Expecting correction, fund managers prune exposure to mid-caps

For the week, Rikesh Parikh’s net worth stands at Rs 1028,000, up 2.8 per cent; Ashish Mittal’s net worth is at Rs 1038,000, up 3.81 per cent; Alex Mathews’ net worth is at Rs 1070,000, up 7.01 per cent; and Ajay Parmar’s net worth totals Rs 1135,000, up 13.52 per cent.

RIKESH PARIKH
VP (equity strategies), Motilal Oswal Securities
As the markets had been rallying, Parikh reduced exposure to mid-cap stocks and increased exposure to defensives, mainly pharmaceuticals and HDFC. “As the run-up in the markets had been fast, I was expecting a correction. So, I reduced position and sold Mcleod Russel and United Phosphorus. Meanwhile, I invested in defensive stocks Dr Reddy’s, Cadila and HDFC,” he said.

His top holdings, as of today, include Cadila Healthcare, Mahindra & Mahindra, Pidilite Industries, Bharti Airtel and Power Grid Corporation of India.
 

RIKESH PARIKH
Top Holdings	Cost price (Rs)	Current price (Rs)	Value  (Rs lakh)
Cadila Healthcare	716.94	712.35	0.46
Mahindra & Mahindra	701.00	724.25	0.44
Pidlite Industries	144.72	151.65	0.38
Bharti Airtel	347.57	350.35	0.35
United Phosphorous	150.43	167.30	0.34
Total investments			3.45
Cash			6.88
Net worth			10.33

ASHISH MITTAL
Fund Manager (PMS), Centrum Wealth
Mittal sees reversal of monetary parameters like cash reserve ratio and interest rates providing positive triggers to the markets. Apart from this, he expects the appreciation of the rupee by eight per cent during the calendar year to have a major positive impact on markets globally. “I expect the rupee to remain strong during 2012. The reversal of tough monetary policies will continue. I hope the positives will be reinforced by a normal monsoon and reasonable crude oil prices,” he said.

“The next financial year, just 38 days away, is likely to have a much better economic scenario, compared to 2011-12. The prime minister’s economic advisory council is among several economic expert bodies to have forecast better growth for 2012-13. While the overall gross domestic product (GDP) growth is estimated to be in the range of 7.5 to eight per cent, the industrial GDP is expected to improve significantly to seven per cent in 2012-13, from 4.3 per cent in 2011-12,” he said.

According to him, a significant improvement expected in the industrial GDP is positive for the corporate sector and hence, for domestic equities. “With the reversal of monetary parameters, growth will be better in 2012-13 and the fiscal condition would also improve. Hence, I reiterate my optimism and stay positive on the economy and markets,” Mittal said.
 

ASHISH MITTAL
Top Holdings	Cost price (Rs)	Current price (Rs)	Value  (Rs lakh)
MRF	6816.10	9585.65	0.77
Balmer Lawrie & Company	618.48	557.10	0.72
Karur Vysya Bank	372.59	390.20	0.66
Tide Water Oil	6751.40	7616.85	0.61
Bharat Electronics	1582.70	1522.75	0.61
Total investments			9.42
Cash			0.96
Net worth			10.38

Mittal’s top holdings, as of today, include MRF, Balmer Lawrie & Company, Karur Vysya Bank, Tide Water Oil and Bharat Electronics.

ALEX MATHEWS
Head (technical and derivatives research), Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services
Mathews was expecting a correction ahead of the February expiry, so he cut down his portfolio and earned profits. “I exited Mahindra & Mahindra, IB Real Estate, Strides Arcolab, ICICI Bank, Adani Enterprises, Hero Motors and Bajaj Auto, etc. Currently, I am holding cash worth 80 per cent and would turn buyers in the new series,” he said.

Mathews said he would concentrate on rate-sensitive sectors like realty, infrastructure, banking and auto, along with some non-index stocks, after the technical correction. His current top holdings include Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and TTK Healthcare.
 

ALEX MATHEWS
Top Holdings	Cost price (Rs)	Current price (Rs)	Value  (Rs lakh)
Infosys	2956.07	2933.15	0.97
TCS	1250.07	1259.80	0.95
TTK Healthcare	463.10	430.65	0.43
Total investments			2.34
Cash			8.36
Net worth			10.70

AJAY PARMAR
Co-head (investment banking), Emkay Global
Parmar remained inactive for the second consecutive week. Having adopted a defensive strategy, he had booked profits on most stocks that had been a part of his portfolio. “As of now, Lovable Lingerie is the worst performer in my portfolio, whereas HDIL and Insecticides are doing fairly better,” he said.

Parmar has a mix of defensive and aggressive stocks in his portfolio. “I prefer having a proper balance of the two and for now, I’d like to wait for a further 100-150-point fall in the Nifty,” he said.
 

AJAY PARMAR
Top Holdings	Cost price (Rs)	Current price (Rs)	Value  (Rs lakh)
Lovable Lingerie	417.64	390.30	0.51