while DII (Domestic Institutional Investors) continued to be buyers and bought shares worth Rs 1,43,943

Things to watch out for next week

  • Continuing with the Q4 results season, management commentary about demand slowdown, and cost inflation would be key things investors would be concerned with.
  • Rising Covid-19 Cases in Shanghai, China, and subsequent lockdowns will be on investors’ minds as fears of a Chinese slowdown have been impacting the securities markets over the past 2 weeks.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Travel returning to pre-pandemic levels – VIP Industries


Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Thursday, NIFTY settled at 17,465 (-0.2%) near the day’s high of 17,334. FMCG (+1.2%), MEDIA (+0.8%), and PRIVATE BANK (+0.3%) were the top sectoral gainers. HEALTHCARE (-1.3%), PHARMA (-1.2%), and PSU BANK (-0.8%) led the sectoral losers. Among the NIFTY50 components, JSWSTEEL         (+2.2%), M&M (+2.1%), and BRITANNIA (+2.0%) led the gainers. HINDALCO (-4.8%), DIVISLAB (-2.5%), and APOLLOHOSP (-2.0%) led the losers.

Travel returning to pre-pandemic levels – VIP Industries

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Dilip Piramal, Chairman, VIP INDUSTRIES (VIP) with CNBC-TV18 on 29th March 2022:

  • Demand has been good since Q3FY22, but it was still 8% lower than pre-pandemic levels. The company expects a significant bounce back in Q1FY23 owing to the lifting of COVID-19 induced international travel restrictions ending. There are signs of pent-up demand and revenge travel.
  • Marriages have been subdued due to COVID-19 which is now getting into full swing ahead of the wedding season. Another driver for volume growth for the company is that educational institutions have been opening up after almost 2 years, which has boded well for the backpacks segment.
  • 60% of the previous raw material supplies of the company earlier used to come from China, which has now come down to around 10%. The company is increasingly sourcing key raw materials for soft luggage from Bangladesh fulfilling about 50% of the requirement.
  • The demand for hard luggage is picking up and the company has enough in-house capacity in Sinnar, to provide for the increasing demand, it expects Q1FY23 to be a bumper quarter owing to seasonality. However, the company is wary about supply-side issues that are prevalent currently.
  • Margins have been topsy-turvy over the past year. Raw material cost escalation from China, as it is the largest supplier of the key raw materials to VIP’s suppliers, freight and logistics costs are at an all-time high, so it’s difficult for the management to give EBITDA margin guidance. However, it is targeting the margins to be in the mid-teens.
  • The company has taken a price hike in Q4FY22 of 5% over Q3FY22, following a price hike in October-21. As the input cost inflation persists due to extreme fluctuations in the pricing it’s difficult to take calibrated price hikes.
  • The company has currently a market share of 47%, the company has an aspirational target of crossing Rs. 20 bn in sales with mid-teen EBITDA Margins and increasing the market share to 50%.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • Luggage being a proxy play to the travel & tourism industry was among the worst impacted sectors owing to pandemic in FY21, FY22. With school and offices re opening, travel resuming and wedding season around the corner we see demand visible. VIP Industries is well positioned to tap this opportunity due to increased movement of leisure and business tourist both domestically and internationally..
  • Strong manufacturing capabilities in Bangladesh (for soft luggage) gives VIP an edge over its peers. By reducing dependence on China and sourcing from Bangladesh, we expect VIP to be able to manage margin pressures effectively.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of VIP was ₹ 745/- as of 31-March-2022. It traded at 57x/ 41x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 13/ 18/- per share for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 705/- implies a P/E Multiple of 39x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 18/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Discipline and Investing!


Discipline and Investing!

An investment philosophy contains the core beliefs that guide an investor’s actions and decisions.  How many times have people heard people say “Meditation has changed my life” or “Running has changed my life”.

Is it true that meditation, running, cycling, or going to a gym can change a person’s life? Well, it is the whole process that helps – not just the act itself. Let us say someone starts meditating 3 times a day for 10 minutes each. Once at 7 am, once at 1 pm, and once at 7 pm. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? In the first week, they do 4 days and miss 3 days. Next week they do 5, then 6 and in 3 months they are meditating for 15 minutes at each session. Now, this ensures that they go to bed at say 11 pm at least – so that they can get up at 6 am and do their meditation at 7. This means no late-night parties – no drinking binges, etc.

So the activity of meditation has brought a lot of discipline to their life. That helps as much as the meditation itself! Ditto for running, cycling – the process helps. After 6 months or 1 year, they go around saying “meditation helps”. True, but partially.

When it comes to investing, again the first step is discipline – to start saving money. That is the toughest part. Once a person learns to save, doing a SIP is not so tough. The discipline of saving says 20% of a person’s salary is a good target to start with. Doing a SIP in an index fund is ideally recommended till one starts learning about investing.

So doing a SIP is about the discipline of taking money away from an investor as soon as it comes. It is one of the best ways of investing for a young person just starting to invest. It works just as well for a seasoned investor who does not want the need to think every day about where and what to invest.

Like meditating, once someone decides to think of saving and tell themselves that Rs. 10,000 per month should be the SIP amount – it can happen. Investors need not fret over missing one or two installments as it takes time to build in the discipline.

Creating wealth is a long-term, multi-year, multi-decade, multi-generational process. Somebody needs to make a start. The ideal age of course is 22, but it is even better if an investor’s father or grandfather had started the process. If they have not, anyone could. We hear such stories very often. Of SIPs started in 1999, 2008, …and continuing. The amount of wealth created is amazing.

On the other hand, we regularly read about celebrities who earned Millions of Dollars going bankrupt. Being driven to suicide. Yes, discipline is boring – especially when investors are young. However, at a later date, the same discipline gives you Financial freedom. Ironic is it not? Discipline leads to freedom!

Source: subramoney by P V Subramanyam

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • Investing has very little to do with finance and a lot to do with human behaviour. Sticking to an investment strategy in a disciplined manner ignoring other temptations is the easiest way to build wealth over time.
  • Disciplined investing also gives the added benefit of staying invested over the long term ignoring the short-term fluctuations and volatility in the market. Acting during volatility is one of the most prominent reasons for wealth erosion for investors.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

The Get Rich Slowly Investment Philosophy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Get Rich Slowly Investment Philosophy

An investment philosophy contains the core beliefs that guide an investor’s actions and decisions when saving for the future. It’s like the money blueprint for the stock market. Without a defined philosophy, the choices become arbitrary. Investors buy and sell based on whim and emotion. When there’s a clear ideology, the options become limited to strategies that fit the investment beliefs.

Back when I was doing stupid stock-market tricks, I didn’t have a coherent investment philosophy. Today, I do. After a decade of reading and writing about money, I’ve come to believe that a smart investor should:

Start early. “The amount of capital you start with is not nearly as important as getting started early,” writes Burton Malkiel in The Random Walk Guide to Investing. “Every year you put off investing makes your [goals] more difficult to achieve.” The secret to getting rich slowly, he says, is the extraordinary power of compounding. Given enough time, even modest investment returns can generate real wealth.

Spread the risk. Another way to smooth the market’s wild ups and downs is through diversification, which simply means not putting all of the eggs into one basket. Own more than one stock, and own other types of investments. When investors spread their money around, it decreases risk while (counter-intuitively) earning a similar return.

Keep costs low. In Your Money and Your Brain, Jason Zweig notes, “Decades of rigorous research have proven that the single most critical factor in the future performance of a mutual fund is that small, relatively static number: its fees and expenses. Hot performance comes and goes, but expenses never go away.

Keep it simple. Most people make investing far too complicated. There’s no need to guess which stocks are going to outperform the market. Average investors probably can’t. For the average person, it’s much easier and more profitable to simply buy index funds.

Make it automatic. It’s important to automate good behavior so that investors don’t sabotage themselves. You want to remove the human element from the equation. It is recommended to create a monthly transfer from a savings account to an investment account.

Ignore everyone. Everyone might think that a smart investor pays attention to daily financial news, keeping his finger on the pulse of the market. But they are wrong. Smart investors ignore the market. If someone is investing for twenty or thirty years down the road, today’s financial news is mostly irrelevant. Decisions should be based on investors’ personal financial goals, not on whether the market jumped or dropped today.

Conduct an annual review. While it does zero good to monitor investments daily, it’s smart to look things over occasionally. Some folks do this quarterly. The author recommends once per year. An annual review lets the investor shift their money around if needed. And it’s a great time to be sure if the investment strategy still matches the goals and values.

Source: The Get Rich Slowly investment philosophy and strategy by J.D Roth

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • Simplicity is often key to prolonged success having a simple investing philosophy limits the number of investment strategies at disposal. Adopting an investment philosophy that slowly compounds wealth will help investors outperform most other individual investors over the long term.
  • Investing based on emotions and whims may result in some lucky gains but it cannot be a sustainable basis for creating wealth.