Are the markets gradually heading towards a bear phase?   It has been a rollercoaster ride for the markets thus far in calendar year 2018 (CY18). Amid intermittent bouts of recovery marked with volatility, the S&P BSE Sensex at 33,129 levels has corrected around 9 per cent from its record high level of 36,444 touched on January 29, 2018 in intra-day deals.   The fall in the mid-and small-cap segments has been sharper with the S&P BSE Midcap and the S&P BSE Small-cap indices slipping 13 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, from their peak levels hit in early CY18.   So, are we gradually heading towards a bear phase? Typically, markets are said to be in a bear grip when the indices fall 20 per cent or more from their peak levels. And, we have already covered half this distance. READ MORE Photo: Shutterstock.com No pricing respite yet for cement firms; higher realisations crucial   The recent cement channel checks undertaken by brokerages have disappointed the sector on the realisations front even as there are high hopes of recovery. In February, realisations across most regions have remained flat with some areas even witnessing a decline. READ MORE 30 of 47 firms that raised funds via QIP are trading below issue prices A fall in the equity market over the past few weeks has left investors that subscribed to the qualified institutional placement (QIP) issues in a quandary. The stocks of 30 of the 47 companies that have raised funds via this route so far in the 2017-18 financial year (FY18), are now trading below their issue price, data show. READ MORE Top 10 Women fund managers who have outperformed over long term Women still constitute only 8 per cent of the total number of fund managers in the Indian mutual fund sector but have proved their mettle by delivering significant outperformance, according to a report from Morningstar India * Altogether 24 women managers manage funds currently, either as primary or secondary managers, or as heads of equity or fixed income, compared to 18 last year. READ MORE INTERVIEW OF THE DAY Do not sell PSU bank stocks at current levels, advises Siddharth Purohit PSU banking stocks have seen a huge correction in the past few weeks, but Siddharth Purohit, research analyst at SMC Institutional Equities, won’t suggest selling at the current levels. In an interview with Pranati Deva, Purohit says that growth for the private sector could also taper down a bit in the quarters to come. READ MORE Siddharth purohit, SMC Reliance Regular Savings Fund- A good show across timeframes, market cycles Launched in June 2005, Reliance Regular Savings Fund-Balanced is classified under the balanced funds category of CRISIL Mutual Fund Ranking. It has been ranked in the top 30 percentile (CRISIL Fund Rank 1 or 2) over three consecutive quarters ended December 2017. The fund's primary objective is to generate consistent returns and appreciation of capital by investing in mix of securities comprising of equity, equity related instruments and fixed income instruments. The fund is managed by Sanjay Parekh and Amit Tripathi. Its quarterly average assets under management stood at Rs 102.33 billion for the December 2017 quarter. READ MORE