The difference between a financial and an investment advisor

Investment Advisor is either a firm or an individual that provides advice or guidance to its clients regarding securities (financial).

It guides and advices on securities such as investment in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds are investment advisers. Some investment advisers manage portfolios of securities.

The main difference between an investment advisory and a financial planner is that almost all financial planners are investment advisers but not all investment advisers are financial planners. Some financial planners assess every aspect of an individual’s financial life which includes savings, investments, insurance, taxes, retirement and in some cases estate planning as well. After their assessment, they help the individual to develop a detailed strategy, insurance, taxes, retirement and estate planning.

They also help you to develop a strategy or a financial plan for meeting your day to day financial goals.

Before hiring the services of any financial professional, one must know what kind of services is exactly required and what kind of a background does the financial professional hold. After all you are going to invest your hard earned money therefore it is very necessary for you to know everything about your investment advisory.

1)            To how many people do you provide advices regarding investments?

2)            What is your educational background?

3)            With which stock broking organization are you associated with?

4)            Which are the licenses you hold?

5)            What products and services do you offer?

6)            What is the commission that you charge for your services?

Also one needs to know how the investor advisers are paid in order to make better use of the services that are provided to them.

1)            A percentage of the total value of the assets that they manage for you.

2)            An hourly or daily fee on the basis of their handling of your work.

3)            A fixed fee for the services that they offer you.

4)            A commission on the basis of the securities that they buy/sell for you.

5)            A small combination of everything mentioned above.

All the compensation methods have potential benefits and possibly drawbacks, based on your individual needs. You must ask the investment advisory to explain you all the differences thoroughly before you do any business with them.

One must also ask if these service fees are negotiable or they are a onetime fixed amount. Based on your needs and requirements, the investment advisers will provide you with various strategies that will cater to your financial needs.

Indian stock market and companies daily report (June 08, 2012, Friday)

The Indian markets are expected to open in the red tracing negative opening in most of the Asian bourses and the SGX Nifty. Asian stocks were trading lower after comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke overshadowed China’s first interest-rate cut since 2008.
The People’s Bank of China has lowered its benchmark lending and deposit rates by 25 basis points. The announcement, two days before China is due to report inflation, investment and output figures, may signal that the economy is weaker than the government expected. Bernanke said the central bank will need to assess conditions before deciding if more measures are needed to stoke an economy threatened by Europe’s debt crisis and U.S. budget cuts.
Meanwhile Indian shares extended recent gains on Thursday after the rupee breached the 55 mark to hit a two-week high against the dollar reflecting a return of appetite for risk. Talks of the government giving a big push to infrastructure development bolstered sentiments. Although there were reports of the Union Cabinet deferring a decision on the Pension Bill due to lack of consensus, the benchmark indices ended the trading day with significant gains.

Markets Today
The trend deciding level for the day is 16,617/5,039 levels. If NIFTY trades above this level during the first half-an-hour of trade then we may witness a further rally up to 16,713 – 16,777/5,070 – 5,091 levels. However, if NIFTY trades below 16,617/5,039 levels for the first half-an-hour of trade then it may correct up to 16,552 – 16,456/5,018 – 4,987 levels.

China cut borrowing costs
China reduced interest rates for the first time since 2008 and loosened controls on banks’ lending and deposit rates, in its bid to combat a deepening slowdown as Europe’s ongoing debt crisis threatens global growth. The one-year lending rate and one-year deposit rate were reduced by 25bps to 6.31%, and 3.25%, respectively. Banks are now given more leeway to offer upto 10% higher than benchmark deposit rate to depositors and to charge upto 20% lower than the key benchmark lending rate (previously 10%).

RIL plans a capex of Rs.100,000cr over next 4 years
Reliance Industries (RIL) conducted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for FY2012. With cash and equivalents of ~Rs.80,000cr as of March 31, 2012 on RIL’s balance sheet, Chairman Mr. Mukesh Ambani announced that the company plans to invest Rs.100,000cr across business segments over the coming four years. It targets to invest ~US$3.5bn on shale gas. On its core petrochemical business, RIL aims to increase its capacity to 25mn tonnes from the current 15mn tonnes and also invest in operational efficiency projects. RIL aims to become a market leader in retail business and targets to achieve top-line of Rs.40,000-50,000cr over the next threefour years (current top-line Rs.7,600cr). Further RIL informed that although KG D6 production has declined over the past one year to 34mmscmd, it aims to raise total gas production to 60mmscmd by 2015. On profitability front, Mr. Ambani said that RIL aimed to double its operating profits in the coming five years. RIL has bought back 2.79cr shares at a cost of Rs.1,929cr under its share-buyback program. Alongside decline in KG D6 gas output, deployment of huge cash pile was amongst the key concerns on the stock. Clarity over deployment of cash is positive in our view. We maintain our Buy rating on the stock with a target price of Rs.879.

L&T bags orders worth Rs.2,410cr
L&T’s construction arm has won Rs.2,410cr new orders across various businesses during April-June 2012. The Buildings and Factories IC has secured new orders worth Rs.1,921cr. The orders are from leading developers for the construction of major residential towers across various cities in the northern part of the country. L&T Infrastructure IC has won orders to the tune of Rs.345cr for the design and construction of viaducts and three elevated stations from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation which also includes additional orders from various ongoing projects. Water effluent and treatment business has bagged new orders worth Rs.244cr from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board for upgrading the existing water distribution systems including additional orders from various ongoing projects.
At the CMP of Rs.1,277, the stock is trading at 16.7x FY2014E earnings and 2.4x FY2014E P/BV on a standalone basis. We have used the SOTP methodology to value the company to capture all its business initiatives and investments/stakes in different businesses. Ascribing separate values to its parent business on a P/E basis and investments in subsidiaries on P/E, P/BV and mcap basis, our target price works out to Rs.1,553, which provides 21.6% upside from current levels. We recommend Buy on the stock.

Economic and Political News
- People’s Bank of China cuts interest rates as economy continues to slide
- Monsoon 36% below average in first week: IMD
- PM's push for infra sector to boost investor confidence: CII
- Cabinet defers decision on pension reforms bill

Corporate News
- Tata Steel to set up Rs.30,000cr plant in Karnataka
- Suzlon to invest Rs.15,000cr to set up a 2,500 MW wind farm in Karnataka
- Dr Reddy's launches generic Parkinson's disease tablets in US
- BHEL commissions 250MW unit at UP thermal power project
- Jubiliant Life Sciences to invest ~Rs.1,000cr across businesses in Karnataka

Online share trading in India, open demat account in Angel Broking for stock market trading

What are Derivatives and their need in the Indian Share Market

Derivative instrument is a contract between two parties that emphasizes conditions ( including dates that result in values of the underlying variables and notional amounts) under which payments can be made between both the parties.

Derivatives are used by investors for the following reasons:

1)            It provides leverage with a small movement in the underlying value that causes a large difference in the value of the derivative.

2)            One can often speculate and make a profit, if the value of the underlying asset goes in the way they expect.

3)            It mitigates the risk in the underlying, by making an entry in the derivative contract whose value moves in the opposite direction, stays in or out of a specific range and may reach a certain level.

4)            It can obtain exposure to the underlying where it may not be possible to trade in the underlying derivatives.

5)            It has the ability to create options, where the value of the derivative is linked to a specific condition or event.

When Derivatives allow risk related to the prices of the underlying asset to be transferred from one party to another, it is known as Hedging. Both the parties have a reduction in a future risk, however there is still a risk of the non-availability of the resource that may back-track because of the events unspecified by the contract such as natural damage, may cause problems on the contract.

Although a third party, which is also known as a clearing house, it insures a futures contract, not all derivatives can or will be insured against a counter-party risk.

Derivatives are also used to acquire risk, rather than hedging the risk. Thus, some investors or institutions can enter in a derivative contract to speculate on the value of the underlying asset.

These speculations look to purchase an asset in the future at a really low price which according to the derivative contract maybe a high price to sell the asset in the future when the market price is low.

An OTC or over-the-counter derivative is a contract that is privately traded and negotiated between two parties without going through an exchange.

Exchange-traded derivative contracts are those derivatives that can be traded via specialized derivative exchange or other exchanges. There is a market where derivatives exchange acts as an intermediary to all transactions and takes an initial margin from both the sides of the trade to act as a guarantee.

Online share trading in India, open demat account in Angel Broking for stock market trading

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Online Trading?

Due to the problems that arose during paper shares, there was a need of a system that would make share transfer, buying/selling of shares, etc. an easier affair.

Therefore in 1996, the Indian parliament passed the Derivatives act, which allowed online transaction of shares, thus making it much easier for the broker and investor.

In the new online Trading system, an investor must open a demat account with one of the Stock Brokers to start trading online.

A demat account is a must for an investor to trade online.

Mentioned below are some of the advantages of trading online:

1)            Easier and convenient way to own shares

2)            Immediate transfer

3)            Zero stamp duty on transfer of shares

4)            Safer than paper shares, e.g., fake signatures, delay, thefts, etc.

5)            Lesser paperwork for transfer of securities

6)            Less transaction cost

7)            No “odd” problems. Even a single share can be sold.

8)            DP registers a change in address with all companies. No need for the investor to contact the companies immediately.

9)            DP transmission of securities, thus eliminating the need of notifying the companies.

10)          Automatic credit in demat accounts

11)          Both equity and debt instruments can be held by a demat account

The depository system aids in reducing the expenditure of new issues due to lesser printing and distribution costs. It increases the efficiency of the registrars and transfer agents and the secretarial department of a company. It provides better facilities for communication and timely service to shareholders and investors.

The disadvantages of online trading are mentioned below:

1)            Investors, who are trading for the first time, go with the flow and get immersed in technology and actually temporarily forget that they are actually using their real money. 

2)            There is no relationship that of a mentor between a professional broker and an online trading account holder, thus leaving the investor on his own to make choices of the right shares.

3)            Users who are not familiar with the ins and outs of the basics of brokerage software can make mistakes which can prove to be a costly affair.

4)            This is like any other financial strategy, where your commitment to online trading takes research and dedication to make sure by yourself that everything is up to par. You have to take time out to do your own research where you will have to overcome a great learning curve to make some money from online trading a possibility.

Online share trading in India, open demat account for stock market

Factors influencing Stock Prices in India

A stock price or share price is the price of a single stock or a number of stocks that are saleable of a particular company. Once the stock or stocks have been purchased, the owner becomes a shareholder of the company that has issued the particular stock.

Analysts use random walk techniques in economics and financial history to model the behavior of asset prices in particular share prices on stock markets, currency exchange rates and various commodity prices.

This practice is ritual and has its basis on the presumption that the investors will act rationally and without any biasness and any moment they can estimate the value of an asset based on future expectations.

Under these conditions, all the current information affects the price of the stock which changes only when any new information comes out. The asset price is randomly affected when new information appears randomly.

It has been demonstrated by empirical studies that prices do not completely follow the random walk.

Low serial correlations may exist in short term and have slightly stronger correlations over the long term. Their sign and strength also depends on a variety of factors.

It has been found by the researchers that some of the biggest price deviations are from random walks that result basically from seasonable and temporal patterns. Particularly, the returns in January normally exceed those in other months and on Mondays, stock prices may go down more probably more than on any other day.

It has been observed that these effects in various markets since last 50 years or so.

But there has been no satisfactory explanation for their persistence.

Most of the technical data is used by the anomalies to gather and extract information on future price movements via historical data. However, some economists’ follow the Eugene Fama as a result patterns occurs most frequently. This results in an irrational or insufficient behavior of many investors. The large amount of data that is available for researchers for an analysis that can literally cause fluctuations.

Another school of thought, i.e. behavioral finance is attributed by non-randomness to investigations, cognitive and emotional biases. Thus, this can cause a contrast with the main fundamental analysis.

When this is viewed over longer periods, the stock price may or may not be directly related to the earnings and dividends of the firm. Over short periods of time, more so for the younger or smaller firms, the relationship between a stock price and dividends are mostly unmatched.

open demat account for online share trading