Higher tax on cigarettes: Dalal Street may be undervaluing ITC stock

Impact of higher tax on cigarettes should wane in a couple of quarters, while other businesses are showing improvement

"Buy when everyone is selling" explains one of the principles of Warren Buffett, the world's most celebrated investor, who is known for his "value investing". Fitting this maxim in the Indian context could be ITC, which investors may want to look at.

The ITC stock has been a clear underperformer, lagging the S&P BSE Sensex in the past 12 months. Compared to a rise of 27 per cent in the Sensex, ITC is up just about six per cent, because of a negative tax surprise for its key cigarettes business. But, if analysts are to be believed, it may be a