Expert Zone

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

Markets had been on a roller-coaster ride but closed weak for the third week in the row with the Nifty in the 5950-6000 range providing support.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

Over the last five to seven years, the retail segment in India has evolved towards a more organized pricing structure. After the real estate boom of 2005-06, when property prices increased to as much as 40 percent of a retailer’s operating costs, developers seemed more willing to share the business risk. They moved from a per-square-foot rental model to versions of the minimum guarantee and/or the revenue share model. Most investment-grade properties in major cities now follow this model, unlike shopping centres in smaller cities.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

There was subdued excitement over the Sensex hitting a record high in a special trading session on Diwali. It had taken the market quite some time to cross its previous peak in 2008. This was also the case for most other markets, although they had recovered a little earlier.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

We live in an age where emerging technologies are narrowing the divide between humans and machines. As features of mobile phones become more customized and complex, they cease to be just devices of communication. Mobile phones now store more personal information than ever before. They are increasingly being perceived as personalized devices that enhance our lives.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

Markets touched new highs this week but the usual euphoria was missing as it wasn’t a broad-based rally. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the worst may be over for India as the current account deficit is getting under control while a bumper harvest could help rein in food inflation and boost the rural economy. Hopes of a revival and the mirage of green shoots coupled with international liquidity due to delayed U.S. Federal Reserve tapering has fuelled this rally, which is expected to spread to other sectors that are comparatively under-valued.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily of Thomson Reuters)

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

In its mid-quarterly monetary policy review last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made some hasty changes in the interest structure. The repo rate was raised possibly because of the rise in inflation and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate was cut after the rupee recovered against the dollar. The interest structure is still lopsided with short rates exceeding long rates. This anomaly needs to be corrected.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

The rupee has recovered over the past few weeks after falling to a record low of 68.85 per dollar in August. After a period of unease, the finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India can now take it a little easy. But care needs to be taken that the rupee is not driven up further.

(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters)

Markets continued a strong rally to close the week around 3 percent higher. After the partial U.S. shutdown was confirmed and triggered speculation over the postponement of QE tapering, a weakening dollar and the rupee’s subsequent appreciation also helped lift the mood.