Be ready for volatility

Patience will be the key in Samvat 2075

Stock markets flattered to deceive investors in Samvat 2074. After hitting all-time highs a few months ago, indices lost steam because of a combination of external and domestic factors. The benchmark BSE Sensex clocked gains of only 7.4 per cent, less than the 7.8 per cent yield on the risk-free 10-year government bonds. Mid-caps and small-caps did worse than their larger peers. The BSE mid-cap and small-cap indices were down 8.5 per cent and 15.5 per cent, respectively. Consequently, many investors have been suffering from “negative wealth effects” as their portfolios have seen capital erosion.
 
The proximate causes of