THE FUTURE OF CYCLES – 17 – MASTERING THE MARKET CYCLE

Cycles in economies, companies, and markets

If we follow above points mentioned by Mr.Howard Marks then definitely we can take advantage of market cycle and able to generate above-average return.

BIBLIOPHILE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BY HOWARD MARKS “HAVING A SENSE FOR WHERE WE STAND”

The above link will help to understand how good news flows and media get crazy with higher index targets. In the above link I have compared 2017 with 2007 and given indication in 2017 for the upcoming bubble.

Nifty 12000 – Here, we can see that the media start celebrating when the market has approached new high. Such acts motivate to retail investors and that will lead to more market participation.

We can get an indication of the market bubble when we observe our surroundings.

Investors try to predict bottom and still in the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). I am getting calls from many of people who are unaware with market, own little knowledge of market but tend to predict stock moments. They approach me with catching bottom, ask for advice (not actually, they want to get confirm with me) that they should invest right now otherwise they will miss out current opportunity.

People are involved in any of the decision-making processes whether it is in the economy, investing world, or anything else. So those human emotions also getting involved in the process. This resulted in more euphoric behavior at the wrong time and more desperate behavior at the wrong time by people. That will have resulted in the cycle. If the machine involves in the economy then it will not have a cyclical move.

The market has never moved in a straight line in the past and never will be in the future. So that we need to understand the cycle and need to take benefits from it. People think that excess bull or bear remains but that excess behaviour has to correct and that will have resulted in the cycle.

We can keep journal for events happens to our surrounding, major corporate deals, the behavior of people with us knowing that we are an investment professional, hot sectors which attracting major participation, junk starts flying, innovation in valuation matrix, etc. We cannot predict when the bubble will burst, but we can save ourselves from getting burst during bubble takes a journey towards burst. When we initially prepare ourselves for the upcoming bubble – burst then it will be going to happen that others will consider us a fool but we should accept being a fool rather than face huge damage to our wealth.

BIBLIOPHILE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BY HOWARD MARKS “COMBATING NEGATIVE INFLUENCES”

Disclosure – Companies mentioned in the article are just for an example & educational purpose. It is not a buy/sell/ hold recommendation. 

Read for more detail: Mastering The Market Cycle: Getting the odds on your side by Mr.Howard Marks

06 – ONCE A DARLING, NOW AN EVIL

The sixth part of Series “Once a darling, now an evil”. This series is based on the companies which were once upon a time darling of the market and now, it has wiped out the majority of all those gains. I am trying to put some of the number-crunching facts by which we have identified ongoing issues in the companies and have saved our wealth.

I am starting this part with one of shipbuilding and ship repair company which has an all-time high price of ~Rs.992 in 2008 and now last traded price at Rs.1.20.

On the first instance this company having huge sales and profit growth. This creates a temptation to buy with missing out of the opportunity.

Also, when we look at the terms of trade (i.e. debtors to creditor ratio)

Wonderful… should buy it immediately….

But when we go for deepen….

Payable is growing rapidly and it was higher than total expenses. This creates a sense of cautions that which vendor allow to keep this long credit? Also, if the company is capable to pay then why the company is not paying dues?

When we look at the Inventories, then inventory as a % of sales is higher than the sales. Means company has a good inventory pile up. Also, inventory days are above a year.

Now, when we look at the common size balance sheet of the company than almost 89% of the balance sheet was in other assets in FY06. It makes me curious that whether it is a manufacturing company or an NBFC. If we go for a breakup of those other assets then the majority of the part was in inventories and remaining? The remaining part was in loans and advances. I don’t have an old annual report but when looking for the FY10 annual report then such things get cleared. That was almost 25% of balance sheet and ~40%+ of other assets in FY10.

The company also has understated its depreciation. If we compare the depreciation rate with the peer companies then peer company has an almost double rate then the company.

If we look at the taxation as per the Cash flow tax rate then it is substantially lower this creates a doubt that why to pay less tax than actual payment. There can be possible to have an artificially boosted profitability in the P&L account.

Disclosure – Companies mentioned in the article are just for an example & educational purpose. It is not a buy/sell/ hold recommendation. 

Don’t confuse brains with a bull market – 16 – MASTERING THE MARKET CYCLE

When there is unusual profitability, higher return ratios command by a business then such businesses attract the incremental capital from others. This incremental capital results into the stiff competition and particular business become crowded where such unusual profitability and higher return ratio gone for a toss.

Reversely, businesses which are not able to generate huge profitability, higher return ratios, huge capital requirements etc. then such businesses fail to attract the attention of the new capital so that fewer players remain in the industry and due to challenging business environment, those few also reduces. This consolidation results in moving a cycle of profitability and return ratios to the improvement level.

Examples – high profitability and return ratios become lower (Telecom) and

Merely 2-3 telecom operators to ~14 telecom operators and then again reach to strong 2 telecom operators. This journey suggests the rise and fall of companies.

lower profitability and return ratios become higher (Paint)

So that we need to understand that business does not grow to the sky. They all have a cycle. Also, we need to keep in mind that best investors do not get successful all the time. Our human nature makes our success and that also moves in a cycle.

Success changes the people and they start thinking that they are smarter. Success has a negative consequence also where people become richer and motivation level of them started reducing. Unconventional thinking transforms into conventional thinking. Rather we should know our limitations and also, need to understand that we can fail though we become successful investors.

Successful investors believe that they are mastered in the investing and they have less self-doubt, the worry about being wrong and risk of losses. This invites the risky situations.

We have to keep in mind that – “Don’t confuse brains with a bull market.”

Success teaches us to make money and failure teaches us an important of the risk aversion. We always have to focus on risk while balancing between the aggressiveness and defensiveness. When there is a bull market, everyone gives us a piece of advice. But the quality of advice getting checked during the bear market only.

Making money in the market is always an easy task but keeping secured that earned money is a difficult task.

We keep doing hard work and keep learning for achieving success in the investing journey. One success does not make us a successful investor.

If we have earned an Rs.100 cr but we do not have the skill to keep it secure then it will not take time to again reach at zero.

We have seen that when the asset is not accepted by the crowd and all are uncomfortable to hold then the particular asset will be available at a bargain. Similar to us, when we start getting popular, everyone wants to make contact with us, everyone accepts our thoughts then we will not be available at a bargain. We also become crowded. We have to keep ourselves grounded and keep reminding ourselves that no rule, no strategy will work forever.

When risky assets are penalized by the market and due to that, it will be available at the valuation where it will be no riskier.

When there is a monopoly of the business, business generating good return ratios, decent profitability etc. These invites a competition, these plants a seed of failure. Reversely, when everything seems to be worst, then seeds for success getting planted.

Examples – monopoly kind of business worsening due to competition (Auto OEM) and

Competitive business turns out to be good (Footwear)

We believe that a good time will follow more good times but actually, we forget the cyclical nature of everything especially success. So that good time itself having a seed for the bad time and bad time itself having a seed for the good time.

Disclosure – Companies mentioned in the article are just for an example & educational purpose. It is not a buy/sell/ hold recommendation. 

Read for more detail: Mastering The Market Cycle: Getting the odds on your side by Mr.Howard Marks

05 – ONCE A DARLING, NOW AN EVIL

The fifth part of Series “Once a darling, now an evil”. This series is based on the companies which were once upon a time darling of the market and now, it has wiped out the majority of all those gains. I am trying to put some of the number-crunching facts by which we have identified ongoing issues in the companies and have saved our wealth.

I am starting this part with one of the manufacturing, processing & trading of yarns, fabrics, ready-made garments and towels company which has an all-time high price of ~Rs.582 in 2008 and now last traded price at Rs.0.35.

On the first instance this company having huge sales and profit growth. This creates the temptation to buy with missing out of the opportunity.

But when we go for deepen….

Now, let’s look at the above data then though the company has good growth in sales and profit but not able to generate CFO. This will require to bring external funding in terms of equity and borrowing, and both have increased rapidly. Look at the receivable and inventory as a % of sales than 73%, 69%, 70% in FY08,09,10 respectively. Also, if we look at the debtor days and inventory days both are increasing rapidly.

If we look at the taxation then as per the Cash flow tax rate then it is substantially lower this creates a doubt that why to pay less tax than actual payment.

Also, when we look at the investment than the majority of the investment made in subsidiaries.

Disclosure – Companies mentioned in the article are just for an example & educational purpose. It is not a buy/sell/ hold recommendation. 

LIMITS ON COPING – 15 – MASTERING THE MARKET CYCLE

We have seen superior results with superior insights. But for getting these skills, we also need to know the limitations and how difficult it is to acquire them.

If we are going to identify what will be going to happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or next week, next month then we are not going to get success in identifying cycle. Identifying cycle is never easy, it requires a greater effort to capture a cycle in a better way which provides us with an advantage.

Disclosure – Companies mentioned in the article are just for an example & educational purpose. It is not a buy/sell/ hold recommendation. 

Read for more detail: Mastering The Market Cycle: Getting the odds on your side by Mr.Howard Marks