First signs of the good times

Markets like forecasts, especially optimistic kinds that tend to make headlines. After a highly forgettable and tough 2018, I guess, investors need inspiration to return to the markets. Strangely enough, after a correction or a challenging phase in the markets, investors pack their bags and run when they should actually be tanking up on the same stocks they own, albeit at lower prices. It is for this reason that philosophy and inspirational quotes are tossed around frequently in these times. Given that the first half of 2019 is expected to remain volatile for equities, most retail investors are cutting back on their exposure to equities. But that could well be a mistake, as many of the risks that surfaced in 2018 are beginning to clear now. Last year, markets faced several risks, from rising crude prices, escalation in trade tensions between China and the US, richly valued mid and small caps, and rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve. Interestingly, some of the risks have abated for Indian markets a

This article was originally published on April 16, 2019.