HomeNewsBusinessMarketsShort Call: Retail investors fuel climate change in markets; Trent, IndiaMart, Tata Consumer, Ajanta Pharma in limelight

Short Call: Retail investors fuel climate change in markets; Trent, IndiaMart, Tata Consumer, Ajanta Pharma in limelight

“Advances are followed by mere corrections, and bull markets by bear markets. But booms and bubbles are followed by much more harmful busts and panics.” - Howard Marks

August 01, 2024 / 07:52 IST
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Higher taxes in the Budget have not dampened sentiment in any way, with a notable 31 new listings on Dalal Street in July alone.
Higher taxes in the Budget have not dampened sentiment in any way, with a notable 31 new listings on Dalal Street in July alone.

India's primary market has been nothing short of a juggernaut this year, with over 150 companies amassing nearly $5 billion through IPOs between January and July—almost double the amount raised during the same period last year, according to LSEG data. Higher taxes in the Budget have not dampened sentiment in any way, with a notable 31 new listings on Dalal Street in July alone.

These listings, mostly in the SME segment, have dazzled investors, with around 50 percent still enjoying nearly 100 percent gains. In this backdrop, the excitement surrounding Ola Electric's IPO, set to open for bidding on August 2, is palpable.

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Some of the high-profile IPOs in the recent past, particularly from new-age businesses, have turned out to be damp squibs. That may be no dampener for the new set of investors who flock to the market every day, who only know one thing: the market is making new highs.

Veterans have repeatedly caution that valuations across most sectors—excluding Financials and IT—appear inflated. But one can’t blame retail investors alone. Foreign investors who were griping about expensive valuations till just before the general elections results, too have had a change of heart. It seems to be a capital market of climate change as liquidity continues to swamp fundamentals