Investors are turning wary of crowded India trade after run-up

livemint.com:

Indian equities that’s made them an investor favorite has run into headwinds that go beyond elevated valuations. Earnings misses, the attractiveness of rival markets amid expectations of a dovish policy shift by the Federal Reserve and a nascent recovery in Chinese equities are casting doubts over India extending a rally that saw the nation’s main gauges posting a record eighth straight year of gains in 2023.

Also Read | Whirlpool likely to sell 24% stake in its Indian unit via block deal Citigroup Inc. and Societe Generale SA have downgraded India, while foreigners have sold a net $3.8 billion of local shares so far this year, the highest in emerging Asia outside of China.

Multi-asset investors are favoring rupee bonds over the South Asian nation’s equities, and some say the money flows out of China may be slowing as the country steps up its market rescue efforts. “India is the best longer-term story, but we are taking a bit of profit" due to high valuations, said Sean Taylor, chief investment officer at Matthews Asia.

“I will be trimming more of India into Fed cuts on a relative basis because I need to put more capital into places like Korea and Taiwan." Despite the short-term profit-taking, the longer-term outlook for India remains in tact thanks to the nation’s fast economic growth, an expanding middle class and rising manufacturing prowess. Also Read | Oil prices remains stable due to ongoing Middle East conflicts, brent crude at $83.38/bbl “Even though there’s a valuation concern, India is in a sweet spot," said Joohee An, chief investment officer at Mirae Asset Global Investments Co.

in Hong Kong. “We’re looking at India with a longer-term approach than other emerging markets." Still, a slew of earnings misses