Stock indices Sensex and Nifty fell sharply in Tuesday’s trade, as the tit-for-tat tariff war begins, with Asian markets nervously assessing its impact on exports, global inflation and economic growth. The markets have been volatile for a while now & several investors are starting to get jittery looking at their portfolio. The moot point being – what should investors do in such situations. For several investors especially those who joined the market post covid, this is the first real correction for their portfolios which were till date enjoying a steady green phase. However, market corrections are part and parcel of equity investing & anyone who wishes to be part of the market needs to sail through them with patience & with nerves of steel. If your portfolio is currently in red, do not panic & follow some smart rules:
1. Do not stop your SIPs, SIPs work of the concept of rupee cost averaging, you end up getting more units in falling market, thereby improving your cost of investing in the long run.
2. Look for opportunistic tops ups in a staggered manner. Especially in good quality Blue Chips. Remember that these are companies with strong fundamentals available at good valuations in current market scenario. Since we cannot really time the markets, buying them in a staggered manner helps us take advantage of multiple levels in a falling phase.
3. Review your equity portfolio for tax loss harvesting – helps you get rid of unwanted stocks & as well helps you save taxes. This strategy is usually used at the end of the financial year. Tax-loss harvesting starts with the sale of the stock which is experiencing a consistent price decline. Look for stocks in your portfolio that you feel have lost most of its value and chances of a rebound are bleak & sell them off. Once the loss is realised, you offset it against capital gains that your portfolio has earned over the last year.