Financial Coffee

(Please click on the Newspaper link to read the full article)   INDIAN ECONOMY CII survey shows a rising trend in Q4 business confidence External debt rises to 20% of GDP Govt on track to meet fiscal deficit target Turn LIC, RBI into Regular Cos, Says Srikrishna Panel Economy Needs a Bypass as CAD Reaches Double of ’91 April-February fiscal deficit at Rs 5.07 trillion  INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY South Korea Announces Stimulus After Lowering Growth Outlook Japan’s Manufacturing Gloom Set to Clear as Yen Improves Outlook Consumer Confidence Cools as U.S. Jobless Claims Rise Cyprus Averts Panic Withdrawals as Banks Open With money Controls Economy in U.S. Grew at Revised 0.4% Pace in Fourth Quarter BRICS Approve Currency Fund as Bank Start-Up Stalls  EQUITY MARKET FIIs pump in 1.5 billion in Equity market in March Defensives outperform for the third consecutive year PSU Banks Feel the Heat with No Pick-up in Sight  DEBT MARKET Bond yields soften 4 bps on last trading day of the fiscal RBI defers Basel-III norms for forex derivatives Banks raise cautionary bar on gold loan firms, but see no liquidity risks Banks make a killing in call money market COMMODITIES Brent crude jumps to $110  Gold headed for worst quarterly run since 2001 FOREX Rupee Down Just 1.3% against Dollar in Q4 Canada Dollar Drops Versus Major Peers as Risk Appetite Falls Euro Rallies Most in Week as Cyprus-Led Contagion Concern Fades Yen Gains Versus Peers as BOJ’s Kuroda Gives No New Policy Hints Pound Rises to Two-Month High Against Euro on Cyprus, Italy Woes   MUTUAL FUNDS Equity funds trim positions in bank stocks Want to Bet on Small & Mid-cap Stocks? Trust MFs to Make the Right Bets for You Short-term Debt Products in Focus as Equities Unlikely to Perk Up Soon BSE proposes to keep MF distributorship license at Rs 10000 INSURANCE Life insurers eye expansion in health segment Premium on  Motor Insurance Hiked by 20%  REAL ESTATE Realtors Adopt Sachet Model to Push Sales 'Indian real estate market investment volume at Rs 19,000 cr in 2012' Slowing IT Growth Brings Another Reality Check  OPINION Current account-ability Are US equities cheap?:- Akash Prakash ,CEO of Amansa Capital Shall We Bank on BRICS, a Coalition of Unequals?:-RAJESH RAJAGOPALAN,Professor JNU Get it Right. Get More Money to Customers:-HAMISH McRAE,The Independent  KNOWLEDGE CENTER Avoid Costly Ulips Even in Rush to decrease Tax: Experts A road map to Financing your Education Tax Implication on NRI investment in Mutual Funds Turn your investment dreams into reality MIP - Is this India's most misleading mutual fund product? How many MF schemes should one have in a portfolio?