The Financial Express -- Markets

Monday, November 3 1997

Funds turn to pricing of schemes to attract investors

A quiet revolution is sweeping across the Indian fund industry. With funds now being aggressively sold than ever before, funds are fighting hard not to miss out on any selling point, if not score one. This is in sharp contrast to the earlier situation, when to mobilise Rs 100 crore, all a fund manager did was to float another fund.

GAIL: Slow and steady, but not a winner

Gas Authority of India (GAIL), a monopoly player in the gas transportation business, has a strong balance-sheet and relatively risk free returns. However, the interest free gas pool account float, which helped finance expansions, will no longer be available, says Lloyds Securities. Hence, there is no room for any major growth, apart from increase in tariff which has already been implemented in line with the Shankar Committee recommendations. At Rs 158.50, the expensive valuations clearly outweigh GAIL's strengths.

An ideal investment vehicle in a turbulent market

ITC Threadneedle's Top 200 seeks long-term capital appreciation from a portfolio of equity investments in the largest quoted Indian companies. Top 200 Fund invests 95% of its corpus in equities, which include scrips from the BSE 200 index. Thus, BSE 200 serves as a benchmark for portfolio composition and performance measurement for the fund.

Investor faith in Lyons Range has waned

The worst may not be over for Telco yet

GAIL

Sanity should prevail and markets should return to normalcy

Local shares look to foreign markets

First trade in IISFU'97 could command a premium of 5%-6%

There were some bulls, too

Never mind the storm, find the anchor

Bearish outlook for gold market

Funds turn to pricing of schemes to attract investors

An ideal investment vehicle in a turbulent market

Will the FIIs return after the dust settles down?