Last year was one-two-ka-three market, don’t expect a repeat soon: book profit if overweight on equity: Nilesh Shah

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak AMC, says “we have advocated to our clients to follow the dharma of asset allocation. If you are leveraged into this market, please sell everything right now and reduce your leverage unless and until you are an exceptionally lucky or exceptionally skilled trader. If you are overweight into equity, this is time to book profit. If you were a brave person who bought during the Covid period, then you can hold on to your positions because you know how to manage risk. If you were that conservative person who sold during Covid period, then please book a lot of profit over here.”

Shah also says: “Last year was one two ka three market, largecaps gave about 30% return, mid and smallcap about 60%, and microcap about 90%. Market does not move linearly. Investors who are coming into small and midcap funds should not expect what happened last year will be repeated in the next one year or two years or three years.”

Let us talk about the elections and the market given the kind of correlation that we have seen for the last five consecutive Lok Sabha elections with the Nifty rallying between 3% and 21% just a month before the elcection, Now that there is more clarity in terms of the dates, what is your assessment?
Nilesh Shah: This time, the market has already discounted the continuity of the government.

Market is also discounting more big bang reforms rather than incrementalism and which is why our markets are today trading at probably one of the highest valuations over the peer group. We today trade at much higher valuation than what we enjoyed over our peer group.