हर सांस में कई सांस और भी है...

इन मुश्किलों के आगे जहाँ और भी है, 

इस काली रात में चमकते सितारे और भी हैं,

आप याद रखना उन पलों को जो है जीने का ज़रिया,

अभी ज़िंदा रहने के लिए, हर सांस में कई सांस और भी है!!!

हाथ की लकीरें हैं आज उलझनों से भरीं,

लेकिन कदम अभी भी डगमगाए नहीं हैं,

उस हिम्मत और होंसले को कैसे जाने दें, 

अभी ज़िंदा रहने के लिए, हर सांस में कई सांस और भी है!!!

ठोकर खायी है ज़रूर लेकिन हारे नहीं हैं,

उस घने पेड़ से पूछो जिसने हर तूफ़ान को झेला है,

मीठे फल और महकते फूल भले ही छोड़ जाएं,

छोड़ती नहीं हैं यह जड़ें जिनमे सारी जान बाकी है,

अभी ज़िंदा रहने के लिए, हर सांस में कई सांस बाकी है!!!

The Monk who values, Stocks!!!

Year 2008 to 2010: As a Student Profile: Trading Analyst

Year 2010 to present: Job Profile: Rating Analyst

Year 2015 to forever: Value Investor

This isn't a journey from being a Trading Analyst to a Rating Analyst, rather a convoluted one of a trading analyst transforming into a combo of a rating analyst and a value investor. The year 2010 showcased me my latent curiosity towards stock markets, the time when I was otherwise booked by post-grad books.  I ventured into the arena of lure for stocks, lust for bull market and love of the money earned through trading. Money though was never the ultimate factor for my trading quest; it was rather an urge to know more about varied companies, to talk more about different managements at helm and to discuss the successes & failures with friends.  

The fallacies

The trading strategy during the college days was engineered with a flawed design of three Fs; the search for only the fashionable stocks, the ‘follow the crowd’ approach, and the fear of not wanting to lose even a penny. This only resulted in a fourth fallacy of nature, ‘F***, I’m screwed!!!’ 

The widely traded blue chip stocks aka fashionable stocks did not eliminate the chance to make profits, but clearly this strategy ensured all likelihood to not discover diamonds buried deep inside a colliery yet to be unearthed. The second most important factor was the approach to follow the crowd. In a perfect market hypothesis, with innumerable investors following the fashion stocks, where it was impossible at one end to extract a better price appreciation from the stock, this approach on the other end also guaranteed gambling your money on advise of people who doesn't matter!!! The third fallacy was the fear of fear to lose money. This fear ensured no development of risk appetite for me as an investor.

The Trading Monk

What started the stock market expedition for me was the search for a path to trade on opportunities, to make as much as possible, and to live without fear in a constant wave of nervousness. Alas, only to realise the path is well crowded and nobody is sure where it leads to: hell or heaven for a monk!!!

The journey in 2010 took this monk on a path though defined by others, but less travelled, a path where the chances of success & failure were equal yet people failed, and a path where patience is the fuel to reach the goal.

Landing a job as a rating analyst helped me learn the concepts to analyze companies, the management, the financials, valuations, and the credibility of projections. This further helped me to start looking for the Companies not known to people, yet are popular among other monks, the Companies which made the old monks drunk (pun intended), and the Companies which made the great ‘Oracles of Omaha’!!!

From a Trading Monk to The Valuing Monk

Value investment is all about finding the strong companies with a long term view that are trading well below their intrinsic value. And it is actually not as easy as it may sound. Though an amateur in this field of investment, but with an experience of almost five years in the fight against losses, I would start analyzing companies I believe in and share here through my blog. Hope this monk is able to let other souls be freed from the shackles of loss and proceed to a path of glory.

Disclaimer:

The great Morpheus from the movie Matrix tells Neo: “I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.” Learn from the mistakes of others, not always you need to commit one to learn. So, do make informed decisions and never ever get inspired by what others have to say, just believe in self, that’s the best advise you’ll get from your soul who knows you the most/best and wants you to be free (and not high). And this investment approach is only worth every penny if a stock or a script is viewed as a manifestation of the company. Or rather I may say, stock is a derivative like instrument having base as the Company itself. Plainly buying a stock is different from buying a stock in form of piece of a business you believe in, the management you trust and the product you endorse.

See you guys soon, take care and happy investing!!!

HANUMAN (AGEMENT): THE GOAL MANAGEMENT

In Ramayana, where Lord Ram had to fight Ravan for Sita, the battle was not an individual but an historic example of team work. The team included the manifestations of God in various forms including Hanuman, Vibhishan, Jamvan, Sugriv, Jatayu (pre-war event) etc. in addition to Lakshman, Ram’s younger brother. While Hanuman, a vanara, was the greatest bhakt (devotee) of Ram, his prowess was greater and played a great role in locating Mata Sita and assisted Lord Ram in bringing Lakshman back to file after being hit by Indrajit’s bows.Sugriv, the vanara head, assembled the army required by Ram to fight Ravan. Vibhishan, the younger brother of Ravan, the one with the knowledge of Lanka, was well aware of the powers of demons and guided Ram on how to kill Ravan. While Jatayu was a demi-God bird who sacrificed his life in saving the abduction of Mata Sita; Jamvan, was a ferocious human bear with strength to beat Ravan alone in a battle. Thus, Lord Ram was armored with the manifestations of God in various forms. Hanuman, was the incarnation of Shiva, and Shiva, the destroyer had blessed Ravan with navel exception immortality after rigorous tapasya. Hanuman, alone had all the powers and strength to beat and kill Ravan, but his role was defined in form of a devotee, explorer, saviour, follower and skilled vanara.

At the time when Lakshman was severely wounded by Indrajit’s sorcerous blows, Hanuman was asked to bring in Sanjivni herb from Himalayas. Hanuman, the flying vanara reached mountains in no time but not knowing the right herb amongst boundless plantations brought in the entire mountain. Sushena, the medic, uprooted the right herb and brought Lakshman back to life.

Hanuman was all in one, but it was the leader, Ram, who had to sail the army through the dungeons of Lanka to free Mata Sita with the support of Vanara’s like Hanuman.

In Corporate World, a battle is fought everyday and similar situations arise, where individuals play different roles like that of Lord Ram, Hanuman etc.

Kesri, an IIT and IIM graduate, was a child prodigy and keen to join Investment Banking. After having recruited with the top IB firm, in a six months’ time contributed to the turnover of the Bank. Though it was his first job, but on account of work and profile, he was paid handsomely. He handled complex investment decisions single handedly and one day was tasked with a securitization deal never undertaken before. The deal required expertise from multiple verticals and business segments to which Kesri was not equipped. His boss, Ramakanth, was under pressure to close the deal on account of dearth in time while even a clear structure was not in vicinity. Ramakanth, having Investment Banking experience of more than three decades and the agility of a leader, was quick to guide the possible structures with expertise of relevant segments mentioned to Kesri. This helped Kesri, to undertake an extensive research and present all the possible structuring options for review of the management for effective decision making. Ramakanthwas quick to pick the right structure and make amendments accordingly to close the deal. Thus Ramakanth, worked like a true leader (Lord Ram) and Kesri worked as a devout soldier (Lord Hanuman) to win the battle(s) and hence wars.

It’s the same way of Hanu-management that is important for organizations to realize the potential of hardworking employees working at the Bottom of the Pyramid. The employees are an asset and when made a part of Management’s vision can provide solutions to choose from for the Management for effective achievement of the Organization’s Goal.

All characters mentioned are fictional & the piece is inspired from the works of Sh. DevduttPatnaik.

A bundle of Joy

I hold in my hands a bundle of joy,

a teedly-weedly princess, a teedly-weedly toy!!!

Look at your smile, a half crescent moon,

with all your cudly woos, the connection is naturally tuned!!!

A path less travelled, with your feet in my hands,

today's baby and tomorrow's toddler, one day, you'll hold my finger and stand!!!

I wish your hair do not groom to be like my hair curls :-)

it would've been fun having a boy,

it's super-awesome having a girl!!!

Your mum had to go through real tough times,

but with you around, the difficulties now are a distant chimes...

I thank your mum for making our wish come true,

You are my BEST LOVE baby, your mum is my FIRST LOVE too!!!

The poem is dedicated to my lovely daughter Smaira and my wife!!!

for the person I live for....

Short 'n' Sweet

You are the love of my life,

You are the one I look at this world through;

Getting married to you was my good-luck;

Seeing you every morning, every day is afresh 'n' new!!!

At times, I may not cry for every tear in your eyes,

I feel sad, I feel hatred within;

Past can’t be changed but as I look in the future,

I’ll strive hard to make your life glorified!!!

You’ve become a deep thinker,

Don’t get lost in the sea of thoughts;

Let me hold your hands forever,

We’ll fight together, as are difficult times always fought!!!

I love you and wanna say it day & night;

Whenever you miss me, just close your eyes;

If you don’t see me within;

Look around, I’ll be there on your right!!!

      -Raghav

for my lovely wife