Many small investors must be thinking about this question. Anecdotal evidence from the emails and comments I receive suggest as much. The answer is quite simple: It is a good time to buy if you have the money.
Experts will tell you that timing the market is not a sensible approach to investing. It is how much time you spend in the market that counts. That is because most small investors are happy to book small profits, and miss out on the big profits that can be made by holding on for the long-term.
So, why is Jim Rogers, an acknowledged guru of the commodity markets, advising caution about buying gold; and ace stock market investor, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, suggesting that it isn’t time for bottom fishing yet? Why this apparent contradiction?
The dichotomy arises due to the different viewpoints of two different groups of investors. For the multitude of inexperienced retail investors, timing the market is not recommended. They just do not have the knowledge to put together all the little pieces of a vast economic jigsaw puzzle. Professional investors like JR and RJ know what they are doing, and can go in and out of markets with surgical precision.
When our Finance Minister said that the recent fall in stock prices was a result of western disturbances and had nothing to do with India, he was deliberately speaking a half-truth to try and prevent a bigger crash. Why? Because uncontrolled inflation and consequent hikes in interest rates had already slowed down the profit growth of India Inc., and pushed the stock market into a down trend.
Resolution of the economic crisis that gripped USA and Europe through tough policy measures by central banks was postponed by rounds of quantitative easing and bailouts. Now the sovereign debt problems are coming home to roost.
Global stock markets, India included, had a heady rise from the bear market lows of Mar ‘09. It is time for a reality check, and the picture isn’t pretty. No wonder gold prices are shooting through the roof, as fearful investors are dumping stocks and funds to buy the yellow metal.
The good news is that the Indian economy is in far better shape than those of the developed countries. Growth has slowed, but remains strong. However, inflation is still rising. Another couple of rounds of interest rate hikes are almost a given. That means more pain for investors in stocks and mutual funds in the near term.
But, as I mentioned in the beginning, if you have the money and a long-term view, this is a good time to buy. Don’t bet the barn. Invest 20% of your available surplus every month for the next 5 months. Things should start improving by then. Avoid individual stocks if you haven’t mastered stock-picking skills. Split your investments between a good balanced fund (like HDFC Prudence or DSPBR Balanced) and a good large-cap fund (like HDFC Equity or DSPBR Top 100).
I’m not a great fan of buying gold, because it gives no regular returns. The flight to gold is assuming panic proportions, and panic buying leads to severe corrections. If you must buy gold, buy a gold ETF during the next price dip.
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