Tag: Readers’ Feedback

This is with reference to the article titled ‘Is tax harvesting that good an idea?’ published on March 14. The story is really good. If investors can benefit from tax harvesting without facing any hitches, it will help them save ₹10,000 in taxes.

—KS Raghavendra

This is with reference to the article titled ‘Fiem Industries: Easier ride ahead’ published on March 14. Nice analysis.

––Vijay

This is with reference to the Statistalk titled ‘The rise of SPACs’ published on March 17. Let’s hope they only allow accredited investors, or have a minimum investment/net worth amount for SPACs, if they come to India.

––Mrin Agarwal

In BusinessLine Portfolio Star Track MF Ratings, currently only the growth option schemes are listed. For those who have invested in the dividend option, we are not able to track current NAV or one-, two- and three-year returns. Is it possible to add dividend option to the ratings?

––Vijaykumar Shingade

I am a regular reader of BusinessLine Portfolio. Kindly try to incorporate the 10-year trailing returns in Star Track MF Ratings, which will give a better picture for a long-term investor in mutual funds. I take this opportunity to thank the entire team of BusinessLine for continuous good reports.

––Balamurali PK

BusinessLine Research Bureau says (for the above two comments): Thank you for your feedback. We will strive to incorporate your suggestions.

I have been a regular reader of Business Line Portfolio/ Investment World since its launch. I like the ‘Taking Stock’ page. If possible, kindly publish the IPO recommendations for the forthcoming week on Sundays.

––Tarakaram Bussetti

BLRB says: Thank you for your patronage. We will strive to cover IPOs, as much as possible, in the Sunday edition itself. We are sure you will appreciate that unlike many other publications, we do a deep-dive analysis of IPO stocks. Sometimes, we may not be able publish the analysis on Sundays when the IPOs are announced at short notice, as we require a reasonable amount of time to do research and write a recommendation. Under such circumstances,we carry it on weekdays.

BusinessLine is certainly different from the rest. It’s contrarian and independent writing is the key differentiating factor. It doesn’t look to politicise or ever put things in a diplomatic way. I always look forward to reading BusinessLine.

The Portfolio edition is especially really insightful and thought-provoking. The content is unique, independently written and covers a spectrum of topics in the field of investing. Appreciate all of this. Many thanks!

––Varun Bang

As a finance faculty, I always get excited to carry BusinessLine to my class. We do a lot of analysis on various topics highlighted in BL. My students also are very much eager to read BL Portfolio on Sundays. Thank you so much for publishing BusinessLine.

––Prof Dibyendu Sundar Ray

This is with reference to your recent coverage of SBI Equity Hybrid Fund, published on February 6. The fund was earlier covered in the edition dated June 21, 2020, where it was assigned a 5-star rating, and more recently on February 6, 2021. However, now on checking BusinessLine Portfolio Star Track MF Ratings, I found that the fund has been assigned a 3-star rating. Request you to please resolve this anomaly on the rankings.

––Chetan Soorenji

BL Research Bureau says: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We revised the ratings in mid-February 2021. Usually, this exercise results in ratings change for a few funds, based on how they have fared on the various parameters we consider for the ratings. However, during the revision this time around, the ratings for a few funds got misplaced due to an error in capturing the Sortino ratio from the database. As Sortino ratio carries 30 per cent weight in the ratings, this reflected in the sharp ratings change for some funds including SBI Equity Hybrid. We have corrected this error from the March 7 edition, and also put out a note on Page 11 regarding the same. SBI Equity Hybrid fund ratings stands at 5-star. Apologies for the inconvenience caused.

This is with reference to the Fund Query published on February 28. A fund named Mirae Asset Emerging Equities is referred to in it. I could not find it in BusinessLine Portfolio Star Track MF Ratings. What is the correct name? Is it an old name?

––Velmurugan

BLRB Says: The MF scheme name mentioned there is incorrect. Apologies for the error. The correct name is Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip.

This is with reference to the article titled ‘It is imperative that women make a Will’ published on March 7. It was very well-written and published on an important day — International Women’s Day. While writing a Will, it is important to take the consent of all those involved or those who feel that they can claim the assets, into confidence. Bringing out a consensus Will will add to the weight of the Will. Does the Will need to be written on a stamped paper?

––Yerram Raju Behara

BLRB says: Thank you for writing to us. We reached out to Neha Pathak of Motilal Oswal Private Wealth management, who was interviewed in that story. She suggests that an individual does not require any permission for the Will that is written for their own assets. A Will can be written on a plain paper. One needs to ensure that the Will is signed not only by the creator of the Will but also by at least two witnesses.

This is with reference to the article titled ‘Easy Trip IPO: A lot of baggage’ published on March 7.

Very detailed analysis. Very good job by the analyst. Look forward to seeing more articles like this.

––Sundar

I have been a regular reader of BusinessLine Portfolio for years. The ‘Simply Put’ column explains various terms and concepts which are otherwise spelt by experts only. Thank you for educating readers.

––Velmurugan TS

BL Portfolio is worth reading, to build a better financial portfolio, and for those seeking knowledge on personal finance.

––MPS

The weekly edition of Portfolio helps me become aware of basic financial disciplines. It is a really worthy product for non-finance individuals.

––CA Shashikanth

The Derivatives page is nicely written. The data provided on Page 8 (Take 500) is very voluminous. If it can be broken down sector- and market-cap wise, it will be very helpful. The above-mentioned categories can be further sorted out on ROCE, weekly return, etc.

––Vijay K

The below two comments are with respect to the article titled ‘Smart finance, spicy romance’ published on February 14.

Financial compatibility is as critical as emotional bonding, for couples.

Knowing each other’s financial knowledge and investments, and aligning for a longer-term, sustainable and stable relationship is the key.

––Bal Govind

Very pragmatic approach to Valentine’s Day. Well done, Keerthi Sanagasetti (writer).

––Rasika Ranganathan

Thanks for the prompt response to my email query about the IPO recommendation on RailTel. I read the article in BusinessLine dated Feburary 18.

It will be really helpful if the analysis can be published a day prior to the opening of the IPO.

––Chetan.

BusinessLine Research Bureau says: We strive to always publish the IPO recommendation in advance or on the opening day.

Apologies for the delay this time around. It was due to some unavoidable circumstances.

Thanks for the faith in our product. Keep reading!

This is with respect to the article ‘Why you should accumulate the stock of Prestige Estates’ published on February 14. First of all, the Bengaluru-based firm’s fortunes depend on that city alone. Secondly, it is highly unlikely that companies will bring people back to work from office. So, how will demand, which is driven solely by software workers, improve?

The recommendation is not rational.

––Krish

BLRB says: While the company is based out of Bengaluru, the upside is not based on IT companies alone. There are other factors, too, that help — favourable property prices and low housing loan interest rates.

Also, despite work-from-home, many players in the office segment have been reporting steady occupancy and collections since March 2020.

Also, if the Blackstone-Prestige Estates deal goes through, it will help Prestige bring down its debt, giving room for expansion.

So, at this point, one can consider betting on the stock.

Please publish recommendations on mediclaim policies.

––Debjyoti

BLRB says: Thank you. We do regularly publish reviews of new health insurance products and feature stories on issues concerning health insurance. Keep reading!

I have been a regular reader of online BL since the Covid lockdown. I would like to know how to invest in foreign equities, and about the rules and regulations, including income-tax implications.

––Suresh Kumar PT

BLRB says: We have written on these aspects in the article ‘How to invest in US Equities’ (tinyurl.com/USEquities).

As a reader of BusinessLine for more than a decade, I’d like to wish BL on introducing your Sunday edition.

As a retail investor and a bank depositor, I, like many others, face a lot of challenges — be it logging to net banking, syncing up with Google Pay, or bank linkage for SIPs.

I request BL to act as a bridge, and solicit such challenges, suggestions and feedback/solutions from its readers.

You can evaluate and publish selected best entries in your Sunday edition. This can be a regular weekly column. This can get attention of relevant industry leaders. Readers will also feel connected to BL.

—Srivatsan

BLRB says: Thank you for your wishes and suggestion. We will surely consider such an interactive column in the future.

Excellent performance on your recommendations and advice. I love ‘Who Am I?’. Super quizzing!

––Vikesh Wallia

I am happy to read the Sunday BL paper and also see the pictures of writers alongside their names.

––Shanmukhappa Ankamanal

The following two comments are in the context of the story titled ‘No tax benefit on ULIPs, high PF contribution’ that appeared on February 1:

(This might be the) First step towards abolishing EPF.

—Parthiban Balasubramaniam

Taxation on VPF and ULIPs are a very good move. The limit is quite reasonable and any one investing more than ₹2.5 lakh is rich — quite rightly, the returns should be taxed.

—Sundar

This is in the context of the story titled ‘How to hunt for small-cap stocks’ that appeared on January 23. The article is of high practical relevance for long-term small-cap investors.

—Namasivayam K

This is in the context of the story titled ‘Budget to the rescue of bank depositors’ that appeared on February 1. (It’s a) Good intervention by the government. Hope it fructifies into amendments in the relevant Act. (It’s) Good that the government is doing this, which the RBI should have done long back.

—Sundar

This in the context of the story titled ‘Why IPO stocks need close watching’ that appeared on January 9. A great article by Aarati Krishnan as always. You continue to be a beacon of hope for small investors.

—Ramakrishnan

I request BusinessLine’s research team to provide an in-depth analysis on the following areas: One, NPS (National Pension System) Tier I (default option); two, strategy to be adopted to rebalance or switch across various options to maximise the value of corpus at the time of retirement; and, three, importance of STF (specified financial transactions)/rebalancing in NPS Tier I for those who are about to retire from service after 5-10 years.

—Dinesh

BusinessLine Research Bureau says: Sure. We will write on this soon.

Please add ESG (environmental, social and governance) funds in your MF Star Track Ratings.

––Amit Kumar Tandon

BLRB says: Thank you for writing to us. For the ratings, we consider only equity funds with at least a seven-year NAV history, to identify schemes that have delivered consistent returns across various market cycles. ESG funds are relatively new. We also don’t rate categories that have less than five funds.

I am a regular reader of BusinessLine. The recently re-launched Portfolio is excellent, and I am impressed with the page on Derivatives. Keep it up.

––Nandakumar

Please include outlook of mid- and small-cap indices in the ‘Index Outlook’ column.

—Biswajit

BLRB says: The broader trend of the market is captured in the Nifty 50 and Sensex indices, which is why we write on them every week. Mid- and small-caps indices largely follow this trend. We will strive to include technical outlook for the mid- and small-cap indices when there is more action in these segments.

Please see whether my suggestion given below can be considered. A section that carry your expert comments on companies that have announced their results, along with a table that lists the companies that will declare results the next week.

––Sethumadhavan, Chennai

BLRB says: The Research Bureau does analyse results for select stocks every quarter. This is published both in print and online during weekdays, as and when the results are announced.

I have been a reader of The Hindu for the past 23 years, and have been reading BusinessLine every Sunday (Monday earlier). Thanks for the service.

—Nishar Ahamed

The following two comments are in the context of the Big Story, ‘Mining for multi-baggers’ published on January 24:

With the Sensex at all-time high levels, it is all the more tedious task for retail investors to find a worthy stock to invest in. And it is indeed crystal clear that financials are just one tool, and corporate governance and pledged shares, etc, are also equally critical, especially after ILFS, Yes Bank kind of fiascos.

––Bal Govind

I thank you very much for such beautiful, in-depth research (on the topic). I would like to suggest publishing comprehensive articles on guarded investments for senior citizens in the age group of 60-65.

––Shakil Akhtar

BusinessLine Research Bureau says: Thank you for your feedback. We write on senior citizen investment options across pages, from time to time. We will strive to bring out more comprehensive stories on the topic. Keep reading!

The following two comments are in the context of the article, ‘How to use DuPont analysis to understand RoE’: published on January 24:

It was a well-presented story. I would like to add a couple of ideas: 1) An increase in financial leverage is fine if risk in operating cash flow is declining. IBM, Accenture and Apple are good examples. 2) Financial leverage is a better measure of indebtedness, as it considers operating liabilities, too.

––Anil K Sood

Very well analysed.

––Vinay K Srivastava

I have been a regular reader of BL for a long time and follow BL Portfolio Star Track MF Ratings.

I don’t understand why Aditya Birla Sun Life Pure Value Fund, whose performance has not been up to the mark, is assigned a 4-star rating.

Can you please explain the logic behind this?

––Stanly Dsouza, Udupi

BLRB says: Thank you for writing to us. For rating purposes, we consider one-, three- and five-year rolling returns for a total of seven-year NAV history for equity and hybrid funds. We also consider Sortino ratio, which measures risk-adjusted returns, for the rating purpose. It is completely automated.

ABSL Pure Value’s better long-term performance would have gained it a 4-star rating.

We undertake a re-rating exercise every few months and the next one is expected to be completed very soon.

The new BL Portfolio is superb! Please consider starting a book review/recommendation column — of both classics and new books (on personal finance, investment, financial sector, etc).

––Rajit Vasudevan

BLRB says: Thank you for your suggestion. We will consider it.

Please publish the NAV of the mutual funds you recommend, to measure how they have fared over a period of time.

––Venkat

BLRB says: We do publish a chart with returns alongside the fund recommendation. Returns are a function of NAV movement. We will try to add the NAV as on date in the article.

I have been reading BL for many years. I welcome the issue on Sundays. Could you print the paper in light orange or baby pink so that we can recognise it distinctly from other issues during the week? Besides, the issue would look pleasing on Sundays. May I request a section for students of management in which you explain how to do fundamental analysis and other basic concepts of finance?

–– Anand S

BLRB says: Thank you for your feedback. We will strive to include the content you have suggested.

This is in the context of the article ‘Growth opportunity stocks (PEG Screener)’ that was published on January 17. PEG should not be taken in isolation.

––NS Raman

BusinessLine Research Bureau says: Agreed! We have added a couple of other parameters, too, to our screener. Besides, this is only a preliminary short-list for investors to do further research on.

This is in the context of the ‘Statistalk’ titled ‘Equity MF investors continue to book profits’ that was published on January 20. Nicely summerised report.

––@Equiideas09

This is in the context of the article ‘Take note of EPFO Pension Scheme’ that was published on January 17. Excellent article, Ms Satya.

––KE Raghunathan

This is in the context of the article ‘Simply put: How cashless garage facility benefits you’ published on January 17. A well-written story; very easy for common man’s understanding. The conversational style is really effective to take the message to the readers.

––Narayanan

I have been subscribing to BL for a long time. The Portfolio edition makes every Sunday very interesting.

––AS Nellaiyappan

I am a regular subscriber of BusinessLine and am very glad to read your BL Portfolio as well. It is very informative.

While thanking you for this, I would request you to write on mediclaim policies offered for senior citizens by various insurers (private as well as public sector) as I understand that most of them are hesitant to offer such policies.

––MP Parameswaran

BLRB says: Thank you for your feedback. We will strive to write on this issue in the coming weeks. Keep reading!

The newly launched Sunday edition BusinessLine Portfolio is an excellent initiative by The Hindu group. As the senior citizen population is gradually increasing, a section of the edition may please be devoted exclusively for senior citizens, covering management of retirement corpus, medical/insurance schemes, deposit/mutual fund schemes, housing schemes, FAQs on tax matters, government concessions, etc.

––Bhaskaran S

BLRB says: Thank you for your feedback. We do write for senior citizens from time to time across our pages. We will strive to do more on this front.

Success stories of individuals who created wealth by way of long-term investment in equities may be included in Portfolio. Likewise, the tragedies of persons who lost everything due to mistakes committed and excess greed will also be a good lesson for investors, especially new entrants.

The concept of PE ratio may be explained in detail so as to enable a layman to understand whether a scrip is expensive or not.

––Jose KF

BLRB says: Thank you for your feedback. We will strive to write on the topics you have suggested.

I started reading BusinessLine three years ago. The content is very useful for learning and upgrading one’s knowledge. I am very much passionate about finance. I regularly read Sunday BL Portfolio and share the content on my networks — LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook. It will definitely help increase financial literacy of the readers.

––Baranitharan J

BLRB says: We are glad you find Portfolio content useful.

I have been a regular reader of BusinessLine almost from its first edition way back in 1994. I was actually very disappointed when the Sunday edition was discontinued a few years ago. It’s reintroduction is really a welcome step.

––Varadarajan MN, Hosur

It’s good to read BL on Sundays. Would request for more articles for those who do not know much about investing and more importantly about personal finance. Thank you! Keep up the good work.

––Anonymous reader (through our WhatsApp number/Scan code

for feedback)

BusinessLine Research Bureau says: Thank you for your feedback. We have two pages of personal finance — ‘Your Money’ and ‘Safe Investing’ — every Sunday. We do write on basics from time to time across these pages.

We also have a weekly feature for new entrants in the ’Simply Put’ column in the ‘Safe Investing’ page.

You must have an app. Where are your podcasts?

––Hitesh D Gajaria

BLRB says: We do have an app that can be downloaded from app stores. You can access our podcasts through our website, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

I’m a new entrant to the BL readers’ club. I read BL Portfolio and I’m in love with it. Excellent contribution, keep improving, and try to make it less technical for ordinary investors.

––Uday Tendulkar, Kandivali, Mumbai

BLRB says: Welcome to BL. Thanks for your feedback and suggestion.

I recently started reading Business Line. The Sunday edition is excellent. I am impressed with Portfolio Star Track MF Ratings. I have a suggestion: please print the MF Ratings pages back-to-back, so that the same can be preserved as a single page for some time, for analysis and for helping first-time investors.

––Srinivas K

BLRB says: Thank you. We will surely consider your suggestion.

Your stock recommendations are the best.

––Kishan

Your business and market content is very insightful. Please publish an article giving guidelines for new retail investors covering 1) the sign-up process 2) mentors 3) recommended literature to follow 4) market leaders’ opinion.

––Santhosh Subramaniam, Coonoor

This refers to the ‘New year resolutions for your finances’ story published on January 3. Making our will, getting our family sufficiently insured and re-balancing our asset allocation in the times of the stock market touching new heights should be the top-most priorities for any individual investor.

If this pandemic has taught us the best financial lesson, it is to spend judiciously and save for times like these.

—Bal Govind

This is in the context of the article, ‘Do it yourself: Why PSU stocks can be a good bet’ that appeared on BusinessLine on January 3. Useful information. It was very helpful to pick PSU stocks. Appreciate it.

––Seetarama Rao

This is in the context of the article, ‘Simply put: Indexation benefit’ that appeared on BusinessLine on January 10. How immaculately the concept of ‘iIndexation’ has been explained by Maulik Madhu. The column ‘Simply Put’ is a great idea and definitely works towards its core objective of creating financial awareness.

––Suheil Merchant

This is in the context of the article, ‘Investica app review: For both novices and experts’ that appeared on BusinessLine on January 10. I think this is the second in this series. This is a nice start. Can you do some study on Fincart and INDmoney in the next article?

––Anoop Singh

BLRB says: Thank you. We have also reviewed Groww, Paytm Money, myCAMS and MF Utilities in this series. We will also look into other apps.

This is in the context of the article, ‘How to choose auto component stocks’ that appeared on BL on January 10. Super analysis.

––Samrat Shah

The articles covered by your esteemed newspaper are very informative and well-researched. May I request you to extend your coverage to issues related to autumn years, especially on health insurance plans and pension-related matters?

—Subrata Saha

BL Research Bureau(BLRB) says: Thanks for writing to us. We do write on investment, insurance and pension options for senior citizens from time to time. Keep reading!

I am an avid reader of BusinessLine, especially the Portfolio edition on Sundays. It is a compass for investors to navigate the ocean of finance. My suggestions for further enhancement:

– Include MFs investing in global equity stocks in Star Track MF Ratings. Further introduce index funds and ETFs which are very helpful to most investors.

– Provide a separate section for growth and value stocks identified by your research team and discuss those stocks in-depth at least 3-5 in number every week.

—Sankara Madhava Prasad, Hyderabad

BLRB says: Thank you for your valuable feedback and suggestions. We will strive to incorporate them.

Your analysis of topics is very vast and is inclusive of even minute details. Readers are totally engrossed. Star Track MF Ratings is like a holy grail for new investors, especially since knowledge and exposure regarding returns is limited for a majority of common people. Your reporting of the stock market is very good and extensive. It would be nice to have additional information on international stocks and modes of investment in global markets for small-time investors. Keep up the good work. I’m not an expert, but I really appreciate the efforts the reporters have put in to research their respective articles.

––Dr Nisha Prakash

BLRB says: Thank you for your feedback. With the launch of the refreshed Portfolio edition, we have started covering international stocks. In fact, today’s edition has an international stock recommendation.

We have written on modes of investing in global markets in our edition dated September 13, 2020. We will keep writing more on international investing. Keep reading!

This is with respect to the Big Story published on December 3, 2020. Thanks for a great summing up of the investment ideas for 2021.

The story covers where the opportunities lie, explaining the economic recovery angle, the reasons for and the types of bull market, and the types of and the areas where growth is likely.

While suggesting to take a middle path and de-risking, I wish the writer could have given her valued suggestions, for those who en-cashed at the news a of second wave and new lockdown in Europe, before indices shot up again.

The nice suggestions by Maulik Madhu on the fixed income side is also very informative and useful. I am a fan of Aarati Krishnan’s regular presentations in BL and her the webinars on investor education.

––PS Ramachandran, Chennai

I have been reading BusinessLine for the past 12 years.

Thanks for restarting BL Sunday Portfolio, though it may be extra work on weekend for the BL staff.

It is a fantastic, very comprehensive read on equity, mutual funds, market analysis, etc, plus other asset classes such as debt and gold.

The Sunday edition is very useful as it gives readers time to read through in a relaxed way. I would just add that since I have been a reader for 12 years, the weekday edition is more thin and the quality has dropped compared with others. But great Sunday edition and thank you for increasing investor education among the readers.

––Krishnan CA, Bengaluru

BL says: Thank you for the comments on the Sunday edition. The weekday edition will grow in size and quality as the economy stabilises going forward.

You must have noticed the special pages we now offer on Mondays, covering an entire gamut of topics, ranging from science and technology to advertising, and business laws to a deep-dive section on corporate developments.

The reincarnation of BL Portfolio on Sundays is looking in class form. It scores on content, quality of research, spread of topics and sharp personal finance focus. It’s the best Sunday investment for every learning investor.

––Shyam Sekhar, Chief Ideator and Founder, ithought Financial Consulting, an RIA and PMS firm

Market analysis, and mutual fund- and investment goals-related articles are good. Always liked reading BL and the Sunday edition is good for knowing what happened in the week and to plan (our finances) for future.

—Bhagvan

Glad to note that Business Line Portfolio is being published on Sundays. Without this paper, mornings have a bad taste.

—Pradeep K Mahapatra

The Sunday edition is highly informative and well-presented. My suggestions: In Take 500, you may print weekly returns in bold letters. You may please remove the companies which are quoting far below their face value and are on their deathbed. You may please add a few other good companies. On page 2, in the sectoral index movements, you may mention the top seven or 10 companies in each sector with the weekly closing price, weekly high, weekly low and percentage change in price during the week. Such data will be helpful for investors.

—PV Swaminathan

Our response: Thank you for your suggestions. We take the top 500 stocks by market capitalisation in Take 500 as it is a broad representation of the market. We will try to add stock movement of top companies on Page 2.

This is in the context of the article ‘Suits high-risk investors (on the IPO of Antony Waste Handling Cell)’ published on December 20. It had great insight and detailed information. Thanks.

––Saurabh Neema

This is in the context of the article ‘How dividend and buyback are taxed’ published on December 20. It was a very good piece. The two subjects — dividends and buybacks — have been addressed in detail without leaving anything in doubt. I request you to cover capital gains tax on tax-free bonds. Since the traded price, at any time, includes an accrued interest portion which is non-taxable, how does one arrive at the correct selling and buying prices? Just taking the actual sale price minus the actual buy price as capital gains may be too simplistic and incorrect.

––V Vijaykumar (Pune)

Our response: Thank you for your feedback. We shall cover this topic shortly in our De-Tax column.

The article ‘A cut above the rest’ published in BusinessLine on Decemeber 13 was a very valuable read for DIY investors. Debt-reduction capacity is a great tool to assess picks, especially during these uncertain times. Thanks.

––Yadu Moss

The refreshed version of the Portfolio edition is highly informative. In the context of the article ‘Go direct with MF Utilities’ published on December 13, does it have any app?

––Praveen Kantala

Our response: Thank you for your feedback. Yes, MF Utilities has a mobile application called goMF.

I have been reading BusinessLine for the past six months. It has been a very intensive educational experience for me. Please continue the De-Tax section. It’s very helpful. Keep up the good work.

––Anonymous reader (through our WhatsApp number for feedback)