The investors are spoilt for choice between various investment opportunities in the financial markets, considering there are numerous financial products available across multiple asset classes like equity, debt, gold, real estate, etc. Your investment strategy decides what financial product occupies how much space in your portfolio. This is what is termed as asset allocation, which in simpler words, means the proportion of different asset classes in your portfolio. It is a systematic approach of maintaining the right asset mix, with due considerations of one’s risk bearing ability, financial goals and investment horizon. 

The Indian equity market is trading at its lifetime high thanks to the return of NDA government at the centre with a strong majority.

In DSIJ's Investor Awareness Programmes, we found that some common questions keep bothering investors everywhere. Here we answer some of the most repeated and important questions which will help you decide about MF investment easily. 

I am a regular reader of DSIJ magazine. Will it be possible to give the MF data bank in Excel sheet? 
- Nandakumar S.

The equity investors were at the receiving end of the volatility most of the time. However, in the last nine months, investors of debt funds are facing the brunt of bouts of volatility. After a series of liquidity crises hitting the debt market in the last few months, investors are getting jittery about their debt fund portfolio. The downgrading of these companies' paper by rating agencies has only added fuel to the fire. This has led to many investors selling their debt investments. Is it really that bad a situation? 

The recommendations provided in this column are taken from various market sources such as brokers, analysts, dealers and investment strategists, etc. These recommendations may not be backed by strong fundamentals. Therefore we advise readers to use their own discretion before investing in these recommendation.

In this edition, we have reviewed IDFC First Bank Ltd. and Ashoka Buildcon Ltd. We suggest our reader-investors to HOLD in IDFC First Bank Ltd. and Ashoka Buildcon Ltd.

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It looks like Modi’s second term will be more challenging than his first term owing to the daunting economic issues. Will Modinomics pull India out of the quagmire and will investors be rewarded in the next 5 years? Yogesh Supekar takes a stock of the current economic situation and identifies investing opportunities, while Shohini Nath summarises the NDA's focus area for the next term.

Investors track profits while analysing stocks, but tend to ignore profit margins at times. Profit margins reveal the real financial situation of the company and studying the trend in profit margins should be an integral part of any investment process. Geyatee Deshpande emphasizes the importance of profit margins and reveals those sectors that display above average profit margins.

The timely capacity additions in the northern, central and western India markets will boost grey cement volume growth. We can expect the capacity expansion and higher infra spends to propel revenues over the next couple of years. The steady demand for putty and rising exports from the UAE plants to south India and African countries has improved volume growth visibility. 

The Nifty has come out of the May 23 range and closed at a new life-time high. The BSE Sensex also closed record high above the 40,000 level on Monday. As there is no significant weakness visible in any time frame, one should follow the price as the trend continues to be bullish. Nifty formed a flat base in the range of 11830-12041 for the past 7 days. The auto, metal and FMCG sectors led the market to new highs. 

This column gives you scrip chosen by the research team during the fortnight that is fundamentally strong and expected to give good capital appreciation over a time period of 1 year

The scrips in this column have been recommended with a 15-day investment horizon in mind and carry high risk. Therefore, investors are advised to take into account their risk appetite before investing, as fundamentals may or may not back the recommendations

This section gives a recommendation of a stock having stock margin padding price below Rs 100 with sound fundamentals and expected to give handsome returns over a one-year time horizon

The excitement about the formation of a strong and stable government in India was also shared by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) as they turned net buyers with an inflow of Rs. 13,699.92 crore. The domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers with an outflow of Rs. 4,019.09 crore during the fortnight.

Firstly, I appreciate your inputs given in special story ‘Fear of Loss Can Lead to Portfolio Underperformance’.

Leading housing finance company DHFL was facing negative sentiments in the morning session on Thursday and dipped more than 10 per cent after rating agencies downgraded its commercial paper to default (D) citing delay in interest payment of NCDs.

The GDP growth is slowing down and Sensex is making new highs – confused? Don’t be, as Sensex is forward looking and all current data points available indicate that we are headed northward when it comes to stock prices and Sensex levels.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 1,32,01,401 contracts with a turnover of Rs.9,48,525.56 crore.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 1,32,01,401 contracts with a turnover of Rs.9,48,525.56 crore.

We are repeatedly mentioning that Nifty is likely to reach 12200-12320 level in the current uptrend as long as it holds above the crucial level of 11,920. Stocks in news: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, PSP Projects, Wipro, TCS, HEG, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, Indoco Remedies, GMR Infrastructure, Natco Pharma, Lupin.

The opening on Thursday for the Indian markets may be on a cautious note as investors await RBI’s monetary policy decision which is due today. The consensus on the street is that the RBI may announce a rate cut of 25 bps. In early action, SGX Nifty was trading down by 37 points at 12,044 level.

After a day's holiday for the market, the Indian equity markets will be open for trade on Thursday. The stocks to keep a watch on June 6 are Tata Motors, HEG, M&M, Indoco Remedies, Corporation Bank, Indian Bank and OBC.

The pharma company received four observations from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its facility located in Verna, Goa (Plant II). The facility manufactures injectable products.

Jaguar Land Rover and BMW Group have joined forces to develop Next Generation electrifying technology. This will help develop advanced technology to be used for making of Autonomous, Connected, Electric and Shared Vehicles (ACES).

Education goal of a child is one of the goals which people wish to achieve even over their retirement goal. So, is it possible with the help of mutual funds? Let’s find out.

Indian equities markets are closed on Wednesday on occasion of Eid al-Fitr. The benchmark indices BSE Sensex closed at 40,083.54 on Tuesday, comfortably maintaining the 40,000 level anticipating a 25 basis point interest rate cut from RBI.

Acting tough on audit firms, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred chartered accountancy firm SR Batliboi & Co LLP from auditing commercial banks for a year. This is a first of its kind action against a audit firm by the RBI.

Bharat Forge has subscribed to 1,895 equity shares of Rs. 10 each at a premium of Rs. 21,103 per equity share of Tork Motor.

Sasken Technologies has entered into a strategic technology partnership with Cohda Wireless. The shares reached an intraday high of 2 per cent on Tuesday and could witness significant movement on the bourses on Thursday.

IOCL, BPCL and HPCL have signed an agreement to form a joint venture company to implement and operate a 2,747 Km long LPG Pipeline from Kandla in Gujarat to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. As per the agreement, IndianOil, BPCL and HPCL will have 50 per cent, 25 per cent and 25 per cent equity holding in the company, respectively.

Knowing that you are financially secure is a great feeling but this is possible only when you are successful in managing your money. Read on to know more...

How much should one save? Is one of the most sought-after questions asked by working professionals. Read on to find an answer.

GE Power India Limited has received a contract worth Rs. 738.3 crore from Aravali Power Company Private Limited. It includes design, engineering, supply, civil work, erection and commissioning of WET FGD (Fuel Gas Desulphurization) systems along with auxiliaries like Limestone and Gypsum Handling System and Wet Stack on full turnkey basis.

Following stocks are close to their 52-weeks low as at 12:33 p.m. on June 04, 2019.

The markets on June 04, 2019 opened down. BSE Sensex is trading at 40,127.39, down by 140.23 points and the Nifty is trading at 12,033.50, down by 55.05 points. 

Bombay Stock Exchange and ICCL are live abiding by SEBI's interoperability framework. The system was deployed on Saturday, June 1 and operated seamlessly during Monday's trade.

Pharma major Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has announced the re-launch of generic Isotretinoin capsules USP, 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg in the US Market on Tuesday.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 2,38,12,990 contracts with a turnover of Rs.17,16,927.30 crore.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 2,38,12,990 contracts with a turnover of Rs.17,16,927.30 crore.

In the coming session, we expect the bias to remain positive as long as Nifty sustains above the 11,970 mark. Thus, intra-day cool-off towards 12,030-12,000 should be used as a buying opportunity. On the higher side, the level of 12,155, followed by 12,200, would be seen as the next resistance zone for the index. Stocks in news: Lemon Tree, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Wipro, Zensar Technologies, GE Power India, Saregama India, Mahindra & Mahindra, TCS.

After a scintillating rally seen in the previous trading session with both the key benchmarks logging fresh all-time high, the benchmark indices may take a breather today at the opening bell as indicated by the SGX Nifty in early action. At the time of writing, SGX Nifty was down by 39 points at 12,079 levels.

As automakers reported their sales figures for the month of May, the Nifty Auto index increased by 1.87 per cent despite a weak performance by many companies. In general, the sales figures for May was at a 5-month low.

Following stocks are close to their 52-weeks low as at 4:15 p.m. on June 3, 2019.

The stocks those are likely to witness significant movement on the bourses on June 4 are Eicher Motors, Cadila Healthcare, Tata Consultancy Services, Triveni Engineering & Industries and SMS Lifesciences.

CEAT has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Greenzest Solar for the supply of electricity by Greenzest to the company. The company will invest Rs. 5 crore in Greenzest.

The markets on June 3, 2019 opened up. BSE Sensex is trading at 40,267.62, up by 553.42 points and the Nifty is trading at 12,088.55, up by 165.75 points. 

The benchmark indices close at record highs. The BSE Sensex closed at 40,267.62, up by 553.42 points, while Nifty50 closed at 12,088.55, up by 165.75 points or up by 1.39 per cent each. 

Premier Explosives Limited has received an order from the Ministry of Defence, Air Headquarters, New Delhi. Post this development, the stock gained by 7.42 per cent.

Bajaj Auto has put aside its plans to transfer stake in its joint venture with KTM and has agreed to develop 48 volt electric two-wheeler platform with the company.

The benchmark indices spurted during the post-lunch session on Monday to breach all-time high levels. The BSE Sensex was at 40,113, up by 398 points, while Nifty50 was at 12,045, up by 123 points or up by 1 per cent each.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 1,20,76,791 contracts with a turnover of Rs. 8,68,179.17 crore.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 1,20,76,791 contracts with a turnover of Rs. 8,68,179.17 crore.

The company reported 13.52 per cent increase in the sales of motorcycles and scooters for the month of May 2019 compared to April 2019.

Nifty needs to sustain above the all-time high of 12,041 and, in which scenario, Nifty may test the level of 12,200 in the short term. The trend for the Nifty is clear as it has managed to hold above the opening upside gap of May 20 for nine sessions after its formation. On the downside, the last week low of 11,812 is likely to act as a good support and, therefore, any intra-day dips towards 11,812-11,830 should be used as buying opportunity. Stocks in news: MOIL, Bharti Infratel, Tata Steel BSL, Axiscades Engineering Technologies, FLFL, NTPC, Vaibhav Global, NLC India, Dilip Buildcon, Biocon.

At the time of writing, SGX Nifty was up by 33 points at 11,958 level, which suggests Nifty may open with marginal uptick. Investors will watch out for Nikkei manufacturing PMI for May, while auto sales numbers for the month of May can cause some swings in auto stocks.

New Fund Offers (NFOs) that are open for subscription.

Indian indices ended the week on with volatile trading on Friday. The Indian benchmarks, Nifty and Sensex ended Friday’s trading session lower by 23 points and 117 points, respectively, after a strong opening session. 

The stock of V-Guard Industries Limited has given symmetrical triangle breakout on the weekly time frame along with robust volumes. Additionally, the stock formed a sizeable bullish candle on the breakout week, which adds strength to the breakout.

The stock of Syngene International has given ascending triangle breakout on a weekly scale. This breakout was confirmed by the above 50-week average volumes. The ascending triangle is a bullish formation that usually forms during an uptrend as a continuation pattern.

Leading steel manufacturer, Tata Steel, got approval from NCLT in relation to the acquisition of Bhushan Energy under the resolution plan and will offer Rs. 730 crore as an upfront payment.

The stock of NCC Limited has formed a bearish engulfing candle on the weekly time frame. Bearish engulfing candlestick pattern is considered to be a bearish reversal pattern and usually occurs at the top of an uptrend.

Raymond Limited’s subsidiary, Ring Plus Aqua (RPAL) announced the opening of its third manufacturing facility at Sinnar. Along with the two plants established earlier, this plant will produce starter ring gears, transmission flex-plates and integral shaft water pump bearings.

The stock of Infrastructure developer, NCC plummets nearly 19 per cent to touch low of Rs. 95.20 apiece on Friday, in the last trading session in the month of May 2019.

There are two ways in which the claims get settled when it comes to health insurance viz. TPA and in-house. But does it really matter how you claim your insurance? Let’s find out.

Banking stocks are gaining momentum and trading close to their all-time highs. In this market, should you invest in banking dedicated MFs? Let’s find out.

As has been his track record, Narendra Modi has yet again managed to jolt the market with the announcement of Nirmala Sitharaman as the Finance Minister in his new cabinet.

Following stocks are close to their 52-weeks low as at 1:03 p.m. on May 31, 2019.

The markets on May 31, 2019 opened gap up. BSE Sensex is trading at 39,765.23, down by 66.74 points and the Nifty is trading at 11,929.50, down by 16.40 points. 

Crude oil prices in the international markets were down to their lowest since March. This news was cheered by investors and the benchmark indices BSE Sensex and Nifty are trading comfortably above the 40,000 and 12,000 mark, respectively.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 3,45,88,098 contracts with a turnover of Rs.23,70,654.07 crore.

Overall volumes in futures & options currently stand at 3,45,88,098 contracts with a turnover of Rs.23,70,654.07 crore.

The immediate resistance is placed in the range of 12,000-12,040. Surpassing the hurdle of 12,000-12,040 may take Nifty towards the next junction of 12,200. In case Nifty slips below the 11,812 mark, it may try to fill the upside gap area of May 20. Stocks in news: Shemaroo, Jet Airways, Sonata Software.

The early trend in SGX Nifty suggests that Nifty may open the day on a flat note but the new cabinet formation is likely to enthuse the market to make an attempt to touch the level of 12,000 on Nifty. At the time of writing, SGX Nifty was trading higher by 7 points at 11,982 level.

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Sentiment Indicators. 200-DMA INDICATOR: This indicator is a measure of the percentage of Nifty 50 stocks that are trading above/below their 200-day moving averages.

Technical Analysis of 1 Stock (with 15 days horizon).

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1 stock recommendation based on Street Talk (with 7 days horizon).

The BJP’s saffron wave created many records in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections and the Indian markets too witnessed a green wave as the Indian equity benchmarks recorded a three-day winning streak post May 23 and the record closing spree continued thereafter.

Private power transmission and distribution company Tata Power announced that the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in renewable energy business received a Letter of Award (LoA), on Thursday.

The stock of leading cigarette producers Godfrey Phillips India Limited saw dip during Thursday's last trading session after its board announced a dividend of Rs. 10 per equity share. The stock closed down by 4 per cent.

Market was upbeat on Thursday as Rashtrapati Bhavan was preparing to host close to 8,000 guest who were to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister-elect, Narendra Modi for a second terms in office. HDFC twins and Reliance contributed the most to the index gains.

The Board of Directors of Alkem Laboratories recommended a final dividend of Rs. 8 per equity share for the financial year ended March, 2019. Reacting to this announcement, the stock of Alkem Laboratories was up more than 3 per cent on Thursday.

The stocks that are likely to witness significant movement on the bourses on May 31 Palred Technologies, Natco Pharma, Alkem Laboratories, Sterlite Technologies and Signet Industries.

A settlement agreement has been signed between Natco Pharma and Onyx Therapeutics Inc. on patent litigation related to generic versions of 10mg, 30mg and 60mg of Kyprolis. Natco has partnered with Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc., who will market the product in the United States.

The company's board approved investing surplus funds to increase its stake in real estate developer Duville Estates to 9.64 per cent. The shares were purchased at Rs. 83 per equity share.

Making money on the stock markets is not easy! This being the very reason that this asset class provides windfall gains if you are among the few who do it right.

Cox & Kings owned MEININGER Hotels has signed an agreement to open a new hotel in Cologne. The hotel will open in 2022. The new hotel comprises a gross floor area of more than 7,900 sq.m. with more than 200 rooms.

Following stocks are close to their 52-weeks low as at 2:30 p.m. on May 30, 2019.

The markets on May 30, 2019 opened up. BSE Sensex is trading at 39,819.06, up by 317.01 points and the Nifty is trading at 11,946.15, up by 85.05 points. 

The Board of Repco Home Finance has recommended a dividend of Rs. 2.50 per equity share to the shareholders of the company for the financial year 2018-2019.

DCM Limited plans to raise capital of Rs. 50 crore by issuing equity shares to the shareholders of the company on a rights basis (Rights Issue).

Shares of the company have continuously tumbled after news of arrest and resignation of Manpasand's top management. Manpasand Beverages Limited (MBL) has allegedly engaged in GST fraud, evading taxes of around Rs. 40 crore.

West Coast Paper Mills is planning to acquire International Paper APPM, which is a leading integrated paper and pulp manufacturers in India.

Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has reported healthy numbers for Q4FY19. For the fiscal year 2018-19, PFC delivered an annual net profit of Rs. 6,953 crore and a quarterly profit of Rs. 2,118 crore. The annual net profit is up by 58% from FY 2017-18.