Analyze this!

India's economic miracle is certainly not over, it's just started. The complete turnaround in the Stock Market from the euphoria of 21000 to the present gloom of 13000 is the handiwork of a newly bred species called Hedge Funds. These people move fast. Quick money is their mantra. The Futures market is their play area. If I was a Hedge Fund Manager with unlimited resources at my command (resources include huge amounts of money, control over the print and electronic media, financial analysts and politicians across the globe on my pay-roll etc.), this is what I would have done.

Starting at the start of Financial Year 2007-2008, first I would have pumped in money in the emerging stock markets, with a view of cashing out within six-nine months. So after creating a frenzy for stocks in Nov-Dec, 2007 and building up a Crescendo, I cash out at the peak in early January, 2008. But since markets don't fall on their own, I have to orchestrate a fall. I do that by shorting the Nifty in huge quantities. The other smaller players have no choice but to follow suit. It's like playing poker......have you ever played poker? :) The guy with the most chips pretty much decides what happens at the table. Ok, back to the market. So now that I've shorted the Nifty, how do I convince other people to sell their stocks too, so that I can make profits on my shorts? I start circulating pessimistic stories in the media about an ensuing recession. But since just two-three months ago, my people had circulated bullish stories in the media......how do I now do a volte-face? So, my propaganda has to be backed by some change in the fundamentals. And how do I change the fundamentals of any economy? I fiddle with the price of oil, which is the most important factor in any country's economy, specially the emerging markets. So, having made my money in the stock markets, I now start pulling out all my money from there and start buying Crude Oil Futures. So, as I push Crude Oil prices up by my relentless buying, the rising prices of oil play havoc with the economies of most countries and their stock markets come crashing down!

So this was what happened until now. What happens next? Surely, from a price of just $55 two and a half years ago to almost touching $150 now, the actual demand for oil has not tripled in this short span of time. The prices went up due to huge Speculation in the Futures market. So, when prices reach unrealistic levels, they become unsustainable. To my mind, that point would be reached somewhere around $171 levels and and the price of Crude would then crash back to around $110-115 levels. Correspondingly, a surge in the stock markets will then be seen. I think this turning point would be reached some time before the end of July, 2008, which is this month itself or latest by August. So, my guess is that from August onwards, the stock markets would again start going up.

I am actually praying for an early election. An early election would mean that the politicians who have amassed huge wealth in the last four years of power will open their purse strings and start to SPEND. All political parties will start to SPEND their money for electioneering, which will generate lot of employment and business across the country.

Contrary to popular belief that the fall of the UPA Govt. will bring instability and uncertainty, my reading is that a fall of the govt. will actually END the instability and uncertainty which is currently prevailing in the country and specially the stock markets.

Cheers!