Stock Investments MTerview with Kayar Harikrishna of mumbaitrader.com

Name: Kayar Harikrishna
Profession: Founder & CEO, mumbaitrader.com
Website: www.mumbaitrader.com

1. Briefly describe your investment experience.
I have been investing in the Indian as well as the American markets for the past 10 years. I invest primarily in stocks and bonds. I have seen the markets through the dot com bubble, the SENSEX bull run as well as the current financial crisis.

I have an MBA in Finance from New York University and have experience managing trading and trading strategy systems for large investment banks as well as smaller investment firms in wall street.

2. What are your investment goals?
My primary investment goal is to build and maintain long-term financial stability. I invest in stocks in order to build a portfolio that can serve as a nest egg. One of the main purposes of my investments is to provide for my retirement.

3. Tell us about your investment style and risk profile.
In the past, I had been an active investor with a high risk profile. Due to lack of time and other commitments, I am currently a passive investor and am fairly risk averse. I do a thorough analysis before making an investment and follow the ‘buy and hold’ strategy with my investments.

4. What tools and analysis methods do you use for stocks picking?
I use both fundamental and technical analysis for picking stocks to invest.

First, I use several valuation models to value a stock and identify investment opportunities. I then use technical analysis to look for any potential short-term impact on my stock picks.

I use custom software tools as well as Excel to perform analytics.

5. What advice would you give first time investors?
I will encourage first time investors to actively participate in building their portfolio. I would suggest the following:

• Maintain a practice portfolio like the one available at mumbaitrader.com.
• Learn the basics of stock investments.
• Understand both your short-term and long-term investment goals.
• Adopt an investment style that best suits your risk profile and investment goals.
• Maintain a well diversified portfolio that includes investments in stocks, bonds and traditional assets like gold, real estate etc.
• Track your portfolio on a daily basis to understand the impact of various events on stock prices.

Good Luck!