Wise words from Chandrakant Sampat

Dear Investors
Wise words from an experienced investor. I always value people who have seen it all over 50 years, their perspective is polished and they can catch long term patterns that endure.....Nowadays people only follow Shankar Sharma technical outlook rather than looking at hardcore investors
Chandrakant Sampat, Stock Investor - "Social awareness lacking"
He quit his family business in 1955 and started investing in the stockmarket. Today, at 80, he is one of the oldest investors in Indian equities. He shares his views on investing...
How have the markets changed in the last 43 years that you have been an investor?

Markets are totally different now. I went to the market in 1955. Earlier, the Controller of Capital Issues decided the price at which a public issue could be priced. Secondly, it was compulsory for any foreign company to get into India to offer at least a portion of its total issue to the public. It was very economical to go to the market then. All you needed was a cheque book and a slip book and, most importantly, merchant bankers did not have a say on what the price of a public issue would be.
In 1979, Hindustan Lever [Get Quote] went public. The shares were offered at Rs 16 each and the total distribution of dividend was Rs 32 crore - that was Rs 2 per share. This means that we were offered a share at 11 or 12 per cent yield. Today, the index yield is 0.85. The only question then was how do you choose which company to invest in.
This was great not only for the Indian shareholders but also for the Indian society. Institutions like LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) could afford to build a substantial amount of corpus on their retirement funds. Think of Reliance Power now.
Rupees ten became Rs 450 in six months and the public bid at Rs 900. For a company that will go into production in 2016. If this instrument lies on the balance sheet of institutions that provide retirement funds and pension money, can they ever make up the loss? The capital market has lost its social awareness.
Has your stock selection process changed over the years?
No, it has not. I have a four-fold process of stock selection. First of all, it must be a business that I am able to understand. If it is an industry that I have no idea about, then I will not look at the company. Secondly, it should have zero or very little debt. Third, it must be earning 30 per cent on the capital employed. And it should be available at a price-earning ratio of 13-14 times the current year's earning. Ideally, it should be at 3.5-4 per cent yield.
There are very few such opportunities left, but whenever they come, I like to participate.
Are you optimistic about the future of the Indian capital markets?
I cannot say I am. Machiavelli said that if the law permits anyone to do anything they want, society will be destroyed. This capital market permits anyone to do anything. The result of this freedom will destroy this society. I am 80, I am not worried. But what about younger people? What will happen when you retire?
Today, mutual fund managers are rewarded on the basis of their performance and not on the basis of value. This triggers them to chase momentum and not value. Chasing momentum is nothing but gambling. You must remember that a history of good dividends is more valuable than how quickly the share price has gone up in the last few months.
There are no profits, there are only accrued costs not incurred. I don't have any accrued cost not incurred. Younger people have tremendous accrued cost not incurred. Are you saving enough to take care of this? If you are not, you are not getting any remuneration, you are losing, and so is society.
What is your advice to today's retail investors?
The big issue today is inflation. In my view, frugality can beat all inflation. I still don't own a car, I don't have a mobile. Ours is now an economy based on waste. If you change that, other factors will correct themselves. I am now only 30 per cent in equity, the remaining is in liquid instruments.
Happy InvestingPadmanabhanWealthbull-A Value Investing Theme & Team