Date:25/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/03/25/stories/2008032552381600.htm

Back Losses to set off against profits?

Our Bureau

Chennai, March 24 Did you wonder why there were so many red ticks on the trading terminals even though the Sensex was up by 300 points on Monday? For every advancing share, there were four with declining prices. Which means that while the big caps went up, the mid- and small-cap stocks were butchered.

One theory is that including Monday, there are only four trading days left for this financial year.

The settlement date for what you buy or sell on March 27 is March 31; what is traded on March 28 will be settled on April 1 in the new financial year.

So HNIs and other individuals who want to book losses, which can be set off against their stock market profits for this financial year, are in the sell mode for their mid and small-cap holdings.

“If you want bargain picking in small and mid-caps, Thursday might be the last day for it” says Mr Arun Kejriwal from Mumbai-based KRIS.