'Though one cannot paint the entire microcap basket with the same brush, investors need to be careful now as to what they're buying.'
'If you see another 1000-point correction, people may start panicking.'
rediffGURU Samkit Maniar answers readers' personal income tax queries.
Most investors should have a 5% to 10% allocation to gold for diversification. They should stagger their investments to mitigate timing risk.
Bajaj Auto reported steady results in Q1FY25, with revenue surging 16 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), operating profit registering a growth of 24 per cent Y-o-Y, and margins swelling 20.2 per cent. The profitability was aided by 50 basis points (bps) on the accrual of PLI benefits. The domestic prospects for two-wheelers are healthy, though the response to the newly launched CNG motorcycle is a key monitorable.
Follow this 15 x 15 x 15 rule to become a crorepati without taking big risks. Ramalingam Kalirajan explains how
MMFs invest in fixed-income instruments maturing in less than one year, minimising interest-rate risk.
L&T surprised on the upside of consensus due to stronger-than-expected growth overseas. The Q1FY25 results were ahead of estimates on both revenue and net profit fronts. The company reported a 15 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in revenues along with 15 per cent Y-o-Y growth in operating profit and 12 per cent Y-o-Y growth in net profit on consolidated basis.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
'...you evaluate three key factors before committing your money.'
Consider a combination of a base policy and a super top-up policy.
'The structural story of India is a multi-decadal story.' 'One should stay invested in that story and avoid reacting to what is happening globally.'
For Indian parents, sending a child abroad for a three-year degree could deplete 48% of their retirement savings, while a four-year degree may consume up to 64%.
Multi-asset allocation funds emerged as the most popular option for MFs as they provided the needed flexibility.
Invest in MFs for liquidity and choice of funds. Invest in NPS for the tax benefits, tax-free rebalancing, and for earmarked savings for retirement.
Equity supply may hit Rs 6 trillion soon.
Weighed down by the oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business, Reliance Industries (RIL) results for the April-June quarter (Q1) of 2024-25 (FY25) missed Street estimates. A 14 per cent fall in the O2C segment's operating profit compared to the year-ago quarter and a 22 per cent sequential decline pulled down the consolidated performance. The O2C segment accounts for a third of the overall operating profit and about 60 per cent of the attributable consolidated profit.
The stock of Voltas, the country's largest room air- conditioner (RAC) maker, is up 22 per cent in the past three months. Robust demand on the back of a sweltering summer, distribution expansion, slew of launches and backward integration are expected to forge a good operating performance for the company. In the core RAC segment, there are multiple triggers for the company.
It is essential to have a comprehensive motor policy, and not just a third-party cover, as the latter does not protect your own vehicle.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
As milk prices rise, analysts have an optimistic view on dairy stocks such as Heritage Foods and Dodla Dairy, hoping the companies' margins will grow in the near to medium term. From a long-term perspective, they believe that a growing population, increasing disposable income and health consciousness will strengthen dairy consumption in India.
'If an individual makes significant financial investments, she should stick to the old regime.' 'If the individual prefers straightforward computation without any tax benefits, the new regime would be suitable.'
If the cashless request is denied, the entire cost may need to be paid for planned treatments.
While most analysts are expecting poor results from oil marketing companies (OMCs) in the first quarter of 2024-25 (Q1FY25) and even in the first half (H1) of FY25, GAIL (India) could be an outlier. Upstream producers, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India (OIL) could do well due to strong crude and gas prices, but refiners are likely to see weak margins and the impact of frozen prices during the election period will also be negative.
Shares of Avenue Supermarts (DMart) have gained about 5 per cent over the past week on better than expected June quarter (Q1FY25) performance, hopes of a recovery in discretionary demand, and margin gains going ahead. The key takeaway from the results was the robust gross margin performance. Riding on improving mix, DMart posted a 34 basis point year-on-year (Y-o-Y) improvement in gross margins to 14.9 per cent.
rediffGURU Vivek Lala answers your income tax and personal finance queries.
'If their allocation to certain segments have become high due to strong returns over the past three-four years, they should rebalance their portfolios and bring them in line with their long-term asset allocation.'
While the minimum holding period for LTCG taxation has now been lowered, the tax outgo could be a bit higher under the new structure.
'An equity-based index fund should be held for more than five years to average out market volatility and achieve financial goals.'
Ramalingam Kalirajan dives into the specifics of NPS withdrawal rules to help you understand the conditions under which and when partial withdrawals are allowed.
Had you invested Rs 10,000 each in JSW Steel, Titan Company and Bajaj Finance 20 years ago, when they were just penny stocks (trading below Rs 10), you would have become a millionaire by now.
'If the portfolio growth rate is higher, take this loan. If it is lower, liquidate your investments.'
Follow these steps to avoid last-minute surprises while claiming your mediclaim -- via cashless or reimbursement method, says P V Subramanyam
rediffGURU Ulhas Joshi answers your personal finance and mutual fund queries
The April-June quarter (Q1) of the current financial year (FY25) may be soft for banks with loan growth moderation, net interest margin (NIM) pressures, and higher staff and credit costs inching up, according to analysts. Credit growth could ease due to the lagged impact of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tightening and deposit growth has weakened, and the current account and savings account (CASA) ratio has declined 10-370 basis points (bps) quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) for many banks.
'It's better to be over-insured than underinsured.' 'Ensure your home insurance includes STFI (storm, tempest, flooding, and inundation) cover for protection against monsoon rains.'
The stock of commercial vehicle (CV) company Ashok Leyland is up 46 per cent in the past three months, gaining despite worries about a slowdown in sales volume. Brokerages have a mixed view on the country's second-largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer. The company reported steady March quarter results and its valuation, focus on growth and medium-term prospects are positive, but some brokerages are cautious, given near-term demand concerns and the risk of competition increasing in the industry.
'Expectations are high regarding the change in LTCG with respect to equity investments.'
'Lack of self-control over spending leads to a credit card debt trap.' 'People think they have money and spend using a credit card, but when it's time to pay, they realise they don't have the money.'
Coal India looks set to achieve its 2024-25 (FY25) production targets. If it can achieve its aim of ramping up Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) and e-auction volumes, along with cost-saving, evacuation and infrastructure-improvement projects, the company could maintain its momentum as a critical infrastructure and core industry performer. Analysts estimate e-auction volumes of 108 million tonnes (MT) in FY25 and 120 MT for FY26, which is encouraging given the premium of e-auction prices which are consistently over 50 per cent higher than FSA.
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