Monkey 1 keeps getting better, Monkey 2 slides again

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Yup, Monkey 1 just keeps getting better and better.

Its portfolio consisting of 10-randomly picked stocks from the BSE 100 , is up 9.2 percent for the period since inception (19 August, 2011). Yes Bank’s shares continue to rule supreme, netting a 39 percent gain. In comparison, the BSE managed to put on 5.9 percent, while the NSE added 7.5 percent during the same period. (View Monkey 1’s portfolio below.)

The experts’ portfolio, consisting of 10 stocks picked by 10 brokerages, put in the next-best performance, climbing 7.3 percent. MRF was the clear leader here, soaring an impressive 70 percent.

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Monkey portfolio 2, however, slumped 5.8 percent, extending its losses slightly from last week. Still, its biggest gainer, Aban Offshore, managed to climb 23.7 percent over the past eight months. The portfolio contains 10 randomly-selected stocks from the BSE 500. (View the portfolio below.)

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For the week ending 13 April, the story was a little different: While Monkey 1 stayed ahead of the pack with a 0.6 percent decline, Monkey 2 also limited its losses to 1.3 percent. The brokers’ portfolio followed with a 1.8 percent decline.

Happily enough, all three portfolios lost less than the benchmark indices, which dropped 2.2 percent each.

But don’t expect the Monkeys and brokers to become back-slapping pals as a result. Last heard, the brokers are plotting to tap some top-notch investors (one of them might be the man who is famously known as ‘Big Bull’) to buy stocks of companies in their portfolio from the markets. That way they can boost the value of their portfolio. (View the experts portfolio below)

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Whether that is a strictly legitimate tactic or not, it seems the brokers have decided to pull out all the stops.

News of help from ‘Big Bull’, meanwhile, has sent alarm bells ringing for both Monkeys. Both are reacting in different ways though. While Monkey 1 has taken to meditating and chanting ‘Om’ in deep breaths, Monkey 2 is busy boxing his blues away, while dreaming up devious plans, involving harm to certain sensitive body parts, to foil the brokers’ scheme. Ah well, he was always the more hot-headed of the two.

Will the Monkeys seek their own reinforcements? Whatever happens, this feud promises to be an entertaining one for the rest of us.

See you next week!