I have been sharing my thoughts via Safal Niveshak for almost 3.5 years now.
I have strived to cover a very diverse set of ideas around investing, personal finance, and experiments I am conducting in my own life.
Whenever I sit down to write, I usually choose a topic based on…
- What I think you would like to learn
- What I think would be useful for you to learn
- My own experiences that I think you will find useful
So whatever I write on Safal Niveshak is for YOU. And I want it to be useful to you.
Now here’s what I’m asking.
Post topics of interest to you in the Comments section of this post – topics related to stock market investing, analysis, human behaviour, and financial life…which you want me to cover on Safal Niveshak.
Based on the requests I receive, I’ll line up the topics I think are particularly interesting and important and will benefit a wide audience, and write on them over the next few days and weeks.
I look forward to hear from you.
You may add your question(s) in the Comments section of this post, or tweet to me @safalniveshak.
P.S. A lot of members have asked why I am not writing analyses on companies (StockTalk) anymore. Well, this is because of a SEBI regulation that requires bloggers to get registered with it before writing any analyses/opinions on stocks/companies. I have not registered with them yet (too many legalities, you see), and thus won’t be writing on companies till I do that.
Hi Vishal,
I want you to cover some issues in personal finance like Term Plan, Health Insurance, SIP for long term wealth creation.
Also please write something on Rent vs Buying Home. EMI trap.
How to go about Investing if your Business income is extremely volatile MoM basis. 🙁
Thanks in advance.
Hi Vishal,
Can you please comment about the importance of remembering numbers and being good at calculations for a value investor. Is there a correlation between one’s ability to remember numbers from the balance sheet and pnl and investing success. Moreover, if someone is not very good at remembering these, does that mean that they are at a disadvantage?
Thanks.
Dear Vishal,
I am following you since last only 3 odd months. But I have read all of the articles which you have posted in last 3.5 years. I have also read some of the books on investing which you have suggested, but one thing I did not came to know about is ” How to calculate Margin of Safety”.
If you can elaborate on it that how one can calculate the margin of safety along with a case study, then I think it would be very much helpful for all of us tribe members to avoid costly shares in our investing life.
How and where do I learn to calculate DCF and Intrinsic Value and Graham value of stock.
Please explain with real Indian Stock market examples.
Also please advise if for the pure purpose of investing and valuing stocks should I do CFA?
P. S : I’m not interested in getting a CFA charter
Hi Vishal, Im following your thoughts since a month, digged blog and tweets. Now I realize the basics of value investing, only in theory 🙁
I share the same opinion with Cherin, Gaurav and few other. How to’s are needed with some real examples. Lets say how to calculate intrinsic value, margin of safety, DCF analysis etc. May be you might have covered somewhere and I might have missed. Let me know if thats the case.
By the way, you are doing a great job, keep it up!! Thank you.
1. DCF Analysis / Dividend Discount Model
2. Sectoral Analysis – How to analyse a sector – What parameters to check for a company in each type of sector
For ex., what parameters should be check while analysing Auto sector
If you can write about atleast 10-12 sectors with above info that would help
3. How to assess Management while analysing a company
4. Where can we get information to learn the following
a. Circle of Competence in sectors
b. Management of company
Hi Vishal,
I feel you can restart industry analysis (how to analysis particular industry) which you used to do. I found Banking and Cement analysis very useful.
In addition – If you are comfortable, you can give your opinion on sector where you see maniacs playing and blind eye on sectors to join the crowd of madness.
Most interesting topic will be, how human behavior dominates or influences us and leads us to permanent loss due to zero margin of safety.
Without saying, we all are benefiting a lot from your knowledge sharing and I keep thanking my friend Veeranna for bringing to my notice about you and your site. Keep up the great service.
I too agree with above request. I am missing industry analysis posts.
u can start a ‘how to’ series.
Also evaluate some companies …say one at least a month without any recommendation. I will definitely read these and discuss.
It may be interesting to read from you what a person, who is just starting her job and starting to earn can think about in the investing world?
Hi Vishal,
If we may request, would you please share your thoughts on investing for income from dividends in equities.
is there a difference between long term investing and investing for dividends from equities(with a long term focus)?
many thanks,
Sirish
Hello Vishal,
Thanks for giving this opportunity. I was thinking of mailing you on individual basis for my queries, but believe this would be a better platform.
Query: How to kno when bear market is about to approach? (Or in other words, how to know if it is time to sell). I believe in long term investment approach and have started few months back. I have shares bought just 3 months back and shares under my father’s name too which were bought in 1995. But how to know when it is time to liquidate them?
Thanks,
Kushal
1: 2008 Market crash and your experiences (fear /greed etc.).
2: Is it possible to save one self from crashes? How to save yourself in crashes ( even if u have the best -top quality companies).
I recollect u already have an article on market crashes and the various books related but here I am requesting for any strategy which help investors save themselves .
1. Sector analysis from time to time (increase our coc) – Banking and cement were most helpful
2. Your thoughts on finding 100 baggers
3. Value traps in the current market scenario (only speaking about sectors where you see things could change going forward)
4. Identifying market tops (so as to have fresh cash available in a bear market) and whether you think it’s possible
5. How to spend your day as a value investor (something more besides reading books, maybe the finer things)
Thanks and all the best
Hi Vishal,
1)I would like you to share your views on the analysis of the FMCG industry cos like Dabur , HUL etc or such companies like Asian Paints where the companies are having a wide moat but the PE ratios are quite high. What type of valuation model gives a better understanding to their value now and for the future?
2) I would also like you to incorporate the views of Buffet on these if possible.
3) I am still not able to figure out the valuations to such companies . Despite the fact they being great companies, can these be value traps ?
Thanks in advance
Tejas
Please write about the following in Indian market context as these are missing in MasterMind Course 2013 :
The Earnings Power Chart,
The Defensive Income Statement,
The Enterprising Income Statement.
(From the book “It’s Earnings That Count” )
Hi Vishal,
I really enjoy your blog posts. As a starting value investor, i am hoping to have certain content around developing a personal framework for analyzing companies. Not in the form of a checklist, but a process that allows me to mould the Value Framework to my personality.
This may be possible, perhaps via interviews with certain investors on how they go about developing their frameworks, and how do they modify it according to the market feedback.
A post on accounting could also be a great idea. Ideally most of the people know the ‘rules’ of accounting, but it would be great to have the concepts of accounting so that one is able to reinterpret the rules. Maybe a few book recommendations would be great in this regard.
Please keep up the great work!
Thank you
Pradeep
How to select a stock across sectors, across stocks within the same sector and across time within the same stock?
When to sell a stock?
How to increase risk in portfolio without leverage or options?
How to increase portfolio concentration?
What should we seek in a business to buy it’s stock for the bear market that will beat fixed deposit returns?
Please share your thoughts on portfolio insurance.
Hello Vishal,
I was just thinking about requesting you to write on operating leverage, a topic that I found fascinating. I was looking at few media companies and found they had operating leverage there. This post of yours comes at the most suitable time.
Please try to explain how operating leverage is a double edged sword, how it differs from financial leverage, sectors likely to display operating leverage, what factors to look out for when investing in a company with operating leverage etc
Also maybe same can be done for financial leverage if possible.
Write about failures.
Write about behavioral finance.
Hi Vishal,
Been following your blog for a few months now and would like to thank you for your guidance & insights. Also thank you for this opportunity to place our queries.
1. I have read your previous comments and an entry on subra’s blog on writing investment policy statement. Please elaborate on how to go about it.
2. What is your approach to stock selection: bottom up or to down, deep discounting or moats etc. Does one have to stick to a particular theme?
3. Prof. Bakshi, Howard Marks etc. have spoken about entering markets when they are depressed rather than elevated ( common sense but very hard to practise). What are your views? Since there will/might be value opportunities even in bull markets, but investing in them (like in current scenario) may also expose us to head winds when the markets eventually come down.
Hope to learn much more from you in times to come.
Regards.
Hi Vishal,
Thank you for this initiative. How about a series on corporate governance? On occasion you might find something in the news – even for “popular” stocks – where the corporate governance has been called into question. For instance – there was an article about a company disclosing information to analysts before the public, and another case where a company undertook a lease from a related party at what appears to be loaded terms.
Its hard for individual investors to identify, and sometimes the market doesn’t appear to pay heed to, corporate governance, or lack thereof. So, a series on things to look for, or how you evaluate corporate governance, even perhaps whether corporate governance matters to stock prices (in the Indian context) would be insightful.
Best.
Hi Vishal
I really like your blogs and appreciate the service you are doing. I would like you to write about mental models. We often hear about this term but don’t understand what this really is. In case you already wrote about it, may be you could share the link again. Also would like to know your inputs on how to find time to read the suggested books on investments, its a challenge to find time. Any inputs would be helpful. thanks
Hi Vishal,
I’m been an avid reader since last 2.5years so also wanted to congratulate you on the same. Its been immensely helpful.
I would like you to give your thoughts on retirement planning. I keep reading about the 4% rule and elsewhere a formula for wealth -your annual salary into your age. But I’m not sure these apply to India or not, given our high inflation.
Additionally you could bring back Tribe Star interviews. Another learning would be great is to have your opinion and others on other times in the Indian markets when things were particularly good or particularly bad like 2008 etc.
Some comparison on equity investing vs. other avenues Indians prefer like real estate, gold, fd’s etc.
Thanks a lot
Hi Vishal,
1. On Stock Market
please write case studies (from the past experience):
– which stock you had invested in the past
– what were the reasons for investing
– how did you find that stock
– did you make money
– what were you learning’s
share all your good, bad and ugly experiences
2. Other than stock market
– gold, real estate, fixed deposits, others
– do you consider them investments
– how do you go about buying and selling them
– what has been your learning’s
3. Stock market, Real estate crashes in India
– when, how, how long, what went wrong, opportunities, etc
Regards,
Ricky
Hi Vishal ,
I would like to learn more about the following
1- What is more critical Pre-Tax earnings growth or PAT growth
2- Same for Earnings multiple Pre Tax or Post Tax (Prof Bakshi often quotes Pre Tax multiples in his articles)
3 – How significant is PEG ratio . If PE is 50 and Growth is 50% does it offer value ??
Regards
Sidharth
Hi Vishal,
1) Your interviews are very good, they bring out some very valuable perspectives about investing and mindset behind it. It will be good if you can interview some of the unknown but successful retail investors.
2) If you can write about the approach a retail investor should take if he were to start now and construct a portfolio for long term? (let’s assume he/she understands he needs buy quality companies and hold them for long period)
Regards,
Vinay
Hi Vishal,
first of i want to appreciate you for your great work on value investing .You can continue to write on
1.How to analyse industry wise
2.What are the sector and what type of companies investor particularly need to avoid
3.How to combine technical analysis (Simple Tools) with value investing before buying stock
4.Why company which was once investors darling failed subsequently like jain irrigation,opto circuit ,3I infotech
regards
guhan
Hi Vishal,
Have been an avid reader of your blog and appreciate your effort in educating investors
you started a series by writing about sectors, competitive structure of the industry to increase the circle of competence . Please complete the banking part and then maybe move to auto , staples , consumer discretionary etc . the cement sector article was really helpful.
also you wrote a article on lessons learnt by reading margin of safety by Seth Klarman. Please do other articles with other important books . some suggestions would be
1. most important thing by Howard Marks
2. more than you know by Mauboussin
3 little book that builds wealth by Pat Dorsey etc
Looking forward to reading about articles on sector analysis to increase COC
Thanks and Regards – Aditya
Hi Vishal,
Could you please write a column on ‘Financial Freedom’ i.e where one can assume 30x of his Annual Expenses fund for retirement.
Regards,
RK
Hi Vishal,
Please write on what is Value Investing in lay man terms with examples from stocks.
Regards,
RK
Dear Vishal Sir,
First of all a very very heartĺy thanks to write such a wonderful blog which makes us financially sound and aware.
Sir i am new to stocks,I know your problem to discuss particular stocks bcoz of sebi restrictions but sir my request to you is that plz explain few technical topics of stock picking some day such as pe,debt equity,capex,ebita,book value,roce,roe etc etc….sir i hearded these words several times but i didn”t know even a single meaning and use of it.
Kindly explain all these topics in your way of explaining(not the investopedia way).
Sir if you do this,we will be automatically able to discover potential stocks.
Hoping for your kind response sir.
Thanks and God bless u Sir..!!!!
Interviews of investors are interesting. Give good insights. One can relate to peiople and how what they did in various stages of their lives.
I enjoy almost every thing you put up.
thank you.
Hi Vishal,
Can you please write about the Current fall in Oil Prices & its implications on the global economy. I have read a lot about it in different newspaper articels but would like to know your view.
Hello Sir,
Can you write a article on use of screener and explain a little bit on CANSLIM strategy.
I have read two books till now One up on wall street and How to make money in stocks by William O’Neil, still unable to find a stock.
Hi-
Your website is great, lots of interesting stuff. Can you please recommend any mutual funds with a value tilt, perhaps ones that run a concentrated portfolio?
Hello Vishal!
Please share your views on index fund investing in India.
Regards
Hi Vishal,
As part of analyzing companies/businesses, one has to not only read the annual reports of the company in question, but also that of its competitors, to get an idea of how it matches up against competition. Given this, analyzing a company can become a time-consuming process, if not tedious.
It’d be great if you could share your insights on:
1. How much time is spent analyzing a company?
2. An online (or other) resource which depicts the market share of competitors in a sector year-on-year, as this would help in gauging the loss and gain of market share.
3. A reliable resource which depicts the financial numbers of companies as is from their annual reports.
A case study to cover the aforementioned (and other important) aspects.
Thanks,
Madhu
What is Warren Buffett stock market Indicator ? What is the logic behind this indicator?
Why don’t you write something purely on your own. You quote too many people in your writing. If people are interested in knowing what others are saying they would refer their books/ articles. I visit your blog to know what you are saying and not what other great fellows had said 🙂
Dear Vishal
It is always recommended to read a lot to become wiser. Finding time to read with work, family life is enormous challenge. Please write a blog on how to find time to read.
thanks
Hi Vishal,
As a small investor, one topic I would like to read about is regarding when to sell a stock.
I know you have discussed about this in your discussions earlier, but would be helpful if you can share you thoughts with some specific stocks that you have been analyzing recently.
Determining the true valuation of a stock itself is challenging ( at least for beginners like me) , determining whether a stock has gone beyond its true value or has a lot more steam left becomes even more complex once the prices have shot up very fast. As a small investor with limited capital to invest in new opportunities, it would be a good exercise to find when the markets are in overly optimistic mode.
Regards,
-Vinay
Hi Vishal
Your honestly is visible in your writing – KUDOS… i would like you to open subscription for Technical and Fundamental picks. You are so talented and gifted and you need to help others with your analytical skills in pickin the right stocks… you are doing great by teaching but also need to open subscription letters for your stocks picks! cheers
Mukesh