IMP Note: This article is written to safe-guard our readers who are new to stock market, and make them understand about the actual facts. We keep on receiving mails from our readers regarding the price range of stocks we covers under our Hidden Gems or Value Picks service. The misconception in mind of new investors is regarding the stock price, majority of them believe that if stock price is less, like below Rs. 50 or even below Rs. 10, changes of stock price appreciation is very high and they can buy more no. of shares rather than buying a limited no. of shares of high priced stock. 

We have a reader base covering almost all major states in India and from 20 other countries across globe. During the last 10 years we have interacted with several investors seeking multibagger return from stocks. 

It was 17th Dec 2011, we covered Cera Sanitaryware as Hidden Gem stock of the month at price of Rs 157, later it went up to Rs. 450 in period of 15 months. Based on strong quarterly numbers, attractive valuations and consistent performance, we suggested adding it up again in the range of 400-450 which was taken as a surprise by our members as we received several queries and feedback.

Below are some of the common queries of our subscribers which often lead them to opportunity losses.

Lets try to understand this with an example, Rajratan Global Wires share price was Rs. 54.77 on 30 Nov 2017 (stock split and bonus issue adjusted price, actual price was 639). Today the stock price is at Rs. 1225 giving absolute returns of 2137% i.e. more than 22 times within 5 years against double digit return of Sensex in the same period. 

We suggested Buy on Rajratan Global Wires at price of Rs. 639 under Hidden Gems service on 30 Nov 2017 and if any of our subscribers have not invested in the company thinking he/she can get only 15 shares by investing Rs. 10,000 has made a big mistake. Today those 15 shares have increased to 175 shares on account of bonus shares issued by the company in the ratio of 4:3 in 2019 and later stock split of 1 shares into 5 shares (face value of Rs. 10 to Rs 2 per share) in March 2022. And the current share price of Rs. 850 is still very high for those who looks at low price stock. We advised partial profit booking in Rajratan Global Wires to our Hidden Gems at Rs. 1300, booking returns of 2270% (almost 24X) in period of 5 years.

Another misconception among investors is to buy more no. of shares. They often think that its better to buy more no. of shares of a low price scrip (ranging below Rs. 10 or say below Rs. 50) instead of buying less no. of shares of high priced stocks. They often think that low price stocks can generate multibagger return quickly. During last 5 years, we have reviewed many portfolio of our members under Wealth-Builder subscription, we have noticed that many of their portfolio is filled with such low-priced stocks and most of those are in great loss because of poor fundamentals. You may think that a two rupees stock can easily generate multibagger returns even if it touch to Rs. 10. At the same time don’t forget that the same stock can even come down to Rs. 0 levels which can evaporate all your investment giving you 100% loss! In terms of valuation a two thousand rupees stock may not be expensive than that of a two rupees stock.

Lets try to understand this also with a simple example, Lanco Infratech was a well-known company from Infrastructure sector. At the beginning of 2010 the stock was around Rs 55. After 10 years, it was hovering at just Rs 1.30 and today its not operational any more. Those who purchased the stock during 2010 are in 100% loss! Rs. 1 lakh invested in Lanco Infratech in Jan 2010 was valued at merely Rs. 2,000 in 2020, a complete wealth-destroyer! Isn't it? Those who bought this stock at levels of Rs. 30 and later again at Rs. 10 or Rs. 5 to average out thinking that stock has came down from all time highs of Rs. 85 are still waiting to get their buying price back. There are many such stocks like Suzlon Energy, GMR Infra, GVK Power and Infrastructure etc which have continuously destroyed wealth of investors over a period of last 5 to 10 years.

We do not state that all low price stocks are wealth-destroyers, it all depends on the fundamentals of the company. So, do ensure that you check out the fundamentals and valuations while investing in stocks instead of looking at stock price. Please get out of the misconception that low priced stocks will fly high faster giving you extra-ordinary returns. Always remember that stock price is just a barometer, actual valuations of a company can be determined by its fundamentals.

If you wish to invest in fundamentally strong micro, small and mid cap companies which can give you far superior returns compared to major indices like Sensex or Nifty in long term and help you creating wealth, you can join our services like Nano Champs, Hidden Gems & Value Picks & Wealth-Builder.

Our selection process includes lot of research and data analysis. We first identify the sectors that are likely to do well in next 12 months. Having that done, we further refine our search to select companies from that sector. We create a portfolio worth Rs. 1 Lakh comprising 10 stocks so that it can help investors to create a model portfolio with lump sum investment up to 1 Lakh.

We have given different allocation to each of the scrips keeping in mind the risk versus returns ratio. We have also fine tuned the portfolio with large cap, mid-cap and small cap scrips from different sectors so that the investors can invest in a complete mix of stocks to balance their portfolio. Saral Gyan Diwali Muhurat Portfolio of 10 Stocks for 2023 also include best of Hidden Gems and Value Picks recommended by our equity analyst’s team during last couple of years.

We continue to follow our simple but effective approach by evaluating each stock on the basis of below mentioned criteria’s.

This is an absolutely non-negotiable condition. If the management is not honest, will they want to share the goodies with you? No, they will look for the first opportunity to siphon off the profits and pull the wool over your eyes.

Multi-bagger stocks are created because they are able to scale the opportunity rapidly. Titan Industries is a great example. In 2003-04, Titan‘s market cap was 500 crores. In 2022, it is more than 2,36,000 crores. The fact that India is a booming marketplace of 140 crores consumers means that most products and services have a head start at trying to scale up their activities.

We learnt from the great crisis of 2011 and 2019 that companies with high debt on their books simply get slaughtered. While debt per se is not bad (if the company is able to borrow at a lower rate and deploy it in its business at a higher rate, the operating leverage works in its favour), excessive debt with high interest and repayment obligations can crunch the stock in times of downturn. So, as a long-term investment philosophy, it is best to steer clear of high-debt companies.

Some company’s management is able to squeeze that little extra of every buck. A ROE of at least 15-20% is necessary to make into the hallowed list of model portfolio.

We know from past experience the demerits of investing in stocks like Suzlon & GMR which have an insatiable appetite for more and more capital. To feed their perennial hunger, these companies dilute their equity by making FPOs, GDRs & FCCBs resulting in total destruction of shareholder's wealth. Companies should be lean and mean requiring minimal capital but generating huge returns there from.

“If you get a tax-free return of 18% for your portfolio, you must be very happy”. So, stop craving for that overnight multi-bagger. You’ll only end up losing your precious capital that way. Instead, look for well established small, mid and blue chips companies that are growing at a reasonable rate of return (15 – 25%). With time and the magic of compounding, you will have your muti-bagger in your portfolio.

Most investors are obsessed about valuations, refusing to buy any stock that is “expensive”. However, one must remember that “expensive” is a relative term. If a stock is compounding at 25% on an annual basis, paying a price of 30 times earnings may be very reasonable. A stock like Nestle, for instance, has always been “expensive”. However, if an investor had gone ahead and bought the stock, he would have had an incredible multi-bagger on his hands. On the other hand, in trying to buy a “cheap” stock, one may get saddled with unsavory companies. After all, there is a reason why such stocks are “cheap”.

Of course, one should be careful not to buy in euphoric or bubble times when the pricing may be extravagant and not at all reasonable.

We like Warren Buffett approach, a believer in the concept of a concentrated portfolio. If you believe in the prospects of a stock you should be prepared to put a substantial chunk of money in it – or nothing at all. There is no point in buying a bit of this and a bit of that because that dilutes your returns.

Of course, we are no match for Warren Buffett and we do not have his conviction levels. So, we’ll stick to 10 stocks to begin with, which means that from 5% to 12% of the wealth will be invested in each stock.

Last but not the least; a proper portfolio must be diversified across sectors. A bit of Finance, a bit of consumption, some autos, some IT with a pinch of chemical, pharma etc will make a balanced portfolio.