Budget 2018: Avoid stock-specific bets; forget expert opinion for a day

Forget expert opinion for a day. Wait for clarity to emerge on the impact of announcements

Every year when the finance minister is giving the Budget speech, stocks begin to react based on announcements. The moment there’s an increase in outlay for irrigation, shares of pipe manufacturers and other allied industries start rising. The same goes for announcements related to fertiliser or the education sector. But a few days later, the same stocks suffer. The reason: the fine print might be quite different from the announcements. 

For example: In a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Budget, the finance minister announced a significant increase in education outlay. There was an immediate rush to buy listed education company stocks.