Sharp movements in the Indian equity market may be par for the course. But when it comes to the market for corporate bonds, it’s constantly stagnant. The reason is, we don’t have a corporate bond market. But this is overwhelmingly dominated by government securities (about 80% of the total). Of the remaining, close to 80% again comprises privately placed debt of public financial institutions. An efficient bond market helps corporate reduce their financing costs. It enables companies to borrow directly from investors, bypassing the major intermediary role of a commercial bank. One of the important instruments in corporate market is Junk Bonds which could be great source of financing for countries like India where markets are not much regulated. A speculative bond rated BB or below, “Junk bonds” are generally issued by corporations of questionable financial strength or without proven track records. They tend to be more volatile and higher Continue reading
Financial System
General Obligations and Responsibilities of Portfolio Managers
Recommended reading: Definition of Portfolio Managers General obligations and responsibilities of portfolio managers are: 1. Code of Conduct:- A portfolio manger has to, in the conduct of business; observe high standards of integrity and fairness in all his dealing with his clients and other portfolio managers. The money received by him from a client for an investment purpose should be deployed as soon as possible and money due and payable to a client should be paid forthwith. A portfolio manager has to render at all times high standards of services, exercise due diligence, ensure proper-care and exercise independent professional judgment. He should either avoid any conflict of interest in his investment or disinvestment decision, or where any conflict of interest arises; ensure fair treatment of all his customers. He must disclose to the client, possible sources of conflict of duties and interest, while providing unbiased services. A portfolio manger Continue reading
Depositary Receipts – Definition, History and Types
A Depositary Receipt (DR) is a type of negotiable (transferable) financial security traded on a local stock exchange but represents a security, usually in the form of equity, issued by a foreign, publicly-listed company. The Depositary Receipt, which is a physical certificate, allows investors to hold shares in equity of other countries. One of the most common types of Depository Receipts is the American depository receipt (ADR), which has been offering companies, investors and traders global investment opportunities since the 1920s. Since then, Depository Receipts have spread to other parts of the globe in the form of global depository receipts (GDRs). The other most common type of Depository Receipts are European DRs and International DRs. ADRs are typically traded on a US national stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the American Stock Exchange, while GDRs are commonly listed on European stock exchanges such as the Continue reading
Foreign Exchange Forecasting in Practice
Most of the approaches to foreign exchange rate determination tell only part of the story–like the several blindfolded men touching different parts of the elephant’s body–and other, more comprehensive explanations cannot, in practice, be used for precise forecasting. We do not yet have a way of bringing together all of the factors that help determine the exchange rate in a single comprehensive approach that will provide reliable short- to medium-term predictions. The exchange rate is a pervasive and complex mechanism, influencing and being influenced by many different forces, with the effects and the relative importance of the different influences continuously changing as conditions change. To the extent that trade flows are a force in the market, competitiveness is obviously important to the exchange rate, and the many factors affecting competitiveness must be considered. To the extent that the money market is a factor, the focus should be on short-term interest Continue reading
Role and Functions of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
The Reserve Bank of India is the central bank of India, was established on April 1, 1935 during the British-Raj in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The Reserve Bank of India was set up on the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission. The commission submitted its report in the year 1926, though the bank was not set up for nine years. The Central Office of the Reserve Bank was initially established in Kolkata, Bengal, but was permanently moved to Mumbai in 1937. Though originally privately owned, the RBI has been fully owned by the Government of India since nationalization in 1949. The Preamble of the Reserve Bank of India describes the basic functions of the Reserve Bank as to regulate the issue of Bank Notes and keeping of reserves with a view to securing monetary stability in India and generally to operate the Continue reading
Organizational set up of merchant bankers in India
In India a common organizational set up of merchant bankers to operate is in the form of divisions of Indian and Foreign banks and Financial institutions, subsidiary companies established by bankers like SBI, Canada Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, etc. some firms are also organized by financial and technical consultants and professionals. Securities and exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has divided the merchant bankers into four categories based on their capital adequacy. Each category is authorized to perform certain functions. From the point of Organizational set up India’s merchant banking organizations can be categorized into 4 group on the basis of their linkage with parent activity. They are: a) Institutional Base:- Where merchant banks function as an independent wing or as subsidiary of various Private/ Central Governments/State Governments Financial institutions. Most of the financial institutions in India are in public sector and therefore such set up plays a Continue reading