Samvat 2076 top picks: In tough times, investors are seeking quality

While value has emerged in some pockets, investors continue to seek refuge in safety and quality

Investors seem to have little to complain about Samvat 2075, as it ended with double-digit returns compared to a mid-single digit performance in the previous Hindu calendar year. However, the better show by leading benchmarks Sensex and Nifty masks the pain in sectoral indices, as well as in the small- and mid-cap companies, which registered their second straight year of negative returns. The Nifty SmallCap, for example, has shed 33 per cent over the last couple of years, including 10 per cent in the previous Samvat.

 
In comparison, the Sensex and Nifty have generated positive returns in the range of