Tweet Buster: Why retail is losing in this rally\, Voda-Idea trap & mirage in cement

NEW DELHI: For the first time in three weeks, the domestic equity ended lower for the week gone by in signs that the bear market rally might be running out of steam.

Standing completely disconnected from economic fundamentals, the stock market back home has been mirroring the US indices and other global peers and is rising amid brisk buying by foreign institutional investors.

But with more and more new investors enter the arena, is there a risk of the market turning into a trap?

Market veteran and Helios Capital's Samir Arora jested how our markets would move if there were no US futures to guide us?

The stock market rally may be trapping new retail investors, PMS fund manager Basant Maheshwari has proof of it. He says the pre-Covid and post-Covid data are worrying, adding that 'retail is losing and is already out of the game'.

iThought's Shyam Sekhar came down heavily on analysts and their stock price targets, saying they should refrain from putting price targets, as they are wrong most of the time.

One stock that kept buzzing through the week gone by was Vodafone Idea. With the AGR appeal pending in the Supreme Court, analysts are still wary about the prospects of the telecom company.

Sekhar advised investors to stay away from Vodafone when they have no ‘Idea’ about the company.

Independent market expert Sandip Sabharwal says Vodafone Idea is the latest favourite of retail punters. He said these investors do not realise that given the huge lot size in futures and options, a small move on the adverse side can lead to big losses (for them).

Commenting on the cement sector, Sabharwal said many are getting excited about the sector on the basis of demand cues from May. But they should not forget the fact that it has been due to stalled works and it is likely to get muted once the monsoon rains arrive.

Meanwhile, the outlook for the auto sector looks weak with more quarters set to see monthly declines, here's why.