Investment Valuation in India

Imagine this, if you start investing Rs 2,000 per month at the age of 20, you could accumulate a massive Rs 1.08 crore (assuming 9.5% interest p.a.) when you retire at the age of 60. On the other hand, if you started investing the same amount at the age of 30, you would accumulate only Rs 40.66 lakhs. The investment decisions you make in the first 5-6 years of your career have the potential to transform your  financial future. The longer you stay invested, and the greater is the power of compounding. Life Insurance: Insurance is the first thing you should start investing into. The earlier you buy life insurance, the lower is the premium. If you wanted to buy a 20 year Term Policy for Rs 1 crore at the age of 35, the amount of premium you’d be required to pay is Rs 34,000, whereas if the same policy is taken at the age of 20, the amount of annual premium you’d have to pay is Rs 19,700 [the premium for 35 years term i.e. till you reach the age of 60 would still be lower at Rs 2...

The last few days has seen some significant policy announcements by the government the absence of which, for long, was coined as the government’s policy paralysis. - Diesel prices have been increased by close to 12% - Allowed 51 per cent foreign investment in multi-brand retail (remember, this was allowed last year as well, but could not be implemented due to political opposition) - Allowed 49 per cent investment by foreign airlines in aviation - Raised the FDI cap in broadcasting from 49 per cent to 74 per cent - Capped subsidised LPG cylinders by a household to 6 cylinders in a year, more cylinders if required will have to be purchased at market rate that is approximately Rs 750. While most of the above are being seen as extremely positive moves in order to avoid a credit rating cut that’s being threatened by rating agencies, these cannot be termed as big-ticket reforms. A lot more needs to be done in order to bring the economy back on the growth track. Perhaps, it is th...

India is in a rising interest rate environment. We have already seen the RBI raising interest rates five times since March 2010. Last week, in its policy review, the central bank left rates unchanged, merely reducing the SLR to 24% from 25%. However, this is certainly not the end of the story. With the inflation showing no signs of easing in the medium term, raising interest rates is one of the most important tools in the hands of the government/central bank. Rising interest rates are generally not taken well by the investors at large. Firstly because it directly hurts the pockets of the individuals. The interest rates are increased to suck money out of the system and to curb the inflation. As rates increase, banks pass on the increase in rates to its customers and consequently home loans become more expensive. People having loans have less disposable income as their monthly payments increase. Let's see how this impacts the businesses. Companies need funds to operate and ...

With just 10 working days for the year 2010 to complete, here is a small analysis of the sectors that have consistently outperformed the Sensex over the last 6 years. Average Yearly Return of the Sensex over from 2005 - 2010 = 29.0% [Max return in Yr 2009 - 77.3%] Sectors that have outperformed the Sensex in terms of Average Yearly Returns: Realty ........................ 98.6%  [Max return in Yr 2006 - 469.0%] (Realty Index introduced in 2006) Consumer Goods ..... 51.5%  [Max return in Yr 2007 - 114.8%] Metals ........................ 50.9%  [Max return in Yr 2009 - 220.4%] Consumer Durables .49.1%  [Max return in Yr 2005 - 110.6%] Auto ........................... 42.7%  [Max return in Yr 2009 - 200.5%] Power ........................ 35.8%  [Max return in Yr 2007 - 125.0%] Oil & Gas ................... 35.0%  [Max return in Yr 2007 - 112.8%] Banks ......................... 32.5%  [Max return in Yr 2009 - 81.0%] On a ...

A Aggregate RiskTotal amount of exposure a bank has with a customer for both spot and forward contracts. American Option An option which may be exercised at any valid business date through out the life of the option. Appreciation Describes a currency strengthening in response to market demand rather than by official action. Arbitrage A risk-free type of trading where the same instrument is bought and sold simultaneously in two different markets in order to cash in on the difference in these markets. Around Used in quoting forward "premium / discount". Ask Price Ask is the lowest price acceptable to the buyer. Asset In the context of foreign exchange is the right to receive from a counterparty an amount of currency either in respect of a balance sheet asset (e.g. a loan) or at a specified future date in respect of an unmatched forward Forward or spot deal. At Best An instruction given to a dealer to buy or sell at the best rate that is currently avail...

The reason why China is fast becoming a preferred investment destination and is a toigh competitor for India are not as obvious as it seems. Economic giant US is also not as dominating for China as it is for most other nations in the world. The fact that Chinese goods are sold at a low price across the world is not only because China has been able to able to leverage on the scale and cheap labour backed by solid manufacturing infrastructure. The reasons are more than what meets the eye. The fact is that Chinese yuan is kept at an artificially low level, giving it an unfair advantage in selling its exports. Based on this exchange rate, the US goods looks artificially inflated in price while Chinese goods look artificially deflated in price. US exports to China in 2008 were $69.7 billion (exports to India were $25.7 bn) while the Imports were $337.8 billion (Imports from India were $17.682 bn). China has not been letting its currency appreciate in a free market as it feels that...

Please take a look at the Budget Highlights 2010 Omnifin Budget Highlights 2010

A Aggregate Risk Total amount of exposure a bank has with a customer for both spot and forward contracts. American Option An option which may be exercised at any valid business date through out the life of the option. Appreciation Describes a currency strengthening in response to market demand rather than by official action. Arbitrage A risk-free type of trading where the same instrument is bought and sold simultaneously in two different markets in order to cash in on the difference in these markets. Around Used in quoting forward "premium / discount". Ask Price Ask is the lowest price acceptable to the buyer. Asset In the context of foreign exchange is the right to receive from a counterparty an amount of currency either in respect of a balance sheet asset (e.g. a loan) or at a specified future date in respect of an unmatched forward Forward or spot deal. At Best An instruction given to a dealer to buy or sell at the best rate that is currently avail...