13 January 2010

Is China the next Enron?

Is China the next Enron?



TAIWAN: Reading The Herald Tribune over breakfast in Hong Kong harbor last week, my eye went to the front-page story about how James Chanos —

reportedly one of America's most successful short-sellers, the man who bet that Enron was a fraud and made a fortune when that proved true and its stock collapsed — is now warning that China is "Dubai times 1,000 or worse" and looking for ways to short that country's economy before its bubbles burst.


China's markets may be full of bubbles ripe for a short-seller, and if Chanos can find a way to make money shorting them, God bless him. But after visiting Hong Kong and Taiwan this past week and talking to many people who work and invest their own money in China, I'd offer Chanos two notes of caution.

First, a simple rule of investing that has always served me well: Never short a country with $2 trillion in foreign currency reserves.

Second, it is easy to look at China today and see its enormous problems and things that it is not getting right. For instance, low interest rates, easy credit, an undervalued currency and hot money flowing in from abroad have led to what the Chinese government Sunday called "excessively rising house prices" in major cities, or what some might call a speculative bubble ripe for the shorting.

In the last few days, though, China's central bank has started edging up interest rates and raising the proportion of deposits that banks must set aside as reserves - precisely to head off inflation and take some air out of any asset bubbles.

And that's the point. I am reluctant to sell China short, not because I think it has no problems or corruption or bubbles, but because I think it has all those problems in spades - and some will blow up along the way (the most dangerous being pollution). But it also has a political class focused on addressing its real problems, as well as a mountain of savings with which to do so (unlike us).

And here is the other thing to keep in mind. Think about all the hype, all the words, that have been written about China's economic development since 1979. It's a lot, right? What if I told you this: "It may be that we haven't seen anything yet."

Why do I say that? All the long-term investments that China has made over the last two decades are just blossoming and could really propel the Chinese economy into the 21st-century knowledge age, starting with its massive investment in infrastructure. Ten years ago, China had a lot bridges and roads to nowhere.

Well, many of them are now connected. It is also on a crash program of building subways in major cities and high-speed trains to interconnect them. China also now has 400 million Internet users, and 200 million of them have broadband. Check into a motel in any major city and you'll have broadband access. America has about 80 million broadband users.

Now take all this infrastructure and mix it together with 27 million students in technical colleges and universities - the most in the world. With just the normal distribution of brains, that's going to bring a lot of brainpower to the market, or, as Bill Gates once said to me: "In China, when you're one-in-a-million, there are 1,300 other people just like you."

Equally important, more and more Chinese students educated abroad are returning home to work and start new businesses. I had lunch with a group of professors at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, or HKUST, who told me that this year they will be offering some 50 full scholarships for graduate students in science and technology. Major US universities are sharply cutting back.

Tony Chan, a Hong Kong-born mathematician, recently returned from America after 20 years to become the new president of HKUST. What was his last job in America? Assistant director of the U.S. National Science Foundation in charge of the mathematical and physical sciences. He's one of many coming home.

One of the biggest problems for China's manufacturing and financial sectors has been finding capable middle managers. The reverse-brain drain is eliminating that problem as well.

Finally, as Liu Chao-shiuan, Taiwan's former prime minister, pointed out to me: When Taiwan moved up the value chain from low-end, labor-intensive manufacturing to higher, value-added work, its factories moved to China or Vietnam. It lost them. In China, low-end manufacturing moves from coastal China to the less developed Western part of the country and becomes an engine for development there. In Taiwan, factories go up and out. In China, they go East to West.

"China knows it has problems," said Liu. "But this is the first time it has a chance to actually solve them." Taiwanese entrepreneurs now have more than 70,000 factories in China. They know the place. So I asked several Taiwanese businessmen whether they would "short" China. They vigorously shook their heads no as if I'd asked if they'd go one on one with LeBron James.

But, hey, some people said the same about Enron. Still, I'd rather bet against the euro. Shorting China today? Well, good luck with that, Mr Chanos. Let us know how it works out for you.


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Markets Review: Sensex closes above 17500; IT, metals lead

China CRR hike sends rate sensitives in a tizzy

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Src: Economictimes.com

Results Corner

Infomedia 18 reports net loss of Rs 12.88 crore in the December 2009 quarter
Sales decline 37.63% to Rs 23.04 crore

Shukra Bullions net profit declines 40.00% in the December 2009 quarter
Sales decline 70.44% to Rs 0.81 crore

Gallantt Metal net profit rises 2071.74% in the December 2009 quarter
Sales rise 71.88% to Rs 118.82 crore

Modern India reports net profit of Rs 1.51 crore in the December 2009 quarter
Sales decline 51.65% to Rs 27.63 crore

Texmaco net profit rises 44.07% in the December 2009 quarter
Sales rise 43.46% to Rs 238.69 crore

Supreme Industries reports net profit of Rs 35.92 crore in the December 2009 quarter

Shree Rani Sati Investment And Finance reports net loss of Rs 0.03 crore in the December 2009 quarter

Bajaj Holdings & Investment net profit rises 1332.67% in the December 2009 quarter

Zenotech Laboratories reports net loss of Rs 3.06 crore in the December 2009 quarter

Zenotech Laboratories reports net loss of Rs 2.22 crore in the September 2009 quarter

Jai Mata Glass net profit rises 105.00% in the December 2009 quarter

Tulive Developers net profit rises 25.00% in the December 2009 quarter

Aro Granite Industries net profit rises 17.65% in the December 2009 quarter

Jay Bharat Maruti net profit rises 400.93% in the December 2009 quarter

VST Industries net profit declines 20.33% in the December 2009 quarter

Rural Electrification Corporation net profit rises 48.77% in the December 2009 quarter

Sintex Industries net profit declines 11.34% in the December 2009 quarter

Nakoda Textile Industries net profit rises 97.98% in the December 2009 quarter

Samkrg Pistons & Rings net profit rises 209.43% in the December 2009 quarter

Sybly Industries reports net loss of Rs 0.85 crore in the December 2009 quarter

Jaiprakash Power Ventures net profit declines 61.68% in the December 2009 quarter




Src: CapitalMarket.com

12 January 2010

Heard on the Street

Heard on the Street


Investors lap up shares of PSUs ahead of FPOs
Savvy traders are said to be accumulating shares of public sector undertakings such as

NTPC, Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and National Mining Development Corporation (NMDC), which have lined up follow-on public offerings (FPOs). Officials at investment banks say the companies will be going in for the auction method, as the government is looking to maximise its collection from the sale of shares.

Punters are betting that institutional investors will bid at a decent premium to market price if they hope to be allotted the quantity they have bid for. The highest bid could then set the benchmark for the stock price, punters feel. REC shares rose 5% to close at Rs 252.50, NMDC gained 3.6% to
close at Rs 434, and NTPC closed 1% up at Rs 233.10.

Rar(e)ing Bull, loyalists take fancy to GIC Housing
Trade volumes in the GIC Housing Finance stock have shot up over the past few sessions. The counter witnessed a few bulk deals on Thursday and Friday, with Caledonia Investments, the largest institutional investor in the company, offloading nearly 32 lakh shares of the 51 lakh shares it held in its portfolio. Stock exchange websites (BSE and NSE) have no details of the buyers.

Buzz is that the Rar(e)ing Bull and his loyalists have been accumulating the shares. The Bull has publicly said that he’s no fan of real estate companies. But it looks like he doesn’t mind betting on sectors
that stand to gain if property developers do well.

Sebi wants to trace route of mutual fund ‘trail’
Not long ago, Sebi had slammed mutual fund houses for demanding a no-objection certificate from investors who wished to change distributors. The issue is back in focus, with a section of the industry protesting that some AMCs have continued to pass on trail to the ‘old’ distributor, despite knowing that it amounts to restrictive trade practice.

Perception is that companies want to protect old distributors who had bought in the client. Talk is that the regulator is taking a serious view of the issue and is likely to check whether trail has been going to the old distributor despite an investor having indicated otherwise. The issue clearly highlights the divide between larger and smaller asset management companies (AMCs).

Contributed by Reena Zachariah, Santosh Nair & Deeptha Rajkumar

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Mid-term picks of the day | Top 5 picks of the day

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Morning Newsletters - Jan 12 2010


Infinite Computer Solutions - Apply or Avoid ?


NTPC Ltd


ACE


IRB Infrastructure Developers


Themes for 2010


Ranbaxy





Src: Economictimes, Deadpresident Blog and etc

11 January 2010

Range bound trading continues

Range bound trading continues

The market hit a new 52-week high in the first full week of trading. But volumes tapered off and prices dropped towards the weekend. The Nifty closed at 5,244.75 points with a gain of 0.8 per cent after climbing to 5,310. The Sensex was up 0.4 per cent, closing at 17,540. The Defty gained 2.75 per cent as the rupee strengthened sharply.

Breadth indicators were good with advances comfortably outnumbering declines despite Friday's sell off. The rupee's strength was partly due to committed buying from FIIs and domestic institutions were also net buyers. The Nifty Junior was up 2.7 per cent while the BSE 500 rose 1.7 per cent. The Midcaps also outperformed the Nifty, rising 3.8 per cent. Volumes were on the low side.

Outlook: The market is liable to range between 5,150 and 5,300 next week and the initial bias could be negative. Any breakouts could lead to a 150-200 point swing if there's a volume expansion with the breakout. That is, if the market drops to a close below 5,150, it could drop till around 4,950 and if it rises to close beyond 5,300, it could test 5,400-5,450.

Rationale: The poor advance-decline situation on Friday (when most stocks closed lower than Thursday) suggests a short-term decline. However, there is very strong support in the erstwhile zone of resistance between 5,150 and 5,180. On the upside, there is a lot of resistance between 5,275 and 5,300. To clear that resistance, it will require serious volume expansion. Even the 5,400-5,450 zone has massive trading history, so the Northwards journey will need lots of fuel.

Counter-view: The long-term trend is firmly up. The absence of volatility in the past two-three weeks can be explained to some extent by the lack of volume, which in turn is partly due to the holiday season. If volumes improve, as they should, over the next 5-10 sessions, prices are likely to show an upward trend. The one serious danger would be a pullout by FIIs.

Bulls & bears: The IT sector was hit hard by the rupee rise – most of the majors have seen selloffs and the CNXIT dropped 3.7 per cent this week. Results are soon due for Infosys and TCS, and the market sentiment seems bearish. One exception is Mahindra Satyam, which climbed last week. Banking appears to be past a recent bearish phase and it will probably outperform the market. IDFC and Axis Bank may beat the overall financial sector.

Realty made a strong comeback on Friday with most of the big guns rising, but part of this may have been short-covering ahead of the weekend. Engineering and construction stocks like HCC, GMR Infra, Nagarjuna Construction, Maytas and Jyoti Structures also did well. Automobile shares saw profit-booking. But, auto ancillaries such as Bharat Forge, Bosch India and Sona Steering saw bullish backing. Non-ferrous metal stocks also saw buying and Sterlite and Hindalco continue to look interesting. There was scattered stock-specific interest in counters like Suzlon, GE Shipping, JP Associates and NTPC.



MICRO TECHNICALS

INDIABULLS REAL ESTATE
Current Price: Rs 227.40
Target Price: Rs 245


The stock has started a recovery on short-covering from around Rs 215. There is sufficient momentum for a rise till around the Rs 245-250 mark. Keep a stop at around Rs 220 and go long. Increase the position between Rs 232 and Rs 235 and start booking profits at Rs 245.

ESSAR SHIPPING
Current Price: Rs 80.90
Target Price: Rs 90


The stock has seen a relatively recent trend reversal to positive. It had massive volume expansion in the past few sessions. It could have the potential to move till around the Rs 90 mark. Keep a stop at Rs 78 and go long.

HUL
Current Price: Rs 265.95
Target Price: Rs 280


The stock has seen selling that has pushed it down to a good support. It could bounce till around the Rs 275-280 levels. Keep a stop at Rs 262 and go long. Book partial profits at Rs 275 and clear the position at Rs 280.

TCS
Current Price: Rs 699.80
Target Price: Rs 680


A sharp reaction has started from a recent high of Rs 760. Volumes have increased as the price has fallen, which is usually a danger signal. There is some support at current levels but the next reliable support is at Rs 680. Keep a stop at Rs 705 and go short. Cover at Rs 680.

STERLITE INDUSTRIES
Current Price: Rs 906.35
Target Price: Rs 940


The stock has completed a bullish breakout with some volume expansion. The target would be about Rs 940. Keep a trailing stop at Rs 890 and go long. Increase the position between Rs 915 and Rs 920 and raise the stop to Rs 910. Start booking profits at Rs 935.

(The target price and projected movements given above are in terms of the next five trading sessions unless otherwise stated.)





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The broader indices opened higher for the first two days.
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Global moves 11-JAN-10
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The economic recovery and a low base should help India Inc post robust profit growth for the December quarter.


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Src: Business-Standard

10 January 2010

Stock Reports and Recommendations

Steel stocks to watch for

Jindal Steel & Power
10 Jan 2010, 1052 hrs IST


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Latest Quotes | Charts | News/Announcements | Quarterly Results | P&L | Price History

CMP: Rs 711

JSPL reported Q2 results which are 1% ahead on an operating level but 5% ahead on a net profit level against our estimates. We just marvel at the flexibility of the product mix, which allows the company to maintain steady 35% operating margins even with a 36% drop in steel realisation. We are pushing JSPL as our top pick ahead of our earlier referred Sterlite Ind due to its better visibility of resource backed growth profile making it a less riskier investment.

Analyst: Macquarie Securities


Tata Steel
10 Jan 2010, 1049 hrs IST


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Latest Quotes | Charts | News/Announcements | Quarterly Results | P&L | Price History

CMP: Rs 650

Tata Steel reported Q2 consolidated results in line with our operating line estimates. Of $346m, 15% is of our full year estimate of $2.2bn. However, there is a good chance of it achieving the remaining $1.8bn as we expect volumes to improve by about 11% in H2 to 13.9mt and coking coal costs to reduce by about $100/t. Tata Steel is the best stock to play the rebound. Its Indian operations benefit from rising raw materials costs due to its integrated nature.

Analyst: Macquarie Securities



Adhunik Metaliks
10 Jan 2010, 1045 hrs IST


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Latest Quotes | Charts | News/Announcements | Quarterly Results | P&L | Price History

CMP: Rs 121

ADML is an integrated special steel producer and iron ore miner. Consolidated earnings are expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 76% over FY09-12 on account of growth in steel production and iron ore mining. However, EPS growth over the period is likely to grow at a little lower CAGR of 58% due to capital is-sue and merger of group companies.

Analyst: Motilal Oswal Financial Services



More @ Steel stocks to watch for

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Analyst's Pick: SMALL CAP: ICICI Securities
10 Jan 2010, 0312 hrs IST

Though the order book of the company is very strong at Rs 2500 crore, concerns remain on profitability due to higher interest costs and unending realised forex losses.

Analyst's Pick: MID CAP: Motilal Oswal Financial Services
10 Jan 2010, 0311 hrs IST

Consolidated earnings are expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 76% over FY09-12 on account of growth in steel production and iron ore mining.

Analyst's Pick: MID CAP: Motilal Oswal Financial Services
10 Jan 2010, 0308 hrs IST

Jai Balaji Industries (JBIL) has built capacities aggressively in the last two-three years at a capex of Rs 16 b. Earnings to quadruple over FY10-12.

Analyst's Pick: LARGE CAP: Macquarie Securities
10 Jan 2010, 0302 hrs IST

The company managed to maintain steady 35% operating margins even with a 36% drop in steel realisation. So, JSPL stands as the top pick

Analyst's Pick: LARGE CAP: Macquarie Securities
10 Jan 2010, 0301 hrs IST

Tata Steel is the best stock to play the rebound. Its Indian operations benefit from rising raw materials costs due to its integrated nature.


Analyst's Pick: SMALL CAP: ICICI Securities
10 Jan 2010, 0313 hrs IST

GPIL had reported a topline of Rs 1,092 crore in FY09 on a consolidated basis, showing a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37% since FY06.


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Rallis India: Buy at CMP Rs953 Firstcall India Equity

Mundra Port: Buy at CMP Rs604 KRChoksey

PVR: Buy at CMP Rs187 KRChoksey

Ahluwalia Contracts: Buy at CMP Rs194 Sushil Finance


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Weekly Wrap - Jan 9 2010

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Everest Industries


Gujarat NRE Coke

Lavasa





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Mark Mobius sees a bull market correction ahead



Emerging market guru Mark Mobius, Chairman of Templeton Asset Management, said shares globally should brace for a correction though he said it would be part of the bull market run taking place.

“We are in a secular bull market and you see corrections, which can be to the tune of 15–20% but we shouldn’t be concerned that it represents a bear market,” Mobius said, urging investors to participate in it by buying more if the correction came along.

The US’ easy monetary policy and printing of dollars to boost growth — “which feeds markets around the world,” he said — is expected to continue till the year end and the beginning of the next year as unemployment in the developed world was still to come down.


“Policymakers in Washington, London and other parts of the world are still very concerned and are not going to pull the plug on liquidity anytime soon because they want to see unemployment coming down,” Mobius said. “There are different projections of whether it will be the first quarter, third quarter or last quarter. The bottom line is they are not ready to pull that plug.”

See: How global markets are faring currently

However, if a correction took place, it would affect emerging markets as they “have become integrated”, according to Mobius.

On the issue of initial public offers, Mobius said investors have to pick them on a case-to-case basis. “The IPOs last year gave about 10% average return, which is not spectacular. Individual issues did very well and some of them tanked. So we have to be very careful with these IPOs.”


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Src: Economictimes, Moneycontrol, Deadpresident Blog, Valuenotes and etc

09 January 2010

Top 3 News

Heard on the Street

Broking firms on hiring spree to strengthen

teams


With institutional activity on the rise, many broking houses are strengthening their teams in the hope of getting a share of the pie. Networth Stock Broking is one such firm. The broking firm has hired two dozen professionals in sales, dealing and research over the past month. Buzz is that 10-12 more people are set to join over the next few weeks.

Apart from Prakash Divan, who has joined as sales head, others have been hired from Centrum, Quantum, Merrill Lynch, Reliance Securities and Asit C Mehta, among others. Talk is that the boutique broking house is trying to create a presence in the derivative and quantitative space, in addition to fundamental research.

HNIs lap up RCom shares despite weak sentiment

Even as the wider section of the market paints a gloomy picture for telecom companies over the year or so, a few contrarians are seeing value in them. But they are avoiding the stock considered the best in the pack — Bharti Airtel. Instead, they are going for Reliance Communications despite all the controversy surrounding it, of late.

It is rumoured that some leading HNIs have aggressively bought RCom in the Rs 160-175 range. The thinking in the contrarian camp is that Bharti is ‘overowned’, as many institutions have been mopping up its shares amid its sharp decline over the past few month.

Contributed by Apurv Gupta & Nishanth Vasudevan


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Is China's economy headed for a crash?


SHANGHAI: James Chanos built one of the largest fortunes on Wall Street by foreseeing the collapse of Enron and other highflying companies whose

stories were too good to be true.

Now Chanos, a wealthy hedge fund investor, is working to bust the myth of the biggest conglomerate of all: China Inc.

As most of the world bets on China to help lift the global economy out of recession, Chanos is warning that China's hyperstimulated economy is headed for a crash, rather than the sustained boom that most economists predict. Its surging real estate sector, buoyed by a flood of speculative capital, looks like "Dubai times 1,000 — or worse", he frets. He even suspects that Beijing is cooking its books, faking, among other things, its eye-popping growth rates of more than 8%.

"Bubbles are best identified by credit excesses, not valuation excesses," he said in a recent appearance on CNBC. "And there's no bigger credit excess than in China." He is planning a speech later this month at the University of Oxford to drive home his point.

As America's pre-eminent short-seller — he bets big money that companies' strategies will fail — Chanos's narrative runs counter to the prevailing wisdom on China. Economists and governments expect Chinese growth momentum to continue this year, buoyed by what remains of a $586 billion government stimulus program that began last year, meant to lift exports and consumption among Chinese consumers.

Still, betting against China will not be easy. Because foreigners are restricted from investing in stocks listed inside China, Chanos has said he is searching for other ways to make his bets, including focusing on construction- and infrastructure-related companies that sell cement, coal and steel.

Chanos, whose hedge fund, Kynikos Associates, has $6 billion under management, is hardly the only skeptic on China. But he is certainly the most prominent and vocal. He has been spreading the view that the China miracle is blinding investors to the risk that the country is producing far too much.



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India sets new lot sizes for stocks derivatives


MUMBAI: Indian markets regulator said on Friday it would standardize lot size for stock derivatives based on their value from March

31.

Under the new guideline, stock derivatives priced above 1,600 rupees ($35) will have a lot size of 125 units, while those priced above 800 rupees but below 1,600 would be tradeable in lots of 250 and for above 400 rupees in 500 units.

Share derivatives priced between 201 to 400 rupees would have a lot of 1,000 units; between 101 and 200 rupees in lots of 2,000 units; 51 to 100 rupees at 4,000 units and 25 to 50 rupees in lots of 8,000.

All derivatives priced below 25 rupees will be tradeable in multiples of 1,000, the Securities and Exchange Board of India said in a statement.

The regulator said stock exchanges would review lot sizes every six months, based on the average closing price of the underlying for the last one month. Any revision in lots would be done after at least a two-week notice and any higher lot would be applicable only to new contracts.



Src: ET

08 January 2010

Heard on the Street

Heard on the Street

Cerebra snaps winning streak as traders corner

co


Shares of Bangalore-based Cerebra Integrated Technologies snapped a 4-day winning streak to close at Rs 14.35, down 2.2% over the previous close. Buzz is that the stock is being cornered by traders close to “friendly circles” on talk that a Singapore-listed firm may pick up a strategic stake in the company. The overseas firm is said to be one of the largest electronic waste management in Singapore, and has been looking to expand its presence in India for some time.

According to people familiar with the development, the talks are at the final stage to set up India’s largest e-waste facility in India. Cerebra recently amended its main objects of memorandum of association to foray into electronic waste management. When contacted, V Ranganathan, MD, said confirmed that there were plans to foray into the e-waste segment.

Desperate house calls for stock recommendations

It is that phase of the bull run when analysts are unable to justify the valuations of shares by conventional ratios. Nevertheless, stocks have to be sold to eager clients, and there has to be some ‘story’ or ‘fundamental’ hook to it. As the joke goes, if a stock can’t be justified as a good buy based on the traditional price to earning multiple, then market it based on its price to cash earnings multiples.

If it still doesn’t look cheap, try the enterprise value to operating profits (EV/EBIDTA) ratio. If that doesn’t work, look at the market capitalisation as a multiple of sales. If that too fails, point out the “embedded value” in the stock in terms of holdings in group companies and other investments. And if everything fails, the scrip can still be marketed as a “concept stock”, only for the discerning investors with a long-term horizon. But above all, get the client to buy it.

Local institution’s sudden frenzy boosts Divi’s Lab

Shares of Divi’s Lab gained over 3% on Thursday to close at Rs 709.65, backed by heavy volumes. Over 10 lakh shares — more than 4 times the 2-week daily average volume — changed hands on both exchanges combined, but less than 30% of those trades resulted in delivery. Dealers said the sudden bout of buying came as a surprise, considering that the company’s third quarter numbers likely to be mediocre, just like those in the two quarters that preceded it.

A domestic institutional investor with a sizeable exposure to the stock is said to have whipped up the frenzy at the counter on Thursday. With most of the leading names already fully priced at current levels, investors now appear to be scouting for companies with not so impressive earnings, but those where a surprise performance could have a multiplier effect on the stock price.

Contributed by Apurv Gupta & Santosh Nair

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Top 5 picks | Mid term picks



sRC: et

05 January 2010

Morning Calls 05.01.2010

Top 5 stock picks of the day | Mid-term picks


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Daily Call - Jan 5 2010


Daily Trading - Jan 5 2010


Daily Newsletter - Jan 5 2010




Src: ET and DP Blo

04 January 2010

Technicals for the Week Starting Jan 4, 2010

Volumes, volatility should rise

The market registered new 18-month highs as it closed out the last settlement of 2009 with small net gains. The Nifty closed at 5,201.05 for a gain of 0.4 per cent. The Sensex closed at 17,464 for a gain of 0.6 per cent. The Defty was up 0.65 per cent as the rupee strengthened.

Breadth was decent in terms of a wide variety of shares being traded. Advances outnumbered declines comfortably. The FIIs were net buyers while domestic institutions were net sellers. However, volumes were down except on settlement day though that can be explained by the holiday spirit. The BSE 500 and the Midcaps were both up by about 0.6 per cent.

Outlook: The intermediate trend looks bullish but the short-term trend is difficult to diagnose. The market may be range bound between 5,100-5,250 in the early sessions of next week. The bullish intermediate trend suggests that the next target would be about 5,300. Expect intra-day volatility and volumes to rise regardless of market direction.

Rationale:
Last week saw thin trading and tightly range-bound movement between 5,150-5,220. A movement beyond 5,225 and a close beyond that would reinforce earlier target projections of 5,300. On the downside, the intermediate trend will only be threatened if the market moves below 4,950.

Counter-view: Early January sometimes sees a continued absence of volumes, particularly until FIIs have established their attitude for the new fiscal. If volumes don't pick up, the market could drift downwards. Also the breadth of trading suggests that there is speculative retail participation and that sometimes comes right before a major correction.

Bulls & Bears: The IT index was the only underperformer last week, perhaps due to the rupee strengthening. Sector-wise, there was some selling in pharma. The rest of the market registered net gains but as mentioned above, on generally low volumes and with very little volatility. One sector-wise "long" possibility is PSUs since there appears to be selective buying across several PSU majors.

As such, it is difficult to target shorts and in most stocks, the trader should wait and watch for clear trends to be established before making large commitments. Stick to the highly liquid stocks in the F&O segment rather than dabble in smaller scrips that are retail-backed or operator-driven. In the absence of institutional participation, smaller scrips are more vulnerable to sell-offs.

MICRO TECHNICALS

NTPC
Current Price: Rs 235.65
Target Price: Rs 245

The stock has made a recent surge on high volumes. It has cleared severe resistance at Rs 230 and appears to have a minimum target of Rs 245-250 and it may run till Rs 260. Keep a stop at Rs 230 and go long. Consider booking partial profits at Rs 245 and reset the stop to Rs 240 and the target to Rs 255.

SBI
Current Price: Rs 2,269
Target Price: Rs 2,375

The stock has recovered from recent lows of Rs 2,135 aided by short-covering. It is capable of moving up till around Rs 2,350-2,375 before it hits heavy selling pressure. Keep a stop at Rs 2,240 and go long. Start booking profits above the Rs 2,350-mark.

PRAJ INDUSTRIES

Current Price: Rs 105.7
Target Price: Rs 110

The stock appears to have completed a bullish formation. It should have a target in the range of Rs 115-120 but there is strong resistance at Rs 110. Go long with an initial stop at Rs 101. Above Rs 109, you can exit. Or else, book partial profits at Rs 110, reset the stop loss to Rs 107 and reset the target to Rs 115.

DLF
Current Price: Rs 361.2
Target Price: Rs 385

The stock is consolidating and trading in a wide range between Rs 350-390. It could move up till the Rs 385-390 level if it develops a little volume. Keep a stop at Rs 355 and go long. Increase the position beyond Rs 370 and book profits beyond Rs 385.

NATIONAL ALUMINIUM
Current Price: Rs 417.9
Target Price: Rs 440

A recent burst of buying has pushed the stock up past resistance at Rs 405. The target would be something like Rs 440. Keep a trailing stop at Rs 405 and go long. Book partial profits at Rs 430 and reset the stop loss to Rs 425.


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Smart Portfolios ends 2009 on a high 04-JAN-10
Although Smart Portfolios kicked off on September 1, 2009, it feels good to end the calendar year on a cheerful note.
Markets at a glance 04-JAN-10
The prime minister’s assuring words about the robust economic growth and a firm close of European and Asian indices helped consolidate gains in a truncated week on account of Muharram and New Year.
A decade of good returns 04-JAN-10
Even the most practiced soothsayer will struggle to make any detailed predictions for the next 10 years.
Exploit low volatility in range-trading market 04-JAN-10
The December settlement concluded with very little volatility and a fair amount of carryover.
Volumes, volatility should rise 04-JAN-10
The market registered new 18-month highs as it closed out the last settlement of 2009 with small net gains.
Eyeing acquisitions 04-JAN-10
Strong brands, value for money strategy and focus on new markets and products will help Godrej Consumer sustain high growth rates.
Analysts' corner 04-JAN-10
The government has re-introduced a 5 per cent export tax on iron ore fines and doubled the duty on iron ore lumps to 10 per cent.
'Gold is my favourite currency' 04-JAN-10
Marc Faber, the legendary investor and the author of Gloom, Boom & Doom report shares his outlook on various asset classes including gold, agri-commodities and equities.
Insuring the future 04-JAN-10
To fund the expansion plans of its insurance and healthcare arms, Max India is issuing compulsorily convertible debentures and convertible warrants to Goldman Sachs and the promoters, respectively.
Bullish signals for 2010 04-JAN-10
The markets were on a roller coaster over the last two years which made it difficult to predict the road ahead.

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SESA GOA
Reco price: Rs 404
Current market price: Rs 410.95
Target price: Rs 344
Downside: 16.3%
Brokerage: Angel Broking


he government has re-introduced a 5 per cent export tax on iron ore fines and doubled the duty on iron ore lumps to 10 per cent. Last year, it had withdrawn the duties on iron ore fines on account of the sharp dip in iron ore prices; however, it had retained a 5 per cent levy on lumps. A pick-up in iron ore exports (up 21 per cent year-on-year to 53.2 million tonnes in April-October 2009) and improved export realisations (by over 70 per cent since April) prompted the government to raise the iron ore duties.

Sesa exports 90-95 per cent of its iron ore output. The brokerage expects Sesa’s 2009-10 and 2010-11 EPS to be negatively impacted by 3.3 per cent and 8.5 per cent, respectively. It has introduced 2011-12 estimates for Sesa and expects iron ore realisations to increase by 21.5 per cent (earlier 10 per cent) in 2010-11 and by 10 per cent in 2011-12, on the back of strong Chinese demand. Iron ore pricing negotiations are expected to start early next year (reports suggest a 20-30 per cent hike). But, considering what happened last year, it is difficult to predict whether China will accept the price hike.

At Rs 404, the stock is trading at 6.7 times 2011-12 estimated EV/EBITDA. The brokerage has recommended a ‘sell’ on the stock. At its target price of Rs 304, it will trade at 6 times 2011-12 estimated EV/EBITDA, which is at the higher end of its historic trading range.


INDIABULLS REAL ESTATE
Reco price: Rs 218
Current market price: Rs 220.20
Target price: Rs 259
Upside: 17.6%
Brokerage: ICICI Securities

The developments in Indiabulls Property Investment Trust (IPIT) and new project launches look inspiring. Total saleable area of IPIT has increased from 5 million square feet (MSF) to 6.3 MSF owing to change in FSI. It has 2 MSF of constructed office space, of which 0.9 MSF has been leased and another 0.3 MSF is expected to be leased in March 2010 quarter. The management expects new leases to be done at Rs 185-190 per square feet, up from Rs 175 earlier.

The brokerage believes that IPIT is undervalued and estimates its equity value at Rs 6,000 crore or Singapore dollar $0.50 per unit (currently trading at $0.26). In 2009-10, Indiabulls Real Estate (IBREL) launched about 20 MSF of residential projects, including in Mumbai (9 MSF). Of the total, 2 MSF has already been sold (including 0.5 MSF in IPIT). IBREL recently raised Rs 2,700 crore through a QIP, which is yet to be deployed. The company is looking at strategic, big-ticket land-banks, particularly in Navi Mumbai, Dharavi and Mantralaya projects.

Since the stocks’ downgrade by the brokerage on July 31, 2009, it has underperformed the broader markets by 25 per cent. However, given the increase in saleable area at IPIT, pick-up in residential sales and bottoming of commercial lease rentals, it is upgrading the stock to ‘buy’ with target price of Rs 259 per share.


TRANSPORT CORPORATION OF INDIA
Reco price: Rs 90
Current market price: Rs 89.75
Target price: Rs 100
Upside: 11.4%
Brokerage: Kotak Securities

Transport Corporation of India (TCI) has formed a strategy to cross sell its services through its five divisions. Each division would cross market services and provide single point logistics solutions to its clients. This is expected to increase business for TCI, going ahead. Based on its JV experience with Mitsui (Transystem Logistics International), TCI has been able to replicate the model and deliver efficient supply chain solutions (SCS) to industries like FMCG, retail and automobiles.

SCS is expected to grow at 30-35 per cent and the segment’s profitability is better than the overall business. TCI plans to increase its warehouse space from 8 MSF currently to 10 MSF by March 2011. About 15 per cent of the warehouse space is owned by TCI and rest is leased. In the real estate business, it is looking at jointly developing properties (at Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, etc) for construction of residential and commercial space.

The implementation of GST could also bring in additional business through higher outsourcing of logistics activities to the third party logistics players like TCI. At Rs 90, the stock is trading at 1.7 times book value, 12.8 times earnings and 7.3 times cash earnings based on 2010-11 estimated numbers earnings. Maintain ‘accumulate’.


HSIL
Reco price: Rs 61.25
Current market price: Rs 72.10
Target price: Rs 74
Upside: 2.6%
Brokerage: HDFC Securities

HSIL, earlier known as Hindustan Sanitaryware & Industries, enjoys a 40 per cent market share in the organised sanitary-ware industry. HSIL has increased its portfolio by adding more products in its bathroom and kitchen appliances products; it launched around 150 new products last year, of which, 60 per cent was in the premium category. Further, it has also started to venture into marketing and distribution of imported products to capitalise on its existing brand and distribution network. Besides, HSIL plans to increase its existing capacity by installing another kiln at its Bahadurgarh plant at a cost of about Rs 15-20 crore.

HSIL is expected to deliver revenue growth of 20.2 per cent and 23.7 per cent in 2009-10 and 2010-11, respectively on the back of enhanced product portfolio, increased demand and capacity utilisation. Its EBIDTA margins could stabilise in the 17-18 per cent range. However, higher depreciation and interest costs could be an over-hang. In 2009-10, HSIL’s PAT is expected to remain flat while in 2010-11, the same could increase by 29.1 per cent. Being an industry leader, HSIL is well positioned in the north as well as south to tap potential demand and is expected to grow faster than the industry. At Rs 61.25, the stock is trading at 8.2 times its 2010-11 EPS of Rs 7.5.


OM METALS INFRAPROJECTS
Reco price: Rs 30
Current market price: Rs 31.50
Target price: Rs 39
Upside: 23.8%
Brokerage: SBICAP Securities

Om Metals Infraprojects is the largest hydro-mechanical equipment supplier in India with a market share of over 60 per cent. The company presently has an order book of Rs 636 crore, which is 3.5 times first half 2009-10 annualised sales and is expected to be completed in next 3 years. This provides substantial medium-term revenue visibility. In addition, the company has submitted bids for more projects, which are expected to take the total order book to over Rs 800 crore by 2009-10.

The company has recently forayed into the infrastructure segment by winning two contracts for the development of a port and a multi-product SEZ, both in Pondicherry. The SEZ project is spread over 860 acres and the company has a 20 per cent stake in it. It has a 50 per cent stake in the port project, which is to be developed in next 5-6 years. Both projects are expected to be developed through separate SPV's.

Further, there is potential to unlock value from its saleable land-bank (1.5 MSF) situated at Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Faridabad and Kota. The stock is trading at 5.3 times its core 2010-11 estimated earnings. Maintain ‘buy’.

Current market prices as on December 30

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Top 5 stock picks of the day | Mid-term picks

Stocks that witnessed wild swings in last 3 months


Analyst's Pick: LARGE CAP: Anand Rathi Financial Services
3 Jan 2010, 0154 hrs IST

We are optimistic about M&M’s volume growth in the rest of FY10 and expect residual growth of 11 per cent in tractors and 20 per cent in UVs.

Analyst's Pick: LARGE CAP: Anand Rathi Financial Services
3 Jan 2010, 0153 hrs IST

We expect volume growth of 17.1 per cent in FY10, fuelled mainly by the Nano and the CV segment.

Analyst's Pick: MID CAP: Angel Broking
3 Jan 2010, 0148 hrs IST

The company is expected to clock around a 2.7 per cent y-o-y and 9.9 per cent yoy growth in net sales for FY2010E and FY2011E respectively.

Analyst's Pick: MID CAP: Angel Broking
3 Jan 2010, 0146 hrs IST

MSSL’s consolidated net sales is expercted to register substantial growth in FY2010E. On the margin front, we estimate the company to register a contraction owing to the increasing contribution of outside India sales.

Analyst's Pick: SMALL CAP: ICICI Securities
3 Jan 2010, 0143 hrs IST

Automotive Axle derives major revenues from the top two commercial vehicle makers Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors. They have reported strong growth in the past few months, indicating the revival of the segment.

Heard on the Street
1 Jan 2010, 0505 hrs IST

The New Year, with lots of multi-starrer and multibanner releases, has given investors in stocks of film producers and exhibitors a reason to rejoice.


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2010 Stock Picks Strategy


Results Preview - 3QFY2010


Morning Call - Jan 4 2010



Src: Economictimes, Business-Standard, DP Blog and etc