Rallies in the markets may not present a clear picture of certain key developments. This is the very nature of the markets. A little bit of digging helps reveal stories which may not be apparent in the broad sentiment which engulfs the markets.
Rallies in the markets may not present a clear picture of certain key developments. This is the very nature of the markets. A little bit of digging helps reveal stories which may not be apparent in the broad sentiment which engulfs the markets. Take for instance, the banking index. In the past one year ended April 22, 2024, the Nifty Bank index has given only 12.41% returns compared to 25.89% returns by the Nifty 50 index. Beneath this underperformance lies a story. Let us explore it in detail:
Investors preferred public sector banks (BPSUs) to private sector banks. BPSUs largely finance institutional and corporate borrowers and private sector banks are known for catering retail credit needs. Despite strong credit offtake, stocks of private sector banks did not do well. There is a reason. Private sector banks were richly valued compared to BPSUs.
In a high interest rate regime, value conscious investors preferred to stick to BPSU. The PSU rally also improved the sentiment around PSU bank stocks. However, these stocks have a relatively low weight (around 15%) in the Nifty Bank index. Hence the positive impact on Nifty Bank Index was not as much.
