Latest news with #Shanker
Business Insider
31-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Analysts' Top Financial Picks: Visa (V), Arch Capital Group (ACGL)
There's a lot to be optimistic about in the Financial sector as 2 analysts just weighed in on Visa (V – Research Report) and Arch Capital Group (ACGL – Research Report) with bullish sentiments. Protect Your Portfolio Against Market Uncertainty Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. Arch Capital Group (ACGL) In a report released yesterday, Joshua Shanker from Bank of America Securities maintained a Buy rating on Arch Capital Group. The company's shares closed last Wednesday at $90.68, close to its 52-week low of $87.42. According to Shanker is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 8.1% and a 58.9% success rate. Shanker covers the Financial sector, focusing on stocks such as American International Group, Corebridge Financial, Inc., and Marsh & Mclennan Companies. Arch Capital Group has an analyst consensus of Strong Buy, with a price target consensus of $111.08, which is a 25.6% upside from current levels. In a report released yesterday, Roth MKM also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $125.00 price target.
Mint
20-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
This CEO has no fixed-income investments, and has never done an SIP
Ashish Shanker, managing director and CEO of Motilal Oswal Private Wealth, has followed a simple asset allocation strategy for 25 years. He swears by equities and has no fixed-income investments. The CEO, who oversees ₹1.3 trillion in advisory assets, also said he has never done an SIP in his life. He simply maintains 6-8 months of household expenses in his savings account and puts everything beyond that into equities through lump sum investments. Shanker spoke to Mint as part of Guru Portfolio, a series in which leaders in the financial services industry share how they manage their money. Here are some edited excerpts from the interview. How has your portfolio changed over the past year? Nothing much has changed. I have 100% of my portfolio in equities, and it's been like this for nearly 25 years. A bulk of it (roughly 75%) is in Motilal Oswal shares that I got through employee stock ownership plans (Esops). The rest is split between individual stocks, mutual funds and an alternative investment fund (AIF). I still have a few stocks that I bought back in the late '90s, including ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel and Asian Paints. I've also invested in various mutual fund schemes in the flexicap and mid-cap space. Apart from schemes run by Motilal Oswal AMC, I also have schemes by other fund houses such as Old Bridge, Helios and White Oak. Also read: India's young traders are betting on IPOs—and borrowing their way into a crisis Last year I added a Category 3 AIF, MO Wealth Delphi Equity Fund, to my portfolio. It was launched by our company (MOPW), and I put in the first cheque. It is a feeder fund that invests in boutique funds, which we think are underrated and undiscovered. It comprises roughly 4% of my portfolio. How do you manage volatility? Swearing by equities for the past 25 years has worked out well for me. That said, this is not a template that fits all. Everyone is different in their outlook, temperament, and ability to stomach volatility. I've seen my portfolio fall 30-50% at least four times. Once you get used to that, you become immune to volatility. I am a strong believer that if you have good companies or funds in your portfolio, over a long period of time, the predictability of equities is high. Of course, in the short term, one has to be prepared for the vagaries of the market. What have your portfolio returns been like? My portfolio has generated an XIRR of 46% in the past five years, 56% in the past three years, and about 41% over the past year. MOFSL has performed well since 2024, and that's why it has done well. The Motilal Oswal shares I got through Esops are fully vested. Do you have any international allocation? At the moment, 100% of my equity holdings are in India. I feel India continues to offer a lot of growth opportunities. I do understand global economics and what's happening in other markets. However, being in India gives me the ability to understand what's happening around me far better. To be sure, I am not averse to having international exposure. We recommend it to many of our clients, and a lot of them do so. Did you make any mistakes in the past year? I don't look at my portfolio from a one-year or six-month perspective. I've been an equity investor for the past 25 years and it has delivered handsome returns. I've also more or less achieved a corpus that's large enough if I want to retire. Although I don't plan to retire anytime soon, my needs are taken care of and I can be more aggressive in my investments. Within my equity portfolio, most regrets are of omission, not commission. There are certain things I had thought of investing in but did not end up pressing the buy button, which ended up performing well. Every investor goes through that. But there are no regret about the things I've invested in. For now, I'm very happy with my investments. What about financial planning for your children? I have a 17-year-old son, and his financial plan is directly linked to my portfolio. If my corpus is growing, things like a foreign college education should automatically get sorted. Normally, people forecast the amount they will need at a future date and then do an SIP to reach that goal. In this case, college is an expense that is not so near-term, and my equity-heavy portfolio suits this as it's a long-term goal. I don't have a separate account for this goal, but I've invested in two funds and mentally marked them as his college funds. My point is that if there is a mother corpus that can pay for all goals in life, there's not much to worry about. Do you do SIPs? I've never done an SIP in my life. SIPs bring discipline to investing, but I don't have a problem with being disciplined. I always maintain 6-8 months of expenses in my savings account. Anything beyond that goes straight to equities through a lump sum. The only exception is when I have loans. I don't like them at all. In fact, I had mentioned last time that I live in a rented apartment and haven't bought a flat. Whenever I get any bonus or salary, I try to get rid of the loans first. Currently, since I have no loans pending, I am investing the surplus into equities – mostly through mutual funds. Last time, you mentioned that your parents also invest 100% in equities. The market is up now, but how do they react when it falls? That's true. My parents and I had an interesting conversation 8-9 years ago regarding their investments. They had a decent corpus, and I recommended going all in on equities. They broke all their fixed deposits and decided to put everything in stocks. It's worked out well for now. I've told them that if there's a shortfall, I will cover for them. Also read: How new BookMyForex card with no ATM, cross-currency fees stacks up The dividends from stocks are big enough now to fund their monthly expenses. When markets fall, they sometimes ask me about it. But there's no big reason to worry. I tell them that their stock portfolios have beaten fixed deposits hands down over the past eight years. What about insurance? I have both health and life cover. My family as a whole has ₹20 lakh of health cover. I also have ₹5-crore life cover. Over the years, life insurance has gone down a bit as my portfolio has grown in size. What about retirement? I feel people should have at least 25 times their annual expenses when they retire. I've achieved that number, but don't plan to retire anytime soon. Retirement is an old concept. Earlier, most people would go to factories and feel physically tired after a certain age. But in today's day and age, most of us are work with our brains. If we remain physically and mentally fit, we can continue to work for much longer. To give you an example, Warren Buffett recently announced he would step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway later this year. He's 94 years old. He took over Berkshire when he was just 34. Even after he steps down as CEO, he'll continue going to the office regularly. In a previous edition of Guru Portfolio, you mentioned buying a Mercedes E-Class. Did you treat yourself to anything exciting this year? My friend and I now co-own Mumbai Mozartt, a team in the Table Tennis Super League. This state-level league was started by the same guys who run the Ultimate Table Tennis League. I'm a big table tennis fan and was a state-level player myself. I decided to buy the Mumbai team to support the sport. This is not really an investment, and I don't expect much in return. I paid a few lakhs for it. Also read: Four issues you may face if you switched jobs but did not transfer your PF
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tier-II and III cities take center stage in retail's next growth chapter: Industry Experts, ET Retail
Advt Advt By , ETRetail Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETRetail App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App New Delhi: India's smaller cities are no longer playing second fiddle to metros in the retail growth story. As new malls open and digital adoption deepens, retailers are chasing rising aspirations and demand in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, seeing them as critical growth at The Economic Times Great India Retail Summit 2025 happened in Mumbai, in a panel discussion titled 'Emergence of Non-Metros: Exploring Unexplored Frontiers of Retail', top industry leaders shared how they're tailoring strategies to unlock value from these evolving consumption Jain, MD & CEO of Lacoste India, pointed out that premium brands can't take a one-size-fits-all approach in smaller markets. 'We operate only company-owned stores, not franchises, so when we go into a Tier-II city like Dehradun, Bhatinda, or Kapurthala, we assess whether the right target group (TG) exists and whether other premium brands are present,' he a recent example, Jain explained how the physical location of a mall within a city matters significantly. 'I visited one city where a new mall was opening, but I rejected it because the catchment wasn't right, and the brand adjacencies weren't premium. Instead, I evaluated another mall on the other side of town,' he said, emphasizing the importance of choosing spaces that can offer a complete customer also plays a role. 'Thanks to e-commerce and our own website, we can analyze pin code-level data to identify which cities are already showing traction for our brand. That helps us target our expansion precisely,' Jain cautioned against oversimplifying the lower rental narrative in smaller cities. 'People often think Tier-II cities mean cheaper rents and higher profitability. That's a myth. The cost of goods, personnel, and store interiors remain the same as metros. Even rentals, when looked at as a rent-to-revenue ratio, may not be that favorable due to lower sales volumes,' he Shanker, Group CEO of Quest Retail, said the core of successful expansion lies in relevance. 'It's not just about which town or tier you're targeting. It's also about choosing the right portfolio for the right channel. For instance, in quick commerce, if you push your full portfolio, you'll fail. At The Body Shop, we launched a focused gifting segment in Q-commerce—and it's going through the roof,' he within metros, micro-markets differ. 'Our store in Mumbai's Palladium has design motifs that reflect that specific locality. The Viviana Mall store, just a few kilometers away, has a different cultural reference—but the brand tonality remains consistent. That's how you stay relevant while keeping the brand ethos intact,' he Mehta, CEO of Easybuy, shared that understanding the regional context while offering fashionable yet affordable apparel is key. 'Consumers in smaller cities want trend-led products. They are aspirational, but price-conscious. The challenge is to balance design, pricing, and supply chain efficiency,' he Khushlani, MD of Mufti Jeans, said they are actively tailoring collections for younger consumers in non-metros. 'Fashion is no longer restricted to metros. The youth in smaller cities are confident, bold, and fashion-forward,' he about the importance of regionally customized inventory, Sameer Manglani, Partner at Meena Bazaar, said, 'Bhopal and Bhubaneswar might both be Tier-II, but their cultural preferences are different. You can't copy-paste your Delhi strategy and expect success.'Echoing this, Amitabh Suri, CEO of USPA Brands, pointed out the significance of team quality and store experience. 'You can't cut corners on staff training or interiors just because you're in a smaller city. The experience has to be uniform and high-quality to build trust,' he her thoughts, Gargi Singh, Head of Seller Business at Pincode, spoke on how hyperlocal commerce is enabling scale. 'With digital infrastructure improving and platforms enabling same-day delivery, brands are discovering they can build demand in Tier-II towns without massive physical retail investments,' she Aiyer, CEO of Arrow, reinforced the importance of a true omnichannel approach. 'In these markets, your brand needs to speak across WhatsApp, regional influencers, marketplaces, and local activations. Store presence is just one touchpoint,' he panel concluded that India's non-metros are far from homogenous, and retailers must build city-specific strategies. The days of assuming smaller cities are merely 'metros-in-waiting' are over.'There are all town classes—Tier I to Tier III—within even a 5 km radius in a large city. Retailers need to rethink segmentation and relevance in a more nuanced way,' Shanker India's consumption map shifts, retailers who combine data, local insight, premium experience, and digital innovation will emerge as the real winners.
CNBC
28-04-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Bank of America upgrades this insurance stock after downgrading it earlier this month
Bank of America has quickly changed its mind on insurance stock Progressive . BofA upgraded Progressive back to buy on Monday, after downgrading the stock to neutral just three weeks ago, and raised its price target to $312 per share from $297. The firm's forecast calls for roughly 18% upside from Friday's $265.01 close. "This is a lot of 12mo upside for what has arguably been the S & P 100 stock with the best risk-adjusted returns over the prior decade," analyst Joshua Shanker said of the upgrade. PGR YTD mountain Progressive stock in 2025. The switch is "an uncommonly short time to reverse a recommendation change," he noted. Shanker attributed the reversal of opinion on Progressive stock to its sharp underperformance of the S & P 500 in the 15 trading sessions between the initial downgrade and upgrade today as well as earnings result that showed a burst in new personal auto customers. Progressive stock slipped 8% over the time period, Shanker noted, which equates to underperforming the S & P 500 by 1,000 basis points, a move that could be overdone. "Progressive is arguably the best operator within its niches of the insurance market with continued opportunity for market share gain and economies of scale growth," the analyst said. Shanker also pointed to Progressive's strong first-quarter results which he said saw the company notch its best March ever on a percentage basis. Progressive stock has ticked up about 10% so far in 2025 and was up 1.8% Monday morning in premarket trade. Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today's dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You'll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited!
Fashion Network
23-04-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
The Body Shop India plans to reduce prices to boost customer acquisition
The Body Shop plans to reduce many of its product prices in India by between 28% and 30% to boost customer acquisition and increase sales volume growth in the country's increasingly competitive beauty market. "This is not a seasonal or reactive move, it is a long term recalibration of The Body Shop's approach at an omni-channel level," Quest Retail's group CEO Rahul Shanker told ET Retail. "The strategic decision to recalibrate prices has been taken after consulting the global team to speed up growth in the Indian market." The business will adjust prices for approximately 50% of its business, ET Bureau reported. This will cover around 60 products in 12 different categories. "This decision has been taken without compromising the quality and packaging of the products," said Shanker. "Going ahead, by increasing the volumes, we aim to bring economies of scale... This initiative will not impact the profitability as we will gain volumes. Even if the percentage moves a little bit downward, it will be covered by volumes." The Body Shop plans to double its India business in the coming five years. For the 2026 financial year, the business is targeting between 30% and 40% volume growth and 20% to 25% growth in value terms.
