Sachin P Mampatta, Krishna Kant &Amp; Shine Jacob

Stories by Sachin P Mampatta, Krishna Kant &Amp; Shine Jacob

Despite security risks, 95% Indian cos to continue with WFH

Despite security risks, 95% Indian cos to continue with WFH

Rediff.com   15 Jul 2021

The survey covered 1,210 IT executives and technology professionals from North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and India. In India, 202 respondents from businesses with more than 500 employees across 18 industry verticals completed the survey. Overall, 89 per cent of the respondents said implementing a work-from-home policy had increased security challenges for their organisations. The risk posed by shadow IT was especially high, with 89 per cent of companies having no control over the software that employees purchase and install on their devices.

4 telcos and a debt of Rs 3.85 trillion!

4 telcos and a debt of Rs 3.85 trillion!

Rediff.com   12 Jul 2021

Mobile operators with the exception of Reliance Jio are in a much worse financial condition than expected earlier. The combined borrowing of the four incumbent operators - Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL), and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL) - reached an all-time high of Rs 3.85 trillion at the end of March this year. The companies' combined debt was up 22.4 per cent year-on-year last financial year against 8.3 per cent growth in their borrowing in the previous year. As a result, the incumbent operators' debt-equity ratio shot up to an unsustainably high level of 6.83X at the end of March this year from 2.3X at the end of March 2020. This was largely due to big losses reported by all these companies last financial year. The four incumbent operators racked up combined net losses of Rs 70,000 crore in FY21.

Sebi rule clips wings of promoters of over 500 listed firms

Sebi rule clips wings of promoters of over 500 listed firms

Rediff.com   9 Jul 2021

Independent directors

At current rate, all Indians will be vaccinated by Sept 2022

At current rate, all Indians will be vaccinated by Sept 2022

Rediff.com   28 Jun 2021

865 million Indian adults require vaccination.

These 50 listed companies raised money from investors and 'vanished'!

These 50 listed companies raised money from investors and 'vanished'!

Rediff.com   14 Jun 2021

A number of listed companies are not to be found on their registered address. The stock exchange has also been unable to contact them through other means. These 50 companies had been suspended for violations for more than six months. The BSE had reached out to them with show cause notices in December 2020.

Tata Sons finances escape Covid blow; TCS remains the prime cash cow

Tata Sons finances escape Covid blow; TCS remains the prime cash cow

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2021

The 14 listed Tata group companies in which Tata Sons holds a stake are paying out a record Rs 35,441 crore to their shareholders by way of dividends and share buyback for FY21.

Explained in 6 charts: India's bull run during Covid times

Explained in 6 charts: India's bull run during Covid times

Rediff.com   9 Jun 2021

A lot of gains have been driven by foreign portfolio investors. Lower interest rates globally have forced foreign investors to seek avenues for growth. They have been net buyers to the tune of Rs 2.5 trillion over the trailing 12 months, including May, reports Sachin P Mampatta.

InvITs with too few investors under Sebi lens

InvITs with too few investors under Sebi lens

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2021

The regulator is more carefully scrutinising applications by infrastructure investment vehicles that have a limited number of investors. They have been asked to broaden their investor base before application approval, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Securities and Exchange Board of India is concerned about the structure being used for getting around tax requirements, according to one of the sources.

Mid-cap stocks on a tear but beware of valuations

Mid-cap stocks on a tear but beware of valuations

Rediff.com   26 May 2021

Smaller stocks continue to shine at the bourses. The BSE MidCap index is up 18 per cent since the beginning of January this year against a 5 per cent rise in the Sensex during the period. With the current rally, the mid-cap index has doubled in value since the end of March 2020 against a 70 per cent rally in the Sensex during the period. On Tuesday, the mid-cap index closed at 21,232, as compared to 17,941 at the end of December 2020. In the same period, the benchmark index moved from 47,751 to 50,193.

Valuation of top IT firms way above earnings growth trend

Valuation of top IT firms way above earnings growth trend

Rediff.com   25 May 2021

India's top IT companies have shown a hiatus between their performance on the bourses in the pandemic period and earnings growth. The combined market cap of the top five IT companies - Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Tech Mahindra - is up 87 per cent since the end of March 2020. In comparison, the benchmark BSE Sensex is up 68 per cent during the period. So the industry beat the broader market by a big margin in the last one year.

Dividend payout up 9% as India Inc sees recovery

Dividend payout up 9% as India Inc sees recovery

Rediff.com   24 May 2021

The combined dividend payout by early-bird companies -- those that have declared their results for FY21 -- is up 8.9 per cent, lower than the 21.9 per cent rise in in FY20 but ahead of the underlying growth in India Inc business last year. Combined net sales of these early birds were down 1.8 per cent last financial year while net profit was up 27.3 per cent in FY21. Some top companies that have stepped up dividend payout in FY21 include Hindustan Unilever, Indus Towers, Tata Steel, Ultratech Cement, Larsen & Toubro, Dabur, Asian Paints, and UPL. In contrast, banks have skipped dividends under an RBI diktat while companies such as Marico, TCS, Maruti Suzuki, and Godrej Consumer are paying lower dividends for FY21.

Gautam Adani is Asia's second richest person after Mukesh Ambani

Gautam Adani is Asia's second richest person after Mukesh Ambani

Rediff.com   21 May 2021

Thanks to a continued rise in the market capitalisation of the Adani Group companies, its promoter Gautam Adani is now the second richest Asian and fourteenth richest businessman in the world with a networth of $66.5 billion. Reliance Industries promoter Mukesh Ambani remains the wealthiest businessman in Asia with a networth of around $76.5 billion, according to Bloomberg data. The six Adani Group companies had combined market capitalisation of Rs 8.36 trillion as on Thursday, against Reliance Industries' market capitalisation of Rs 12.6 trillion. Adani Green tops the charts in the group with m-cap with Rs 1.99 trillion.

Rs 155.95 bn: Foreign investors net sellers

Rs 155.95 bn: Foreign investors net sellers

Rediff.com   21 May 2021

Only 10 per cent of stocks account for 93 per cent of investments.

In m-cap terms, Tata Steel now second-biggest titan of group companies

In m-cap terms, Tata Steel now second-biggest titan of group companies

Rediff.com   11 May 2021

Historically, Tata Steel has always been among the biggest companies in the group in terms of m-cap, revenue, and profit but its fortunes began to decline after 2010 due to a sharp decline in the profitability of its European operations that it had acquired in 2007. The company was hit by a sharp rise in its debt level after this acquisition. First, it lost out to Tata Motors in terms of revenue in FY11 and then in March 2015, Titan beat it to become the third-biggest firm in the group in terms of m-cap. In FY20, TCS reported higher revenue and Tata Steel had become the third biggest company in that terms.

What's behind Adani group's meteoric rise on the stock exchanges?

What's behind Adani group's meteoric rise on the stock exchanges?

Rediff.com   7 May 2021

The group companies now lead the market capitalisation league table in sectors such as ports, power generation, gas distribution and transmission, and power transmission and distribution, ahead of incumbents in both public and private sector. This has Gautam Adani family the second wealthiest in business in India.

Tata Steel back with a bang in Q4; shows Rs 6,644-cr PAT

Tata Steel back with a bang in Q4; shows Rs 6,644-cr PAT

Rediff.com   6 May 2021

Overall, Tata Steel becomes the seventh non-financial firm, including four oil PSUs to report quarterly revenues of Rs 50,000 crore.

Foreigners no longer need PAN for investment in GIFT AIFs

Foreigners no longer need PAN for investment in GIFT AIFs

Rediff.com   6 May 2021

The government has been in discussions to promote such international financial services centres within India as alternatives to places like Singapore.

Tax indemnity clause leads to friction among buyers & sellers of firms

Tax indemnity clause leads to friction among buyers & sellers of firms

Rediff.com   3 May 2021

Discussions are said to have been heating up over how long a tax indemnity clause, which is part of such deals, should run, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

Corporate earnings: Q4 combined net profit is 36.2%

Corporate earnings: Q4 combined net profit is 36.2%

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2021

Earnings growth in the early-bird sample has been driven by banks and iron & steel companies.