On Friday 21 January 2011, 4:33 PM
By Christoph Steitz
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Indian stocks remain a clear buy for the next few years because inflation fears and concerns about overvaluation are unjustified, Goldman Sachs Asset Management's chief investment officer for India said.
Thomson Reuters StarMine showed Indian equities trade at 13.5 times estimated 12-month forward earnings, the highest multiple among high-growth emerging markets dubbed BRIC (Brazil, Russia , India, China).
This has fuelled concerns that parts of the Indian equity landscape -- such as the IT sector -- may be overvalued, a view not shared by Prashant Khemka.
"Indian equities have always traded at higher relative multiples. But I believe a premium does not equal an overvaluation. In fact, I see more value in the country given the prospects going forward," he told Reuters in an interview.
A Reuters poll in December showed India's benchmark 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange index benchmark index is seen rising nearly 20 percent by the end of this year, boosted by a fast-growing economy and strong corporate earnings.
"I believe we are at the early stages of what could be a long and strong earnings cycle, hence the market multiple -- which is in line with historical averages -- is at a reasonably attractive level."
Khemka reckons Indian companies' earnings could post annual growth of up to 20 percent over the next three to four years, adding he favoured stocks catering to the country's buoyant middle class.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
The $90 million GS India Equity Portfolio is almost 10 percentage points overweight industrials compared with the MSCI India IMI Index.
"This is partly due to the fact the sector has a more domestically oriented exposure," Khemka said.
"The same goes for the consumer discretionary sector -- including auto companies, auto components and retail -- which all benefit from the secular strength of domestic demand."
Top holdings include carmaker Tata Motors , engineering companies Larsen & Toubro and Thermax Ltd as well as Infosys Technologies, India's second-largest outsourcer, the fund's biggest position.
Khemka said the Indian IT sector also benefited from low capital expenditure and high returns, making it an attractive investment opportunity.
"In other emerging markets, mainly Asia, which have a more hardware-oriented focus in their tech sector, the situation looks different."
Asked whether high inflation could curb capital inflow into Asia's third-biggest economy, Khemka said he expected it to subside to 5-6 percent in the second half of 2011.
A Reuters poll this week showed inflation in India is seen at 8.8 percent, up from 8.3 percent expected in the October poll, while the prospect of further fiscal tightening is unnerving foreign investors.
Khemka also shrugged off fears of a spill-over of the European sovereign debt crisis into India's economy, which is set to grow 8.7 percent in the year to March, before slowing to 8.5 percent in the following year.
"This is certainly on the radar but is not a major concern. In fact, sluggish growth in the U.S. or Europe is good for India for two reasons: first, exports as a percentage of the economy is much smaller for India compared with most countries; second, it helps to keep in check commodity prices, mainly crude oil."
My Comments:
The same Godlman Scahs says sell India and China and invest in USA just a couple of days back where I read in a mail..............DUBIOUS!
By Christoph Steitz
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Indian stocks remain a clear buy for the next few years because inflation fears and concerns about overvaluation are unjustified, Goldman Sachs Asset Management's chief investment officer for India said.
Thomson Reuters StarMine showed Indian equities trade at 13.5 times estimated 12-month forward earnings, the highest multiple among high-growth emerging markets dubbed BRIC (Brazil, Russia , India, China).
This has fuelled concerns that parts of the Indian equity landscape -- such as the IT sector -- may be overvalued, a view not shared by Prashant Khemka.
"Indian equities have always traded at higher relative multiples. But I believe a premium does not equal an overvaluation. In fact, I see more value in the country given the prospects going forward," he told Reuters in an interview.
A Reuters poll in December showed India's benchmark 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange index benchmark index is seen rising nearly 20 percent by the end of this year, boosted by a fast-growing economy and strong corporate earnings.
"I believe we are at the early stages of what could be a long and strong earnings cycle, hence the market multiple -- which is in line with historical averages -- is at a reasonably attractive level."
Khemka reckons Indian companies' earnings could post annual growth of up to 20 percent over the next three to four years, adding he favoured stocks catering to the country's buoyant middle class.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
The $90 million GS India Equity Portfolio is almost 10 percentage points overweight industrials compared with the MSCI India IMI Index.
"This is partly due to the fact the sector has a more domestically oriented exposure," Khemka said.
"The same goes for the consumer discretionary sector -- including auto companies, auto components and retail -- which all benefit from the secular strength of domestic demand."
Top holdings include carmaker Tata Motors , engineering companies Larsen & Toubro and Thermax Ltd as well as Infosys Technologies, India's second-largest outsourcer, the fund's biggest position.
Khemka said the Indian IT sector also benefited from low capital expenditure and high returns, making it an attractive investment opportunity.
"In other emerging markets, mainly Asia, which have a more hardware-oriented focus in their tech sector, the situation looks different."
Asked whether high inflation could curb capital inflow into Asia's third-biggest economy, Khemka said he expected it to subside to 5-6 percent in the second half of 2011.
A Reuters poll this week showed inflation in India is seen at 8.8 percent, up from 8.3 percent expected in the October poll, while the prospect of further fiscal tightening is unnerving foreign investors.
Khemka also shrugged off fears of a spill-over of the European sovereign debt crisis into India's economy, which is set to grow 8.7 percent in the year to March, before slowing to 8.5 percent in the following year.
"This is certainly on the radar but is not a major concern. In fact, sluggish growth in the U.S. or Europe is good for India for two reasons: first, exports as a percentage of the economy is much smaller for India compared with most countries; second, it helps to keep in check commodity prices, mainly crude oil."
My Comments:
The same Godlman Scahs says sell India and China and invest in USA just a couple of days back where I read in a mail..............DUBIOUS!
Hi Rajeev...I have been tracking Indiabulls financials for some time now....Just had a look, their results for this quarter were again extremely good....Whats your call on this stock in say 1-2 years...thanks, deepak
ReplyDeleteDeepak,
ReplyDeleteAll Brokerage service Co looks good.But to me the valuations looks streched beacsue for a turnover of 1400 cr the Mcap is already 5200 cr,means quoting at almost 4 times the sales.
Well,market plays differently then what we think.We feel the valuations are high and the stocks keeps going up and up.......take ur own call....
They are always like that talking with double tongues
ReplyDeleteI remember - Morgan Stanley Guy who frequently comes on TV with CNBC TV 18 Udayan - saying we never bought Satyam and we don't hold it at all & the business never made us interested.
That day i went to BSE and checked the shareholding pattern of Satyam filed couple of months back in that Morgan Stanley Mauri' had 3% shareholding
These guys are all liers - Goldman first says all our Clients have been adviced to sell - Now Goldman India head says we are all bullish.
I still remember way back ABN Amro some 6-7 years back given negative report on tata power saying sell it and giving 100 bad stories on Tata Power- TP came down from 310 to 140 due to panic, In 6 months TP went back to 310 and rest is history of how it was jumping every day
I went to check the shareholding Pattern - Found ABN Amro was a Buyer that month