RIGHTS ISSUE Normally, whenever an existing company makes a fresh issue of equity capital or convertible debentures the existing shareholders or convertible debenture holders have the first right to subscribe to the issue in proportion to their existing holdings. Only what is not subscribed to by the existing shareholders can be issued to the public. Thus, an issue offered to the existing shareholders or convertible debenture holders as their right is known as rights issue, as opposed to an issue open to the public at large, in which case we call it a public issue. An investor may exercise this right to subscribe to the offered issue, or he may sell the rights separately in the market. The rights have a market value only when the issue is made below the market value of the security. When this happens, as can be expected, the market Continue reading
Investment Terms
Commodity Market Participants
Commodity market is a place where trading in commodities takes place. Markets where raw or primary products are exchanged. These raw commodities are traded on regulated commodities exchanges, in which they are bought and sold in standardized Contracts. It is similar to an Equity market, but instead of buying or selling shares one buys or sells commodities. Commodity market is an important constituent of the financial markets of any country. It is the market where a wide range of products, viz., precious metals, base metals, crude oil, energy and soft commodities like palm oil, coffee etc. are traded. It is important to develop a vibrant, active and liquid commodity market. This would help investors hedge their commodity risk, take speculative positions in commodities and exploit arbitrage opportunities in the market. In current situation, all goods and products of agricultural (including plantation), mineral and fossil origin are allowed for commodity trading Continue reading
Portfolio Construction
All portfolios, whether they are stock or bond portfolios, are compared to benchmarks to gauge their performance; indices or peer group statistics are used to monitor the success of each fund. As composites, the indices can be thought of as similar to polls: a polling firm that seeks to understand what a certain population thinks about a certain issue will ask representatives of that cross-section of the population. Similarly, a stock or bond benchmark that seeks to measure a certain portion of the market will simply compile the values of representative stocks or bonds. Portfolio construction refers to the manner in which securities are selected and then weighted in the overall mix of the portfolio with respect to these indices. Portfolio construction is a fairly recent phenomenon, and has been driven by the advent of modern portfolio theory. 1. Passive investors or index funds Portfolios that are constructed to mimic Continue reading
Commercial Bills Market or Discount Market
A commercial bill is one which arises out of a genuine trade transaction, i.e. credit transaction. As soon as goods are sold on credit, the seller draws a bill on the buyer for the amount due. The buyer accepts it immediately agreeing to pay amount mentioned therein after a certain specified date. Thus, a bill of exchange contains a written order from the creditor to the debtor, to pay a certain sum, to a certain person, after a creation period. A bill of exchange is a ‘self-liquidating’ paper and negotiable/; it is drawn always for a short period ranging between 3 months and 6 months. Definition of Bill of Exchange Section 5 of the negotiable Instruments Act defines a bill of exchange as “an instrument in writing containing an unconditional order, signed by the maker, directing a certain person to pay a certain sum of money only to, or to Continue reading
History of Commodity Market in India
The history of organized commodity derivatives in India goes back to the nineteenth century when Cotton Trade Association started futures trading in 1875, about a decade after they started in Chicago. Over the time datives market developed in several commodities in India. Following Cotton, derivatives trading started in oilseed in Bombay (1900), raw jute and jute goods in Calcutta (1912), Wheat in Hapur (1913) and Bullion in Bombay (1920). However many feared that derivatives fuelled unnecessary speculation and were detrimental to the healthy functioning of the market for the underlying commodities, resulting in to banning of commodity options trading and cash settlement of commodities futures after independence in 1952. The parliament passed the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, which regulated contracts in Commodities all over the India. The act prohibited options trading in Goods along with cash settlement of forward trades, rendering a crushing blow to the commodity derivatives market. Continue reading
Features and Objectives of Money Market
Money market is a market for short-term loan or financial assets. It as a market for the lending and borrowing of short term funds. As the name implies, it does not actually deals with near substitutes for money or near money like trade bills, promissory notes and government papers drawn for a short period not exceeding one year. These short term instruments can be converted into cash readily without any loss and at low transaction cost. Money market is the centre for dealing mainly in short — term money assets. It meets the short-term requirements of borrowers and provides liquidity or cash to lenders. It is the place where short-term surplus funds at the disposal of financial institutions and individuals are borrowed by individuals, institutions and also the Government. Features of Money Market The following are the general features of a money market: It is market purely for short-term funds Continue reading