The leading stock market indices, the S&P BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50, are frequently scaling new highs. Naturally, at this time, the most frequently asked question is: is this the right time to invest, especially when the market is on a high? Over the past 44 years for which the Sensex data is easily available, it is quite evident that there is money to be made for investors who stay the course. For investors who invested in 1979 when the index was at 100, today the worth of that money is well over 65,000 times. For an optimist, there is no way you can lose money in the stock markets as long as you stay invested indefinitely.
A bull market is defined as a period of time when major stock market indexes are generally rising, eventually reaching new highs. But there are many other definitions of a bull market and experts keep changing their definition of a bull run based on evolving market conditions. So, there is a school of thought which describes a bull run when the market indices gain 20 per cent from the lows. Some describe it as a phase when all segments (sectors and market capitalisation) of the stock markets gain. All these definitions may never be clear right now, because, effectively, a bull run is best described based on data after it has run its course.
At a very basic level, investing is a way to grow your money based on your risk tolerance and time horizon. If you closely listen to experts who have skin in the game, most of them are perennial optimists and are mostly of the view that you could benefit from investing in stocks, bonds or commodities. Their specialisation in tracking different asset classes allows them to have such views with specific caveats, which is fine as long as you make it a point to know them and accordingly figure which asset class or investment will work for you.
This story is from the August 28, 2023 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 28, 2023 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TEXT AND THE CITY
International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree is back with a newly translated book-Our City That Year
Theatre of the People
This biography pays fulsome tribute to Indian street theatre pioneer Safdar Hashmi, whose life was tragically cut short in 1989
A DRAMATIC LIFE
Written by his daughter, this biography humanises the towering cultural figure that was Ebrahim Alkazi
Contemporary CREATIONS
BARODA BUZZ AT DELHT’S GALLERY ART POSITIVE PLUGS INTO CURRENT TRENDS IN THE BARODA SCHOOL OF ART
A LIFETIME ART OF SCULPTURES
An exhibition at Triveni KalaSangam, Delhi, showcases five decades of veteran sculptor Biman B. Das's oeuvre
Hitting a Winning Streak
OTT roles, anew music album and part of Lollapalooza India’s line-up, it seems like American artiste Lisa Mishra is here to stay
Made in India
RIDING THE WAVE OF INTEREST IN ARTISTES FROM THE SUBCONTINENT, SINGER-SONGWRITER ASHA PUTHLI IS FINALLY HAVING A MOMENT
VOICE OF THE YOUTH
Insightful discussions, pulsating concerts and more...Youth Summit 2024 was brimming with energy as over 5,000 students converged in Bengaluru to meet their icons
The Lost SPARKLE
India's diamond industry is undergoing a seismic shift as demand for natural stones declines and lab-grown alternatives rise, leaving skilled artisans grappling with dwindling incomes and uncertain futures
ONE POLL, MANY CONCERNS
DESPITE OPPOSITION, THE BJP-LED CENTRE IS DETERMINED TO PURSUE THE ONE NATION, ONE POLL’ PLAN. IF IT DOES HAPPEN, QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED ON WHETHER IT STRENGTHENS OR WEAKENS OUR DEMOCRACY