taking stock

19363.20

-3.07%

5762.75

-2.86%

561.65

+0.23%

2.54

436.85

+28.57%

1178.40

-11.62%

7.27

890

+32.40%

398.35

+12.85%

2.14

357.32

+11.48%

134.40

-4.41%

2.55

131.27

+2.38%

1602.50

-16.41%

8.71

1553.40

+3.16%

4128.75

-7.44%

13.50

1328

+210.90%

MUNDRAPOR.NS

921.55

+109.44%

4.18

440

+109.44%

147.90

-0.80%

12.91

+184.42%

2851.65

+5.10%

19.71

1117.61

+155.16%

217.90

-19.18%

24.48

90.76

+140.08%

1012.20

-0.88%

6.18

1034.90

-2.19%

VARUN.NS

92.80

+54.67%

2.81

+54.67%

12 scrips	Net Chg: -3.64%

Gain:

+87.33%

Note: The change shown above is the change over a month (4 weeks) and is not a weekly update. Since, I was in Seoul, I could not quite track the markets well.

My portfolio has phenomenally underperformed the markets. Primarily, because of heavy-wt RPL tanking. Besides, now the action has shifted to midcaps and I don't hold many in that department. The returns have gone down despite phenomenal listings of Mundar Port/SEZ and Varun Inds.

Highlights of the month:

Mundra Port and Varun had a very good listing.
IGate and Reliance are the only remarkable performers.
RPL tumbled. With some remarkable recovery in the last two sessions, is now 20% below, where it was in the beginning of November.
Applied for the Edelweiss IPO.

Portfolio - As on 2nd Nov 2007 (Century Maga!)

2007-11-03T11:09:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

19976.23

+3.81%

5932.40

+4.04%

560.35

+1.78%

2.54

436.85

+28.27%

1333.40

+12.29%

7.27

890

+49.82%

353

-1.66%

2.14

357.32

-1.21%

140.60

-1.61%

2.55

131.27

+7.11%

1917.15

+3.73%

8.71

1553.40

+23.42%

4460.40

+15.17%

13.50

1328

+235.87%

149.10

+5.97%

12.91

+186.73%

2713.30

+0.56%

19.71

1117.61

+142.78%

269.60

+33.30%

24.48

90.76

+197.05%

1021.20

-4.68%

6.18

1034.90

-1.32%

10 scrips	Net Chg: +10.50%

Gain:

+101.67%

Markets had another bull-driven charismatic week. The Sensex was up by 3.81 % and the Nifty by 4.04%. My portfolio did much better (thanks to RPL and L&T) and was up by 10.50%.

Highlights of the week:

Unrealized profits breach 100% for the first time :-)
Super-stellar Performer: RPL (33.30% up).
Stellar-Performers: L&T (15.17% up), ICICI Bank (12.29% up)
Other-Performers: PowerGrid (5.9% up)
I went on a selling spree to raise funds for applying to the Mundra SEZ IPO. Sold ITC, Indian Bank, Infotech Ent., Zylog, Vishal Retail and Take solutions.
Applied for the Religare and Varun Industries IPO as well.

Portfolio - As on 26th Oct 2007

2007-10-26T19:52:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

19243.17

+9.59%

5702.30

+9.34%

550.55

+17.01%

2.37

436.85

+26.03%

1187.50

+16.10%

6.13

890

+33.43%

358.95

+0.89%

2.06

357.32

+0.46%

142.90

+8.71%

2.46

131.27

+8.86%

144.60

+9.01%

3.11

+58.90%

1848.25

-3.22%

7.94

1553.40

+18.98%

288.65

+1.14%

1.65

354.40

-18.55%

180.25

+2.33%

3.10

165.84

+8.69%

3872.80

+28.49%

11.10

1328

+191.63%

140.70

+6.96%

11.53

+170.58%

2698.30

+9.27%

18.56

1117.61

+141.43%

202.25

+19.67%

17.39

90.76

+122.84%

1223.30

+7.43%

3.15

730

+67.58%

1071.30

-3.39%

6.14

1034.90

+3.52%

789.60

+11.42%

2.26

708.32

+11.48%

368.90

+12.37%

1.06

440.65

-16.28%

16 scrips	Net Chg: +10.48%

Gain:

+69.63%

Markets probably had the best week in history, at least i did :-). The Sensex was up by 9.59 % and the Nifty by 9.34%. My portfolio did relatively better and was up by 10.48%.

Highlights of the week:

Super-stellar Performer: L&T (28.49% up).
Stellar-Performers: RPL (19.67% up), Gammon (17.01% up), ICICI Bank (16.10% up)
Super-Performers: Zylog (12.37% up), Vishal Retail (11.42% up), Reliance (9.27% up), Indian Bank (9.01% up), Indian Hotels (8.71 % up), Take Soln. (7.43% up), Power Grid (6.96% up).
Losers: Infosys (3.22% down), TCS (3.39% down)

Portfolio - As on 19th Oct 2007

2007-10-20T14:28:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

17559.98

-4.66%

5215.30

-3.92%

470.50

-2.87%

2.32

436.85

+7.70%

1022.80

-3.05%

5.83

890

+14.92%

355.80

-0.43%

2.25

357.32

-0.43%

131.45

-5.23%

2.50

131.27

+0.14%

132.65

-11.21%

3.15

+45.77%

1909.65

-1.04%

9.07

1553.40

+22.93%

285.40

+8.15%

1.81

354.40

-19.47%

176.15

-4.99%

3.35

165.84

+6.22%

3014.05

-10.21%

9.54

1328

+126.96%

131.55

+15.75%

11.91

+152.98%

2469.30

-3.76%

18.76

1117.61

+120.94%

169

-2.57%

16.05

90.76

+86.21%

1138.70

+0.87%

3.24

730

+55.99%

1108.85

+4.26%

7.02

1034.90

+7.15%

708.70

-5.05%

2.24

708.32

+0.05%

328.30

-9.40%

1.04

440.65

-25.50%

15 scrips	Net Chg: -1.44%

Gain:

+53.54%

Markets finally witnessed some heavy profit booking this week. The Sensex was down by 4.66 % and the Nifty by 3.92%. My portfolio did relatively better and was down by only 1.44%.

Highlights of the week:

Power Grid Corp (15.75% up) and Infotech Enterprises (8.15% up) had a good run up.
Indian Bank (11.22% down), L&T (10.21% down), Zylog (9.40% down) witnessed heavy selling.
I bought 20 shares of iGate Solutions at 357.32 (incl. brokerage)
Dhanus refund is back with interest :) (thanks to the delay).

Portfolio - As on 12th Oct 2007

2007-10-12T20:58:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

18419.04

+3.63%

5428.25

+4.67%

484.40

+2.03%

2.32

436.85

+10.88%

1055

+1.79%

6.06

890

+18.54%

138.70

+4.60%

2.66

131.27

+5.66%

149.40

+2.50%

3.58

+64.18%

1929.70

-2.68%

9.24

1553.40

+24.22%

263.90

-0.13%

1.68

354.40

-25.54%

185.40

+3.72%

3.55

165.84

+11.79%

3356.95

+8.65%

10.71

1328

+152.78%

113.65

+12.79%

10.37

+118.56%

2565.75

+2.94%

19.65

1117.61

+129.57%

173.45

+8.95%

16.61

90.76

+91.11%

1128.90

+0.82%

3.24

730

+54.64%

1063.50

-0.87%

6.79

1034.90

+2.76%

746.40

+0.73%

2.38

708.32

+5.38%

362.35

-7.81%

1.16

440.65

-17.77%

15 scrips	Net Chg: +4.02%

Gain:

+57.79%

Markets continued their up trend this week. The Sensex was up by 3.63 % and the Nifty was up by 4.67%. My portfolio advanced by a good 4.02%.

Highlights of the week:

Power Grid Corp (12.97% up), L&T (8.65% up) and RPL (8.95% up) had a very good run up.
I reduced my holding in Indian Bank and Vishal Retail. Sold the remaining PFC shares.
Zylog (7.81% down) was the worst performer.

Shorting positions

2007-10-09T20:50:00.000+05:30

I reduced my holdings on some scrips today. The current levels (Sensex breached 18K today) looks really scary. Any disappointment in the earnings may send the markets spiraling down.

Sold 40 remaining shares of Power Finance Corporation.
Sold 10 shares of Vishal Retail.
Sold 75 shares of Indian Bank.

With these transactions, the net realized profit stands at 38.68% and the average holding period is 208.68 days.

Airtel, I'm flattered.

2007-10-08T20:25:00.000+05:30

"Putting customers first" - Hmm, when we hear jargons of that kind, we really don't appreciate it all that much. But, when YOU happen to be the customer and someone really puts you FIRST, that is when your perception changes.

Boy! I'm flattered. Picture this, an Airtel landline connection is disconnected from Residence-A (Bellandur) on Sunday morning. The connection is up and running at the new residence, Residence-B (Sahakaranagar) by Monday evening, without any change in the landline number !

Mind you, it was no cake-walk, it even involved a road-cut, since Airtel never uses the aerial route for their cabling. The road-cut was done very professionally. They have even promised to re-tar the surface after two days, once the mud settles down.

In a place where customer service sucks so bad, such experiences have an ever-lasting impression. I'm sure, Airtel understands that more than we do. And that is the way to go. DoT is being pounded with requests for mobile-telephony licenses. Big players like AT&T and DoCoMo are trying to get a pie, customer loyalty is the KEY. Losers (comes with brand names like "Tata Indicom" "Sify") watchout !

PS: The last time I wrote something on Airtel's customer service, I had some of their mobile-subscribers say that I was plain-lucky and nothing else could be read from it. But, its interesting how I can be lucky time and again :-).

Portfolio - As on 5th Oct 2007

2007-10-05T19:22:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

17773.36

+2.79%

5185.85

+3.28%

474.75

+2.74%

2.18

436.85

+8.68%

1036.40

-2.45%

5.70

890

+16.45%

132.60

-3.84%

2.43

131.27

+1.01%

145.75

-8.85%

6.68

+60.16%

1982.90

+4.76%

9.09

1553.40

+27.65%

264.25

-1.20%

1.62

354.40

-25.44%

178.75

-5.82%

3.28

165.84

+7.78%

3089.65

+10.03%

9.44

1328

+132.65%

208.00

+3.05%

2.54

+144.71%

100.60

+93.46%

8.79

+93.46%

2492.50

+8.46%

18.28

1117.61

+123.02%

159.20

+3.78%

14.60

90.76

+75.41%

1119.70

+9.02%

3.08

730

+53.38%

1072.80

+1.19%

6.56

1034.90

+3.66%

741.00

+5.99%

4.53

708.32

+4.61%

393.05

-5.24%

1.20

440.65

-10.80%

16 scrips	Net Chg: +7.55%

Gain:

+51.56%

Markets continued their up trend this week. The Sensex was up by 2.79 % and the Nifty was up by 3.28%. My portfolio advanced by a cool 7.55% thanks to PowerGrid Corporation's phenomenal listing.

Highlights of the week:

L&T (10.03% up), Take solutions (9.02% up) and Reliance (8.46% up) had a very good run up.
Power Grid Corporation (93.46% up) had a fantastic listing.
Indian Bank (8.85% down) and ITC (5.82% down) lacked luster.
I sold the holdings I had in Nitin Fire Protection, MIC Electronics and IVRCL. With this, the number of scrips in my portfolio has reduced to 16.
I have canceled my Dhanus IPO application.

Reduced my holding in Infy

2007-09-29T14:33:00.000+05:30

This week, I reduced my holding in Infy by 50% (30 shares to 15). Infy was the heavy-weight in my Portfolio for a long long time. But, the technology sector has slowed down a bit, thanks to rupee appreciation and a potential slowdown in the US. Now, Reliance and RPL stand as heavy weights. RPL, especially has excellent potential to grow and I'm very optimistic about it.

So, now the realized profit/loss table looks like this:

Average holding period: 217.21 days.
Net profit: 32.92%

Scrip	Quantity	Buy	Sell	Gain
Infosys	15	28-04-006 1553.40	26-09-2007 1804.38	+16.16%
MIC Electronics	20	30-05-2007 150	25-07-2007 379.29	+152.86%
Dish TV	60	18-04-2007 115	25-07-2007 89.52	-22.16%
Suzlon Wind Energy	10	10-04-2007 982.70	26-7-2007 1313	+33.61%
Tech Mahindra	17	28-06-2006 365.00	23-04-2007 1493.58	+309.20%
Global Broadcast News	25	08-02-2007 250	23-04-2007 571.42	+128.57%
Bartronics	50	21-10-2006 84.25	23-07-2007 178.24	+111.56%
Power Finance Corp	40	16-08-2007 85	23-07-2007 189.38	+122.80%
Nitin Fire Protection	20	05-06-2007 190	23-07-2007 435.70	+129.32%
Reliance Indus. Infra.	20	16-08-2006 502.90	23-07-2007 561.90	+11.73%
Firstsource Solutions	136	22-02-2007 64	23-04-2007 86.41	+35.02%
Mindtree Consulting	25	07-03-2007 655.13	23-04-2007 795.36	+21.40%
Reliance Communication	11	01-03-2006 0	23-04-2007 460.95	N/A
Tata Chemicals	20	14-09-2005 196.81	12-04-2007 206.98	+5.17%
Ashok Leyland	300	18-07-2006 31.80	12-12-2006 41.94	+31.89%
Guj Ambuja Cem	40	26-12-2005 78.27	30-03-2006 103.04	+31.65%
Indiabulls	100	07-11-2005 171.58	19-01-2006 202.11	+17.79%
Royal Orchid	50	20-02-2006 209.54	06-03-2007 187.25	-10.64%
Midday Multimedia	50	04-01-2006 111.02	06-10-2006 45.38	-59.12%
Sun TV	20	05-05-2006 875.00	12-12-2006 1297.34	+48.27%
Ranbaxy Labs	11	23-11-2005 368.38	30-03-2006 445.83	+21.02%
Bajaj Hindustan	20	09-11-2006 314.00	12-04-2007 207.28	-33.99%
Dhampur Sugar	30	26-12-2005 176.62	30-03-2006 262.54	+48.65%
Parsvnath	20	30-11-2006 300.00	20-04-2007 305.91	+1.97%
Jindal Polyfilms	15	16-07-2005 360.00	25-04-2007 149.54	-58.46%
Indian Bank	115	01-03-2007 91	25-04-2007 101.67	+11.73%
Bajaj Auto	5	10-07-2006 2525.56	03-05-2007 2552.18	+1.05%
Patel Engg.	20	24-05-2006 412.64	20-06-2007 416	+0.81%
Profit (28 scrips)				+32.92%

Allotment in Power Grid Corporation

2007-09-29T13:52:00.000+05:30

I have been allotted 286 shares in the Power Grid Corporation issue. Surprisingly, despite this being a good issue, the retail subscrition was less than 7 times. FIRM allotment was offered in most categories (multiples).

With this my IPO hit-rate stands at 52.63% (10 out of 19).

Issue	Allotment
Power Grid Corporation	Rs. 14872
Take Solutions	Rs. 6570
Everonn Systems	REJECT
ICICI Bank FPO	Rs 16020
Vishal Retail	REJECT
Nitin Fire Protection	Rs 6650
MIC Electronics	Rs. 6750
Mindtree Consulting	REJECT
Indian Bank	Rs. 24115
Power Finance Corporation	Rs. 6800
Firstsource Solutions	Rs. 8704
Redington India	REJECT
Global Broadcast News	Rs. 6250
Autoline Industries	REJECT
Pyramid Saimira	REJECT
Tanla Solutions	REJECT
Sobha Developers	REJECT
Parsvnath Developers	Rs. 6000
Info Edge India	REJECT

PS: I have applied for the Dhanus Technologies issue, but looking at all the mess it has got into, I think I will pull out my application.

Portfolio - As on 28th Sep 2007

2007-09-29T13:29:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

17291.10

+4.39%

5021.35

+3.80%

462.10

+11.11%

2.17

436.85

+5.78%

1062.40

+9.97%

5.99

890

+19.37%

137.90

+5.31%

2.59

131.27

+5.05%

159.90

+0.69%

7.51

+75.71%

1892.75

+3.66%

8.89

1553.40

+21.85%

267.45

-5.81%

1.67

354.40

-24.53%

189.80

-0.58%

3.56

165.84

+14.45%

423.65

+1.94%

3.31

290.87

+45.65%

2807.95

+0.77%

8.79

1328

+111.44%

535.10

-3.04%

4.19

150

+256.73%

413.60

-4.40%

1.94

190

+117.68%

201.85

-2.25%

2.53

+137.47%

2298.05

+0.77%

17.26

1117.61

+105.62%

153.40

-1.03%

14.40

90.76

+69.02%

1027.05

+2.20%

2.89

730

+40.69%

1060.15

+4.16%

6.64

1034.90

+2.44%

699.10

-2.72%

4.38

708.32

-1.30%

414.80

-5.63%

1.30

440.65

-5.87%

18 scrips	Net Chg: +1.00%

Gain:

+48.69%

The markets continued its upward trend. The Sensex was up by 4.39 % and the Nifty was up by 3.80%. My portfolio saw very limited action and phenomenally underperformed the indices. It was up by a marginal 1%.

Highlights of the week:

Gammon India (11.11% up) and ICICI Bank (9.97% up) had a very good run up.
I reduced my stake in Infy from 30 shares to 15. They were sold at 1804.38 (inclusive of brokerage).
Zylog, Infotech Enterprises, Nitin Fire were some of the spoilsports.
I have been allotted 286 shares of Power Grid Corp.

The Doors - People are Strange

2007-09-25T19:48:00.000+05:30

Portfolio - As on 21st Sep 2007

2007-09-21T18:41:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

16564.23

+6.16%

4837.55

+7.07%

415.90

-2.05%

1.82

436.85

-4.80%

966.05

+6.59%

5.06

890

+8.54%

130.95

+1.91%

2.29

131.27

-0.24%

158.80

+4.44%

6.94

+74.51%

1825.90

-0.61%

15.95

1553.40

+17.54%

283.95

+3.03%

1.65

354.40

-19.88%

190.90

+5.50%

3.34

165.84

+15.11%

415.60

+11.51%

3.03

290.87

+42.88%

2786.45

+7.53%

8.11

1328

+109.82%

551.85

+0.66%

4.02

150

+267.90%

432.65

-1.86%

1.89

190

+127.71%

206.50

+6.20%

2.41

+142.94%

2280.45

+12.08%

15.94

1117.61

+104.05%

155

+18.55%

13.54

90.76

+70.78%

1004.95

-2.99%

2.63

730

+37.66%

1017.80

-0.45%

5.93

1034.90

-1.65%

718.65

+3.84%

4.19

708.32

+1.46%

439.55

-2.41%

1.28

440.65

-0.25%

18 scrips	Net Chg: +5.93%

Gain:

+44.18%

The markets surged this week and posted some phenomenon gains. The Sensex was up by 6.16 % and the Nifty was up by 7.07%. My portfolio couldn't quite match the feat and was up by a respectable 5.93%.

Highlights of the week:

RPL (18.55% up) and Reliance (12.08% up), along with IVRCL (11.51% up) had a blast.
Quite a few scrips posted ~5% gains.

Portfolio - As on 14th Sep 2007

2007-09-17T21:12:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15603.80

+0.09%

4518

+0.19%

424.60

-7.91%

1.45

448.30

-5.29%

906.30

-1.49%

5.20

890

+1.83%

128.50

-0.23%

2.43

131.27

-2.11%

152.05

-0.69%

7.21

+67.09%

1837.10

-3.74%

17.97

1553.40

+18.26%

275.56

-10.26%

1.93

354.40

-22.23%

180.95

+1.77%

3.35

165.84

+9.11%

372.70

-5.50%

3.09

290.87

+28.13%

2591.25

+0.02%

8.13

1328

+95.12%

548.25

+24.55%

3.45

150

+265.50%

440.85

+6.38%

1.95

190

+132.03%

194.45

+0.46%

2.43

+128.76%

2034.75

+3.66%

14.79

1117.61

+82.06%

130.75

+6.47%

11.56

75.45

+44.06%

1035.90

+4.47%

2.80

730

+41.90%

1022.45

-5.00%

6.76

994

-1.20%

692.05

+5.59%

4.11

781.80

-2.30%

450.40

+1.41%

1.39

440.65

+2.21%

18 scrips	Net Chg: +1.08%

Gain:

+36.40%

The Sensex remained flat (0.09 % up) and the Nifty was marginally up by 0.19%. My portfolio performed much better than the indices, moving up by 1.08%.

Highlights of the week:

MIC (24.55% up) had a blast.
Infotech Enterprises (10.26% down) and other IT stocks tumbled.
Gammon (7.91% down) crashed after the Hyderabad Flyover collapse.
RPL and Reliance had a crucial role to play in this week's gains.

I hereby renounce my hair ......

2007-09-17T20:05:00.000+05:30

Hehe...almost, not quite.

I visited Dr. Health, Indiranagar yesterday for my hair-loss blues. I've been losing those thinning strands on the scalp for the last several years. But somehow it has begun to seem that the silent-culprits who were playing test matches on my head till now, have started playing 20-20! What an acceleration ? !! They are falling like the free-all we witness every year in Cubbon Park during autumn.

The first step in the therapy read "Shave your head!". Thankfully, it didn't stop there, it said "If not comfortable, go for a machine cut and ensure the strands are as small as possible.". I didn't quite have the guts to go for the former (what if they didn't grow back ? :P ), hence went for the latter.

Presenting to you, my latest avatar :))

Nostalgia

2007-09-11T00:09:00.000+05:30

My darling aniyathi (sister) made me look up something online yesterday. Something that left me really excited, the nostalgic feeling was hard to get out of :). She asked me to look up the old theme of the Doordarshan, yes the song that used to be played (is it still played ? no clue whatsoever!) every morning when DD would start its transmission. Yes, the orange moon and the sound of a screeching record, you guessed it right !!!

Never found it online, but found several others. For your pleasure:

Humara Bajaj:

Jungle Book (Mowgli) Theme:

Bharat Ek Khoj - Title track:

Ek Chidiya:

Decibel's Naagin

2007-09-09T21:04:00.000+05:30

I happened to listen to a track called 'Naagin' from an Indian band Decibel, which they played @ Channel V Launch Pad. Boy! I must admit, these guys rock. Here is a studio version of the same:

You can download the song from here:
http://www.mosh.in/decibel

Portfolio - As on 7th Sep 2007

2007-09-07T23:04:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15590.42

+1.77%

4509.5

+1.02%

461.05

-0.51%

1.45

448.30

+2.84%

920.05

+3.56%

5.20

890

+3.38%

128.80

+1.50%

2.43

131.27

-1.88%

153.10

+6.99%

7.21

+68.24%

1908.50

+2.91%

17.97

1553.40

+22.86%

307.10

+11.65%

1.93

354.40

-13.35%

177.80

+4.10%

3.35

165.84

+7.21%

394.40

+4.30%

3.09

290.87

+35.59%

2590.85

+0.31%

8.13

1328

+95.09%

440.20

+0.34%

3.45

150

+193.47%

414.40

+1.07%

1.95

190

+118.11%

193.55

+9.88%

2.43

+127.71%

1962.90

+0.10%

14.79

1117.61

+75.63%

122.80

+6.14%

11.56

75.45

+35.30%

991.55

+10.45%

2.80

730

+35.83%

1076.25

+1.12%

6.76

994

+4.00%

655.40

+9.24%

4.11

781.80

-7.47%

444.15

+3.72%

1.39

440.65

+0.79%

18 scrips	Net Chg: +3.09%

Gain:

+34.94%

The Sensex moved up 1.77% and the Nifty was up by 1.02%. My portfolio performed much better thaqn the indices, moving up by 3.09%.

Highlights of the week:

Except for a minor dip in Gammon (0.51% down), every scrip has advanced.
Infotech Enterprises (11.65% up), Take Solutions (10.45% up) and Vishal Retail (9.24% up) were the best performers.
I added 10 more of TCS, 10 more of Vishal Retail and 100 more of RPL.

Labourers sweat it out.

2007-09-01T21:56:00.000+05:30

Our apartment is surrounded by construction sites. Here is a glimpse of the labourers sweating it out, some flirting with danger at crazy altitudes.

A Lazy Bum

2007-09-01T21:51:00.001+05:30

The security guard at a construction site. This is what he does, all day ! Can't blame him, his profession demands it. :-)

DoF experiments with sculptures

2007-09-01T21:42:00.000+05:30

Ma bro had picked up some antiques during this trip to Pondy. I thought of trying some Depth of Field (DoF) experiments on it, with ma D80. Results are here, hopin you'll like em. :-)

"Dark" Experiments

2007-08-31T20:14:00.000+05:30

I did some crazy dark room experiments with my D80 yesterday.

Procedure:

Step 1: Lock yourself in the room.
Step 2: Turn off all the lights.
Step 3: Turn on the modem :-)
Step 4: Set the shutter speed of the camera to 4s.
Step 5: Dance to your favorite numbers when shooting ;-)

Results:

Portfolio - As on 31st Aug 2007

2007-08-31T19:05:00.000+05:30

I missed giving an update for the last two weeks, since I was traveling. The table below indicates the changes to the portfolio over the last 3 weeks.

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15318.60

-1.78%

4464

-1.55%

463.4

+7.78%

1.66

448.30

+3.37%

888.40

+2.62%

5.72

890

-0.18%

126.90

-6.86%

2.72

131.27

-3.33%

143.10

-2.02%

7.67

+57.25%

1854.55

-5.38%

19.89

1553.40

+19.39%

275.05

-11.33%

1.97

354.40

-22.39%

170.80

+4.53%

3.66

165.84

+2.99%

378.15

-1.16%

3.38

290.87

+30.01%

2582.80

+6.34%

9.23

1328

+94.49%

361.35

+21.41%

3.92

150

+192.47%

420

-2.38%

2.20

190

+115.79%

175.95

+0.11%

2.52

+107.24%

1809.05

+8.39%

16.82

1117.61

+75.45%

112.55

+2.80%

8.27

75.45

+53.35%

897.70

+22.97%

2.89

730

+22.97%

1064.35

-7.00%

3.80

994

+7.08%

599.95

-10.32%

2.14

781.80

-23.26%

428.20

-2.83%

1.53

440.65

-2.83%

18 scrips	Net Chg: +2.95%

Gain:

+35.23%

The Sensex moved up 3.03% and the Nifty was up by 3.01%. My portfolio under-performed the indices despite the two new buys/listings.

Highlights of the 3-week period:

Infotech Enterprises (11.33% down) and Vishal Retail (10.32% down) were the worst hit.
I got allotment in the Take Solutions IPO. It had a decent listing.
I picked Zylog on the day of its listing. Has not been of great use so far.
MIC Electronics (21.41% up) moved up very well.
IT stocks brought down all gains - Infosys (6.86% down), TCS (7.00% down), Infotech Enterprises (11.33% down).

Q&A

2007-08-30T22:31:00.000+05:30

Q : Is this blog dead ?
A : No :-)

Ring road on a Saturday nite

2007-08-14T19:24:00.000+05:30

A view of the Outer Ring Road on a Saturday nite. The long exposure (3 sec) shot was captured by my D80, from our balcony. The scene is the exact opposite of what you would see on a weekday during the same hour. :-)

Stress Busters !

2007-08-10T20:55:00.001+05:30

Portfolio - As on 10th Aug 2007

2007-08-10T19:32:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

14868.25

-1.78%

4333.35

-1.55%

865.70

-5.44%

5.88

448.30

-2.73%

429.95

-0.05%

1.62

890

-4.09%

136.25

+0.26%

3.08

131.27

+3.79%

146.05

+1.46%

8.27

+60.49%

1959.90

+2.26%

22.18

1553.40

+26.17%

310.20

-4.64%

2.34

354.40

-12.47%

163.40

-3.74%

3.70

165.84

-1.47%

382.60

-3.94%

3.61

290.87

+31.54%

2428.70

-3.63%

9.16

1328

+82.88%

361.35

+1.45%

3.41

150

+140.90%

420

-3.80%

2.38

190

+121.05%

175.95

-0.40%

2.66

+107%

1809.05

+0.44%

16.38

1117.61

+61.87%

112.55

-0.53%

8.49

75.45

+49.17%

1144.50

+4.34%

4.32

994

+15.14%

669

+5.44%

2.52

781.80

-14.43%

16 scrips	Net Chg: -0.23%

Gain:

+35.57%

The Sensex ended 1.78% down and the Nifty was down by 1.55%. My portfolio performed better and ended 0.23% down.

Highlights of the week:

ICICI Bank (5.44% down), Infotech Enterprises (4.64% down) were the worst hit.
Vishal Retail (5.44% up), TCS (4.34% up) made a smart recovery.
Applied for the Take Solutions IPO.
It was a very volatile week and the markets continue to remain direction-less.

My first defensive publication

2007-08-04T14:36:00.000+05:30

My second patent disclosure was classified to be a defensive publication. The same has now been published in the "Research Disclosure" journal. Find the same at the following link:

http://www.researchdisclosure.com/rd/free/RD519081.pdf

Portfolio - As on 03rd Aug 2007

2007-08-03T19:11:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15138.40

-0.63%

4401.55

-0.98%

430.15

-4.05%

1.62

448.30

-4.05%

915.50

-0.92%

6.21

890

+2.87%

135.90

-1.38%

3.07

131.27

+3.53%

143.95

+1.44%

8.13

+58.19%

1916.65

-4.54%

21.65

1553.40

+23.38%

325.30

-1.44%

2.45

354.40

-8.21%

169.75

-1.54%

3.84

165.84

+2.36%

398.30

+11.46%

3.75

290.87

+36.93%

2520.15

+4.13%

9.49

1328

+89.77%

356.20

-6.20%

3.35

150

+137.47%

436.60

+5.62%

2.47

190

+129.79%

176.65

+1.87%

2.66

+107.82%

1801.15

-3.55%

16.28

1117.61

+61.16%

113.15

+2.63%

8.52

75.45

+49.97%

1096.90

-4.87%

4.13

994

+10.35%

634.50

-2.64%

2.39

781.80

-18.84%

16 scrips	Net Chg: -1.10%

Gain:

+35.57%

The Sensex ended 0.63% down and the Nifty was down by 0.98%. My portfolio performed worse and ended 1.10% down.

Highlights of the week:

MIC (6.2% down), Infosys (4.54% down) and TCS (4.87% down) were the worst hit.
IVRCL (11.46% up) made a smart recovery.
Gammon India has made an entry in my portfolio.

Investments - Its all a number game !

2007-07-31T22:43:00.000+05:30

Was feeling a little jobless. So, shot a picture of my portfolio (merry looking :P) with my D80 and made this piece of "art".

Portfolio - As on 27th July 2007

2007-07-28T12:41:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15234.60

-2.13%

4445.20

-2.65%

924

-6.27%

6.30

890

+3.82%

137.80

-3.47%

3.13

131.27

+4.97%

141.90

-9.73%

8.06

+55.93%

2007.85

+1.09%

22.81

1553.40

+29.26%

330.05

-1.48%

2.50

354.40

-6.87%

172.40

+11.66%

3.92

165.84

+3.96%

357.35

-11.73%

3.38

290.87

+22.86%

2420.20

-2.37%

9.17

1328

+82.24%

379.75

+0.62%

3.60

150

+153.17%

413.35

-7.47%

2.35

190

+117.55%

173.40

-8.23%

2.63

+104.00%

1867.50

-1.30%

16.97

1117.61

+67.10%

110.25

-4.87%

8.35

75.45

+46.12%

1153

-1.95%

4.37

994

+16.00%

651.70

-10.02%

2.47

781.80

-16.64%

15 scrips	Net Chg: -2.79%

Gain:

+37.95%

It was good week for the markets, till Friday. On Friday, the indices had a nasty fall in lines with the global markets. The Sensex ended 2.13% down and the Nifty was down by 2.65%. My portfolio performed worse and ended 2.79% down.

Highlights of the week:

Vishal Retail (10.02% down), IVRCL (11.73% down) and Indian Bank (9.73% down) were the worst hit.
ITC (11.66% up) declared some solid results and advanced well.
I sold Bartronics, Dish TV, RIIL and Suzlon.
Reduced stake in PFC, MIC and Nitin Fire Protection.
I was denied allotment in Everonn Systems.

Some short selling

2007-07-23T20:46:00.000+05:30

The increased volatility and the level of the indices was making me a little nervous. So I decided to go short on some stocks today. I cleaned up all shares of Bartronics and RIIL. Reduced the number of shares in PFC and Nitin Fire Protection.

Bartronics has given me 111.56% returns in just 275 days. I sold RIIL at a profit of 11.73%. Nitin Fire Protection and PFC have yielded 129.32% and 122.80% returns so far.

So now the realized profit/loss table looks as follows:

Scrip	Quantity	Buy	Sell	Gain
Tech Mahindra	17	28-06-2006 365.00	23-04-2007 1493.58	+309.20%
Global Broadcast News	25	08-02-2007 250	23-04-2007 571.42	+128.57%
Bartronics	50	21-10-2006 84.25	23-07-2007 178.24	+111.56%
Power Finance Corp	40	16-08-2007 85	23-07-2007 189.38	+122.80%
Nitin Fire Protection	20	05-06-2007 190	23-07-2007 435.70	+129.32%
Reliance Indus. Infra.	20	16-08-2006 502.90	23-07-2007 561.90	+11.73%
Firstsource Solutions	136	22-02-2007 64	23-04-2007 86.41	+35.02%
Mindtree Consulting	25	07-03-2007 655.13	23-04-2007 795.36	+21.40%
Reliance Communication	11	01-03-2006 0	23-04-2007 460.95	N/A
Tata Chemicals	20	14-09-2005 196.81	12-04-2007 206.98	+5.17%
Ashok Leyland	300	18-07-2006 31.80	12-12-2006 41.94	+31.89%
Guj Ambuja Cem	40	26-12-2005 78.27	30-03-2006 103.04	+31.65%
Indiabulls	100	07-11-2005 171.58	19-01-2006 202.11	+17.79%
Royal Orchid	50	20-02-2006 209.54	06-03-2007 187.25	-10.64%
Midday Multimedia	50	04-01-2006 111.02	06-10-2006 45.38	-59.12%
Sun TV	20	05-05-2006 875.00	12-12-2006 1297.34	+48.27%
Ranbaxy Labs	11	23-11-2005 368.38	30-03-2006 445.83	+21.02%
Bajaj Hindustan	20	09-11-2006 314.00	12-04-2007 207.28	-33.99%
Dhampur Sugar	30	26-12-2005 176.62	30-03-2006 262.54	+48.65%
Parsvnath	20	30-11-2006 300.00	20-04-2007 305.91	+1.97%
Jindal Polyfilms	15	16-07-2005 360.00	25-04-2007 149.54	-58.46%
Indian Bank	115	01-03-2007 91	25-04-2007 101.67	+11.73%
Bajaj Auto	5	10-07-2006 2525.56	03-05-2007 2552.18	+1.05%
Patel Engg.	20	24-05-2006 412.64	20-06-2007 416	+0.81%
Profit (24 scrips)				+35.11%

The average holding period turns out to be 221.04 days. The net realized profit stands at 35.11%.

Portfolio - As on 20th July 2007

2007-07-22T18:26:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15565.50

+1.88%

4566.05

+1.35%

172.25

+4.76%

2.56

84.25

+104.45%

91.85

-4.90%

1.64

115

-20.13%

985.85

-1.54%

5.28

890

+10.77%

142.75

-1.58%

2.55

131.27

+8.75%

157.20

+3.53%

7.01

+72.75%

1986.25

-2.34%

17.72

1553.40

+27.86%

335

-17.31%

1.99

354.40

-5.47%

154.40

-0.62%

2.75

165.84

-6.90%

404.85

-4.75%

3.01

290.87

+39.19%

2478.95

+3.20%

7.37

1328

+86.67%

377.40

-3.75%

5.05

150

+151.60%

446.70

-1.40%

4.65

190

+135.11%

188.95

+7.30%

4.49

+122.29%

1892.15

+6.29%

13.50

1117.61

+69.30%

574.15

+5.50%

3.41

502.90

+14.17%

115.90

-1.73%

6.89

75.45

+53.61%

1502.55

+1.97%

4.47

983.37

+52.80%

1175.90

+3.39%

3.50

994

+18.30%

724.25

-6.77%

2.15

781.80

-7.36%

19 scrips	Net Chg: +1.39%

Gain:

+44.58%

It was good week for the markets. The indices touched all time highs. The Sensex ended 1.88% up and the Nifty was up by 1.35%. My portfolio advanced by a reasonable 1.39%.

Highlights of the week:

Infotech Enterprises (17.31% down) had a nasty fall after it declared its results. The results were much below the analysts' expectations.
Reliance (6.29% up), RIIL (7.30% up) had a very good week.
Vishal Retail (6.77% down), IVRCL (4.75% down), Dish TV (4.90% down) witnessed selling.

Portfolio - As on 13th July 2007

2007-07-13T21:47:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

15272.70

+2.06%

4504.55

+2.73%

164.05

+8.18%

2.47

84.25

+94.72%

96.35

-3.26%

1.74

115

-16.22%

1001

+0.45%

5.43

890

+12.47%

145

-1.96%

2.62

131.27

+10.46%

151.65

+7.59%

6.86

+66.65%

1939.80

-1.62%

17.54

1553.40

+24.87%

393

+0.69%

2.37

354.40

+10.89%

155.35

-0.10%

2.81

165.84

-6.33%

424.10

+8.51%

3.20

290.87

+45.80%

2399.65

+1.48%

7.23

1328

+80.70%

391.55

-0.10%

5.31

150

+161.03%

452.95

+14.66%

4.78

190

+138.39%

175.15

+9.33%

4.22

+106.06%

1773.05

+3.69%

12.83

1117.61

+58.65%

542.55

+12.91%

3.27

502.90

+7.88%

117.90

+3.24%

7.11

75.45

+56.26%

1472.95

-1.70%

4.44

983.37

+49.79%

1136

-1.95%

3.42

994

+14.29%

773.30

+1.08%

2.33

781.80

-1.09%

19 scrips	Net Chg: +2.63%

Gain:

+42.60%

It was another great week for the markets. The Sensex ended 2.06% up and the Nifty was up by 2.73%. My portfolio advanced by a reasonable 2.63%.

Highlights of the week:

Nitin Fire (14.66% up), RIIL (12.91% up), PFC (7.58% up), Bartronics (9.33% up), IVRCL (8.51% up) and Indian Bank (7.59% up) had a great week.
Reliance and RPL too made some significant contributions.
Infosys declared its results, which were low in comparison to earlier quarters but matched the expectations.
More results are awaited next week.

Everonn Systems India Limited IPO - Subscription

2007-07-11T21:51:00.000+05:30

The Everonn Systems IPO ended today with some ridiculous subscription statistics.

Category	Subscription (times)
Retail Category	123.8025
Qualified Institutional Buyers	92.9454
Non-Institutional Buyers	277.8083
Overall	131.47

The issue has been so heavily oversubscribed in each of the categories that the allotment process will be like a bumper lottery. Of course, it is definitely going to be a bumper prize to the investor who gets allotment.

Today is a Special Day

2007-07-10T22:16:00.000+05:30

Today is a special day. For the first time one of my picks from the secondary market has yielded more than 100% returns. It is none other than Bartronics. Another good aspect of this particular pick was that I had bought this stock by simply following my instincts and understanding the good prospects of this business. It was not something I did listening to some bozo on CNBC TV18 or by reading someone's blog.

It was bought at a price of 84.25 (includes brokerage) on the day of the Muhurat trade (Diwali Special Trading Session on 21st October 2006). The scrip is now trading at 175.30. A fine return of 108.07% in less than 9 months. It sure was a great muhurat for me !

Bartronics is a dominant player in the automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) space. Offerings include barcode readers, smart card technology solutions, RFID and IR-based access control systems.

For my dear ma

2007-07-08T17:56:00.000+05:30

July 7th was ma's b'day. This capture from my D80 is dedicated to her :-)

Portfolio - As on 06th July 2007

2007-07-07T13:11:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

14964.10

+2.14%

4384.85

+1.54%

151.65

+4.62%

2.50

84.25

+80.00%

99.60

-6.65%

1.85

115

-13.39%

996.55

+11.97%

5.55

890

+11.97%

147.90

-1.99%

2.75

131.27

+12.67%

140.95

+10.38%

6.54

+54.89%

1971.80

+2.22%

18.30

1553.40

+26.93%

390.30

-1.75%

2.42

354.40

+10.13%

155.50

+0.52%

2.89

165.84

-6.23%

390.85

+8.69%

3.02

290.87

+34.37%

2364.65

+7.58%

7.32

1328

+78.06%

391.95

+4.01%

5.46

150

+161.30%

395.05

-1.70%

4.28

190

+107.92%

160.02

+8.32%

3.97

+88.47%

1709.90

+0.55%

12.70

1117.61

+53.00%

480.50

+2.02%

2.97

502.90

-4.45%

114.20

+2.79%

7.07

75.45

+51.36%

1498.35

+0.21%

4.64

983.37

+52.37%

1158.65

+0.81%

3.58

994

+16.56%

765.05

-2.14%

2.37

781.80

-2.14%

19 scrips	Net Chg: +3.09%

Gain:

+38.95%

It was a great week for the markets. The Sensex touched 15K ! It ended 2.14% up. The Nifty moved by 1.54%. My portfolio advanced by a reasonable 3.09%. A fair chunk coming in from the ICICI Bank FPO listing.

Highlights of the week:

Indian Bank (10.38% up), IVRCL (8.69% up), L&T (7.58% up) and PFC (8.32% up) powered the run-up.
MIC and Bartronics too made made significant contributions.
I was alloted 18 shares of ICICI Bank.
Vishal Retail had a sensational listing, and I landed up buying its shares at the peak. But, I have no regrets cos I think there is still a lot of juice left in this counter.

Customer Service - What is that ?

2007-07-04T11:01:00.000+05:30

After 18 months, for the first time I discovered my Airtel landline was down after I returned from work yesterday. The unexpected downtime sure left me depressed for a while, since it reminded me of those awful days when I had Sify Broadband. (Sify is the most uncultured, unethical, unprofessional company I have ever dealt with. Believe it or not I had a downtime of 90 days once and this great enterprise did not even have the sligtest courtesy to respond, forget apologizing.) Internet has undoubtedly become an inseparable part of my life, so losing him even for a little while, makes me feel the pinch.

So I call up the Airtel Broadband Customer Care on my mobile phone. Again the pessimism in my life leaves me worried that I will now have to listen to A. R. Rehman's composition for an Airtel-ad for the next 10 minutes. But, no! there is a response from an executive within a minute. He quickly runs through a "check-list" of questions. The typical ones - "How do you know it is dead?" "Do you have a parallel line?" "Did you check both the lines?" "What about broadband?". He apologizes for the inconvenience caused and requests me to take down a complaint number. I'm searching for a pen and a pad, when a SMS arrives. There we go, the complaint number had already been sent to me as a SMS. And I'm glad to terminate my indefinite search. The SMS reads that the issue has been reported on 3rd July 7:08 p.m. and will be resolved by 4th July 1:30 p.m. Thats nice, at least they understand QoS (Quality of Service), I appreciate that.

In about 15 minutes, my land-line rings. Woh! how did that happen ? The voice says "Sir, I'm calling from Airtel Broadband and I'm confirming whether your land-line is OK now.". I'm thrilled, I quickly turn on the modem and test my broadband. Voila! it is up and running. I thank him and hang up the phone. Couple of minutes later he arrives at my residence with the service report and to personally confirm if everything is alright. He dials some 4-digit number which reachs the Airtel CustomerCare, describes the problem over phone and the solution and then passes the phone to me. The Customer Care executive checks with me if I'm happy with service and if everything is fine now. I tell him I'm kinda overwhelmed by the turn-around time and couldn't ask for more.

I was really curious to understand how things happened this fast. I ask the guy how did he reach my residence in no time. He tells me that whenever a complaint a registered, the same is immediately messaged to the personnel who is closest to the residence of the complainant. So, he got a SMS the same time I got mine. Peachy!

Mark my words, Bharti Enterprises has a bright future. In a country where no one givs a rat's ass about customer experience these guys are making a difference. Its amazing.

I'm parallelly working with another call center. That is of Dish TV, my DTH billing has been goofed-up in a rather silly way. I have been calling these guys for close to 2 weeks now and nothing has happened. They have 2 toll free numbers (something they recently introduced, else all this while they used to be STD calls to Ghaziabad). Call any of them they redirect you to other. Explain the problem, they readily understand since its an obvious goof-up. They understand and that's it, it stays there. No progress. I wonder how an organization of that scale who has a head-start in a niche space can suck so bad. Why isn't Bharti considering DTH ? An interesting space to be in. Consolidation in home-solutions, thats where the future is.

Portfolio - As on 29th June 2007

2007-06-29T20:01:00.000+05:30

Symbol

CMP

Wk. Chg

Wtg

Paid

Net Gain

14650.50

+1.27%

4318.30

+1.56%

144.95

+12.54%

2.50

84.25

+72.05%

106.70

-2.20%

2.21

115

-7.22%

150.90

+1.82%

3.13

131.27

+14.95%

127.70

+3.99%

6.61

+40.33%

1929.05

-1.11%

19.98

1553.40

+24.18%

397.25

+2.36%

2.74

354.40

+12.09%

154.70

+0.45%

3.20

165.84

-6.72%

359.60

+1.14%

3.10

290.87

+23.63%

2198

+4.29%

7.59

1328

+65.51%

376.85

-3.77%

5.85

150

+151.23%

401.90

-7.01%

4.86

190

+111.53%

147.90

-1.07%

4.08

+74.00%

1700.55

-0.27%

14.09

1117.61

+52.16%

471

-1.78%

3.25

502.90

-6.34%

111.10

+15.37%

7.67

75.45

+47.25%

1495.25

+8.50%

5.16

983.37

+52.05%