The Expanding Us Patent System

The Election Commission has convened a meeting of major political parties today to ascertain their views on the timing of the mid-term election. The meeting will be attended by six recognised national parties and 48 state parties. The Bhartiya Janata Party-led aliance and the opposition are sharply dividend on the possible election dates. crore. Britannia's World Cup contest has generated a lot of excitement in the market and should translate into at least 30-40 per cent additional sales in the last two months. These will be partly reflected in its March 1999 results and the first quarter of 1999-2000. Buy at Rs 1437.

Cadbury India

The market has been abuzz with the rumour that there is a bonus in the offing at Cadbury. The reasons are not difficult to fathom. Its free reserves are almost 6.67 times its present equity. The company has been pretty liberal in rewarding its shareholders as 60 per cent of its equity of Rs 23.8 crore has been through bonus issues. Cadbury's last bonus issue was in July 1996 in the ratio of 3:5. Its debt-equity is a mere 0.12 times. It has a book value of Rs 76. The possibility of a bonus becomes stronger as the company finished fifty years last year but didn't issue a bonus.

Cadbury's first quarter performance ended March 1999 has been excellent. It registered an 88.41 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 9.27 crore. Net sales improved 16.54 per cent to Rs 116.05 crore. Operating profit margin improved to 15.77 per cent from 12.38 crore. Analysts attribute this to price rationalisation undertaken by the compan