Every investor loves a bull market - that feeling of watching portfolios rise and headlines being filled with record highs is gratifying. Yet, wealth creation in the stock market is not just a matter of market rallies. Some of the most successful investors make their fortunes in periods of slow or even negative market momentum. The secret is mindset, strategy, and disciplined investing, not chasing short-term rallies.
A senior Pakistani minister has admitted that the country failed to capitalize on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), citing attempts by the previous government to undermine Chinese investments, leading to investor flight.
'More and more people from the middle class will become self-employed gig workers mostly working from home, rather than as office workers with salary, promotion, bonuses, etc.'
'Equities may not outperform every year, but if they do so seven times out of 10, it's an asset class worth relying on.'
'Indian markets may underperform global peers for the next two quarters.' 'But beyond that, India should catch up and resume its long-term growth path.'
The projections in the cement industry are mixed. Prices and demand remained muted in the third quarter (October & November) and short term uptick doesn't seem likely. However, the second quarter of the financial year 2026 (Q2FY26) was good year-on-year (Y-o-Y) for many cement majors aided by base effect, and some analysts expect acceleration in earnings and volume in the next financial year, again aided by base effect.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday said it was not the regulator's job to take decisions for bank boards, speaking in the context of the wide range of enabling reforms announced for lenders during the October monetary policy review, and emphasised that financial stability remained the regulator's focus.
To handle the sudden loss of cashless facility, patients should maintain an emergency fund or a short-term credit line to manage all or part of hospitalisation costs.
With the RBI infusing Rs 7.5 lakh crore in liquidity -- and possibly more in the future -- the short- to medium-term corporate bond market is expected to benefit.
'The pace of gold's ascent is striking, with prices rising from $3,500/oz to $4,000/oz in just 36 days -- far quicker than the historical average of 1,036 days taken to achieve similar $500/oz gains.'
Those who have long retirement horizons of 15 to 20 years and seek higher long-term returns may opt for MSF. Investors nearing retirement (under 10 years) or those with low risk tolerance should stay away.
'They are ideal for short-term financial goals like children's education or a down payment for a house.' 'They are also useful for transitional savings, such as during job switches or while starting a business.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
The RBI advisory follows a labour ministry request earlier this year seeking the central bank's expertise to identify gaps in EPFO's investment strategy and fund management practices, including accounting, risk management, and internal governance.
'The rise in SIP contributions has created a pool of long-term MF assets that can be pledged for loans.'
The Indian government has expressed its disagreement with the IMF staff's 'baseline' assumption that the 50 per cent US tariffs on its goods exports 'would remain in place indefinitely', based on which the staff pegged the country's GDP growth at 6.6 per cent this year, and pared its 2026-27 projection by 20 basis points to 6.2 per cent.
The 2025 US National Security Strategy marks a major pullback, with America turning backward and effectively allowing China greater dominance in Asia. while long-time partners like India are left to face an increasingly unstable global order largely on their own, observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
A series of decisions were taken under the Public Health Department, including an approval to increase honoraria for field-level workers engaged under the Ayushman BharatPradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.
India's corporate bond market, driven by public sector undertaking (PSU) banks and financial institutions last year, is losing momentum since the second quarter of FY26.
Despite similar tax treatment, debt MFs enjoy certain advantages over FDs.
Equity mutual fund (MF) schemes were flush with cash at the start of this month, even as fresh investments shrank in February. As of February 28, equity schemes from the top 20 fund houses held 6.8 per cent of their portfolios in cash, up from 6.1 per cent in January and 5.9 per cent in December 2024, according to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
'A dynamic bond fund acts like a gilt fund in a rate cut scenario and like a conservative short-term bond fund when rates rise.'
'They are positioned as defensive products and can potentially give marginally higher returns than liquid funds.'
If Xi Jinping is dethroned in the future, the instrument for that may well be embedded within the PLA, notes former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Let reason, not emotion, guide your decisions.
Not many takers for debt funds with longer maturity.
'The momentum is driven by rising affluence, strong demand from HNIs (high net worth individuals) and NRIs (non-resident Indians), an increased appetite for larger, well-located homes by branded developers, and support from the economy.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'It takes time and the experience of a few market cycles to develop awareness about one's true risk appetite.'
rediffGURU Dr Upneet Kaur explains how to discuss and resolve financial arguments in a relationship.
'The outlook for the next Samvat is more constructive, as many of the earlier drags are gradually becoming supports.'
Trump's proposed policy limits undergraduates from any one country to 5% at select top US universities, raising concerns for Indian aspirants eyeing elite colleges.
Indian corporates collectively raised over Rs 17,500 crore from the domestic debt capital market through bond issuances on Tuesday. The issuances were led by Bharti Telecom's Rs 10,500 crore fundraise in two tranches, the largest by an Indian company in the domestic market so far in FY26.
Building a good stock portfolio is not only about picking strong companies but also about understanding how corporate actions affect your holdings. Corporate actions such as stock splits, dividends, bonus issues, rights issues, mergers, and buybacks can change a company's valuation, share price, and your ownership.
India's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity cooled in the second quarter of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), with deal value falling to $26.26 billion from $29.04 billion a year ago, according to Bloomberg data.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Arbitrage funds make the most sense for those in the 30 per cent tax bracket, are viable for those in the 20 per cent bracket, but less so for those in the 10 per cent bracket.'
Investors can meet cash needs without selling their securities.
'...the electoral playing field is tilted significantly in its favour.'
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