kunal Joshi

We all know how restaurants are booming in Dubai over the last few years. The reasons behind this development are numerous indeed. Firstly, Dubai has evolved into becoming the numero uno trade, commerce and industrial hub of the entire UAE and large parts of the Middle East while also becoming a hotbed for startups and leading corporate and Fortune 500 companies from across the globe. Secondly, Dubai has drawn more expats and people from various parts of the world with its modern, cosmopolitan and evolved lifestyle. This has naturally made it one of the most diverse, competitive yet rewarding consumer markets worldwide. There is considerable demand for the best restaurants and food and beverage offerings/brands in Dubai which is quite natural, considering the dynamic nature of its population. Thirdly, Dubai being more open towards embracing new food and beverage concepts, several niche restaurants have found it easier to flourish here and draw larger clienteles. Hence, if you are desi...

Corporate FDs issued by the NBFC arms of various businesses (e.g., Bajaj Finance, Mahindra Finance, HDFC) in recent times have emerged as a viable investment avenue for financially savvy investors who are desirous of parking a slice of their surplus funds in debt instruments. Companies often see this as a speedy route to raise the capital they need to grow the business. These are attractive since they provide a richer yield of, say, 9-11.5%, over a fixed term of 12 to 60 months. Compare this with the average 8.5% interest returned by bank FDs. However, there are some risks around corporate FDs versus comparable bank FDs. And the risks are real.  Key among the risks is the likelihood of default by the company concerned especially considering that corporate FDs are not backed by collateral of any kind, which means the investor cannot recoup the capital by selling her/his corporate FD receipts. Whereas in case of a bank FD, there is a deposit insurance cover of INR 5 lacs; RBI...

What are the key things to look for while buying a stock? It’s easy to make mistakes in the stock market, and it’s not just the first-time investor but even traders with some reasonable experience are prone to miscalculate. Some of the most common investment slipups include putting money in a stock while being clueless about how the company in question is generating or planning to generate profits. Looking for short-term gains rather than viewing stocks as a long-term play is a common failing of a lot of investors. Some end up tying all of their hard-earned savings to the same industry or company instead of spreading out one’s options, which is certainly a less risky option. The more one gets emotional, the less rational one gets. So it’s advisable not to let strong feelings (e.g., fear, greed) and gut instincts take control of key investment decisions. In any kind of investment, there is a scope for poor decision-making but a fundamental analysis of stocks can certainly help...

The Mergers & Acquisitions deal value in the Indian market clocked more than $41 billion in the first half (January-June, 2019). US-based businesses accounted for more than a quarter of all inbound investments into India during the period, followed by those from Japan and China. The M&A space in India is primarily led by private deals. A business might choose to merge with or take over another in order to inorganically gain access to new markets, cutting-edge technologies and top-end talents, as well as in the form of ramping up revenue. Shares of stock-market-traded companies are openly bought and sold in public view with transparency. Besides, listed businesses are subject to mandatory public disclosures of all their material information such as board decisions, operational details, data on top management (e.g., remunerations), and audited financial statements. Besides, these companies are always on the radar of equity research analysts and the media. In contrast...