Grey market Blues - Rpower

The debut of Reliance Power (RPL) shares on the Mumbai Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was one of the most spectacular fiascos in recent times in the Indian primary market. It was hyped up so much that when the stock crashed below its offer price, even grey market investors felt the tremors.

Scores of investors are believed to have refused to pay up after buying RPL shares shelling out double the Rs 450 offer price as premium. Usually, operators do not lose money because shares invariably list at a premium to the last traded price in the grey market. Sometimes, if there is a marginal loss, the difference is settled through cash and the show carries on to the next IPO. However, the RPL stock is believed to have spawned a Rs 2,000-2,500 crore payment crisis in the unofficial bucket (dabba) shops most of which are in Gujarat centres such as Ahmedabad and Rajkot. That is because, it debuted at a 21 per cent premium to its offer price of Rs 450 but soon sank below it. It now trades at a discount of Rs 175 to the issue price.

With the other two big IPOs —Wockhardt and Emaar MGF —bowing out due to poor investor response, the below-the-ground operators are stuck for a while.

That brings us to the point, how to regulate this when-issued market. It’s difficult, but then, sources say that it is tough for that market to function without the connivance of the issuers and their investment bankers. Regulating them better could be the answer.

Americans prefer Indian products to Chinese

A majority of Americans are not averse to purchasing made-in-India products, but the opposite is the case for those made in China, according to a new survey conducted by renowned US-based business magazine Fortune.

In the wake of some of the American companies, including toymaker Mattel, recalling products they sourced from China due to high lead content, nearly three in five (57%) of the US citizens surveyed by Fortune said they were "less likely to buy a product if it is made in China."

As much as 52% of the survey respondents said such an incident would not affect their purchasing decision if the product was made in India.

In the survey, only 35% of Americans said they were "less likely" to purchase a product manufactured in India, while 11% said they were "more likely" to buy such goods.

For China-made products, 11% people said they were "more likely" to buy these products, while 30% said it did not matter to them whether goods were exported from the dragon country.

Fortune magazine, which surveyed 1,000 adults throughout America between January 14-16, said "where a product is manufactured does not impact Americans' purchasing decisions except when that product is made in China."

Nearly three-in-five (57%) Americans were less likely to buy a product if it was made in China. When products were manufactured in other areas, such as Eastern Europe (57%), Western Europe (55%), Canada (53%), India (52%), Africa (51%), Mexico (48%), Japan (47%), and South Korea (46%), nearly a majority said it did not matter, the survey found.

BS