Monkey 1 regains footing, but Monkey 2 is still slipping

That’s the spirit! Monkey 1 finally fought back this week to lead the pack by posting just a 3.2 percent loss on his portfolio. As we all know by now, Monkey 1’s portfolio consists of 10 randomly-selected stocks from the BSE 100.

The benchmark indices (Sensex and Nifty), in comparison, shed about 3.6-3.8 percent for the trading week ending 9 December. The experts’ portfolio, comprising 10 stocks from 10 brokerages , was also not too far behind, surrendering 3.4 percent.

The biggest loser was Monkey portfolio 2, a collection of 10 randomly-picked stocks from the BSE 500 : it shrank by a steep 4.7 percent.

[caption id=“attachment_152804” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“For Monkey 1, it’s a small victory this week, but a victory nonetheless. GettyImages”]  [/caption]

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For Monkey 1, it’s a small victory this week, but a victory nonetheless.

Still, it was a different story for the period since 19 August - the date when all the portfolios were created. The Sensex and Nifty leapt on top with gains of 0.43-0.44 percent.

Next up was the experts’ portfolio, which lost a marginal 1 percent over the 16-week period ( See table ). Infosys was the star performer, pocketing a hefty 22 percent gain, followed by Bajaj Auto (up 17 percent).

Monkey portfolio 1 grabbed third spot with a 4 percent loss over the same period ( See table ). The big drag on the portfolio was Adani Enterprises, which lost a hefty 39 percent.

Monkey portfolio 2 was the worst performer again, shedding a steep 13 percent ( See table ). The biggest disappointment here was KSK Ventures, which gave up more than 50 percent of its value during the 15 weeks. Another big loser was VIP Industries, which contracted by 39 percent.

Still, it is heartening that at least Monkey 1 seems to slowly making his way back into the game again. Word is, he’s had a slight change of heart recently. From being totally detached about what’s happening in the stock markets, he’s now becoming more interested in learning about some of the world’s famous investors and their investing techniques.

Apparently, he’s eagerly lapping up stories of some of the world’s investing greats like Peter Lynch, and even the controversial George Soros; he’s even skimming articles on market bubbles and bear markets. Will they have a long-lasting effect on his investing philosophy? Only time will tell.

For now, we’ll just leave Monkey 1 alone to enjoy his small win. See you next time!