Phi Trends: A balanced approach

2020 has clearly depicted that investors must focus on prioritising companies with sound business models, writes entrepreneur and investor Shailesh Dash, who shares his perspective in this monthly column

The year gone by, 2020, was primarily overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, a lot has changed now, with light at the end of the tunnel thanks to vaccine rollouts and the reopening of economies.

The fall in equity markets started in late February 2020, and continued into most of March 2020 before rallying strongly in the subsequent months. After a strong performance witnessed in 2020, the year 2021 started with renewed bouts of volatility, especially concerns over slow vaccine rollouts, new waves of virus in some countries and delays in fiscal support from the US Fed. The performance during the first part of 2021 (until May 23, 2021) was largely supported by encouraging economic indicators and robust earnings during the first quarter.