MOSt
Advisor
Monthly Markets Newsletter
February 2018
In This Issue
•
Market Outlook for the month
•
Investment Ideas
• Equity Market Outlook
• Derivatives & Commodities Market Outlook
• Model Advisory Portfolios
• Long term Capital Gain
Key Highlights
Rising Bond yields spooks global equities
Balanced Budget except LTCG
Q3’18 corporate earnings in-line
Dear Investor,
Market in January 2018 :
Indian Equity market started CY18
on a positive note. Nifty gained 4.7% in January after
delivering stellar 29% returns in CY17. India's share in the
world market cap is at 2.8%, up by 35bp YoY. India' improving
Global Market
Index
31-Jan 18
MoM (%)
YoY(%)
Sensex
Nifty
FTSE
Dow
Nasdaq
Hang Sang
35,965
11,028
7,534
26,149
7,411
32,887
5.6
4.7
-2.0
5.8
7.4
9.9
30.0
28.8
6.1
31.6
32.0
40.8
micros (earnings recovery), coupled with continued liquidity
inflow, have driven a strong market performance - despite this,
the three-year (CY15-17) CAGR returns for the Nifty stand at just 8.5%. In January,
FIIs turned net buyers (USD 2.0bn) while DII flows were the lowest in 10 months
(USD 0.1bn). Midcaps (-1.6% in January) underperformed Nifty after five months
of continued outperformance, as muted DII flows and realignment of MF portfolios
took the centre stage. Midcap still command a rich premium of 66% v/s large caps.
The FY19 Union Budget, delivered a blend of pragmatic economics and electoral
optimism, and placed primacy on Rural and Agricultural India without deviating much
from the path of fiscal consolidation. The Indian government was expected to push
Economic Pulse
Key Indicators Current Mth
Pre. Mth
IIP
CPI
10 Year Yield
USD/ INR
Crude ($)
Gold (10 gms)
8.4%
5.21%
7.43%
63.58
69.05
30207
2.2%
4.88%
7.32%
63.87
66.87
29252
its fiscal deficit target of 3% by one year, but it has actually been pushed forward
by two years (to 2020-21). The much-speculated Long Term Capital Gains tax has
been re-introduced, but with grandfathering provisions till 31st January 2018,
providing a relief to equity investors. Overall, while we are enthused with the
government's focus on rural income (and, in turn, consumption), education and
health, we believe the quality of fiscal spending could have been better as capital
spending is estimated to fall to 1.6% of GDP.
The key trigger that was missing for last three years in an otherwise solid and strong
India macro story was earnings growth. We expect that to change in 2HFY18, even
as the macro environment has relatively deteriorated of late. Early 3QFY18 reporting
trends indicate what has begun well could also end well, marking the 'End of a long
drought' in earnings
Outlook:
Global markets have started to react to sharp increase in bond yields. Indian
bond yields too have hardened in the last few months. With the major event - Budget
- behind us, the market would start looking at fundamentals again. Early trends from
Q3 earnings have shown green shoots of recovery. Hence, any correction would be
a good opportunity to accumulate stocks with sound fundamentals.
Siddhartha Khemka
Vice President- Head - Retail Research
Thought for the month
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