Christopher Wooden: I’m suspicious of the rally in US, India: Christopher Wooden
What’s your analysis of the rally in Indian markets?
My view is that it’s a bear market rally within the US. The rationale to be sceptical concerning the rally in America is that you’ve a double whammy – tightening of upper charges and shrinking steadiness sheets – which is unfavorable for liquidity. The rally is pushed on hopes that inflation pressures have peaked. Inflation might have peaked however the important thing difficulty is whether or not inflation has settled. The true difficulty is whether or not the Fed goes to try to meet its 2% goal. India is simply following the US. I’m suspicious of this rally within the US and India. The market rally in India is carefully linked to the rally on Wall Avenue. Correction in oil has additionally helped India. I personally stay bullish on oil. I wish to proceed to personal vitality shares. I’ve not modified my view on India. The important thing difficulty right here in India is how a lot charges go up and the way far the rupee declines.
Is the Fed prone to proceed elevating charges aggressively?
The Fed is speaking hawkish however on the finish of the day, I am sceptical they will follow the two% goal. My guess is inflation is operating about 4% or 5% in America on the finish of this 12 months. The inflation difficulty in America or Europe is way greater than in India.
Is the worst of international buyers’ promoting in Indian equities over?
They haven’t purchased that a lot in comparison with what they offered. One motive that foreigners offered a lot in India earlier this 12 months was as a result of they had been placing more cash into China. China was easing coverage and India was tightening, so China appeared extra enticing. However in latest months, the Chinese language economic system funding story has been broken considerably by the continued COVID suppression coverage. In order that has prompted buyers to turn into much less constructive on China.
The place are oil costs headed?
By the tip of the 12 months, I see oil costs going larger. The primary motive why oil costs aren’t larger is due to the weak demand from China, which is said to the COVID suppression coverage. The COVID suppression coverage is a unfavorable for China, nevertheless it’s a constructive for the Indian economic system and the Indian market. I stay structurally bullish on oil due to the dearth of provide. The opposite excellent news for India is the cheaper Russian oil. The COVID suppression coverage has prompted a big slowdown within the Chinese language economic system and weakened Chinese language shopper confidence which has led to lowered demand for vitality.
The place does India stand in your checklist of funding locations?
This 12 months India just isn’t the perfect market, due to the financial tightening cycle. The perfect performing market, once I final checked, in Asia was Indonesia. My greatest chubby in Asia this calendar 12 months thus far has been Indonesia. India is ok, however India has acquired plenty of crosscurrents. On a 10-year view, India is my favorite wager however not in 2022. The RBI is tightening. It was behind the curve, however it isn’t as unhealthy because it was. I nonetheless imagine oil goes larger. I am chubby on India, however not dramatically, solely a bit chubby. India has completed higher than I anticipated firstly of the 12 months due to geopolitical components, of which a very powerful is China’s COVID suppression coverage. If China didn’t have the COVID suppression coverage, the Chinese language inventory market can be doing a lot better and India can be underperforming.
For India, the vital factor is what the RBI does. The fascinating level about India this 12 months is the resilience of the inventory market given the big quantity of international promoting. In the long run, one ought to stay invested in India however undoubtedly the danger of a correction is rising. What the RBI does is vital.
What’s your outlook for the rupee?
The Indian foreign money goes to be weak as long as there’s tightening happening. So, the excellent news is that the RBI was very behind the curve firstly of this 12 months. I’ve gotten much less nervous on the Indian foreign money in the previous few months as a result of the RBI has began elevating charges. I used to be extra nervous in January and February earlier than we had the inter assembly hike. India’s inflation difficulty is a extra extreme one than in China or Indonesia, for instance. So, that is why India’s foreign money has been weaker.
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