MSL Leg 3 | Global Indices | Round 2

RULES

·      Every team has to predict the direction of movement and magnitude of change in each index on the basis of given news.

·      $100 is the amount of stake put for each bet.

·       Odds of each bet are mentioned in front of the event

·       Payoff on successful bet = $100*Odds of the bet

·       Loss on unsuccessful bet = $100

·       Round 1 is exclusive of Round 2. New bets with fresh budget will take place in Round 2.

 

INDICES

Global Indices and their opening quotes are as follows:

·       NASDAQ – 4800 (USA)

·       NIFTY – 8500 (India)

·       ASX 200 – 6000 (Australia)

·       DAX – 11000 (Germany)

·       BOVESPA – 50500 (Brazil)

·       FTSE 100 – 6500 (United Kingdom)

NEWS

·       Expected monetary easing will result in Yen depreciation and improvements in Japanese exporters’ performance.

·       US 10-year Treasury Bond Yields fall to lowest in six years.

·       Speculations about the next month’s UK elections show indecisive results. Investors live with caution.

·       Eurozone economy sees growth pick up. Germany, the largest in the Eurozone grew by 0.7% in the latest quarter.

·       U.S. equity-index futures retreated while Australian bonds and gold climbed as the European Central Bank said it will stop offering preferential loans to Greek lenders.

·       Oil Prices reverse, rise on OPEC’s production halt.

·       Reserve Bank of Australia has cut interest rates to a record low to kick-start the economic cycle.

·       RBI keeps key interest rates unchanged despite demand from Finance Ministry. Opinion polls suggest resurgence of socialist parties in India with Aam Aadmi Party touted to win the state elections in Delhi; Nifty Futures experience high volatility.

·       The accusations of corruption at Brazil’s state-controlled petroleum giant Petrobras has already led to a political scandal and threatening other Brazilian companies and may even tip the country into recession.  

 

Send in your responses at the following link latest by 12:30 AM, 18th Feb: http://goo.gl/pqnXut

MSL Leg 3 | Global Indices | Round 1

RULES

·       Every team has to predict the direction of movement and magnitude of change in each index on the basis of given news.

·       $100 dollars is the amount of stake put for each bet.

·       Odds of each bet are mentioned in front of the event.

·       Payoff on successful bet = $100*Odds of the bet

·       Loss on unsuccessful bet = $100

·       Round 1 is exclusive of Round 2. New bets with fresh budget will take place in Round 2.

INDICES

 

Global Indices and their opening quotes are as follows:

 

·       FTSE 100 - 6500, (United Kingdom)

·       BSE Sensex – 28,000 (India)

·       S&P 500 – 18,000 (USA)

·       JALSH – 50,000 (South Africa)

·       NIKKEI 225 – 16,000 (Japan)

·       RTSI – 1000 (Russia)

NEWS

·       Confident of US Recovery, the Federal Reserve has tightened the monetary policy as growth seen strongest in last decade.

·       Japanese Prime Minister Sino Abe’s ruling coalition gained more than two third majority, winning a mandate for his decision to postpone a sales tax increase to October next year after the economy had slid into a recession.

·       The lower OPEC demand forecast for 2015, plus a rise in OPEC output in December led by Iraq, means the report projects a larger global supply surplus in 2015, without output cuts by OPEC or other producers. At OPEC's meeting, top exporter Saudi Arabia urged fellow members to combat the growth in supply from competing sources including US shale, which needs relatively high prices to be economic and has been eroding OPEC's market share.

·       India clears order to ease Land acquisition rules in power housing and defence to kick start hundreds of billion dollars in stalled projects.

·       South Africa growth weaker than peer countries. Real GDP growth declined 1.9% in 2013 to 1.4% in 2014 due to strikes and reduced electricity.

·       Continuing uncertainty surrounding the upcoming Greek elections and potential fall out of Greece will possibly leave the Euro zone exposed.

·       The multiple economic sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe over Ukraine row, coupled with the rate hike from 10.5% to 17% in an attempt to spark capital inflows and save the rubble from sinking further will likely cause a sharp contraction in Russia’s already-frail economy which is expected to grow at negative rate in 2015.

 

Send in your responses at the following link latest by 11:59 PM http://goo.gl/ylVNww

 

 

 

MSL Leg 2 | Commodities | Round 2

RULES

·       Round 2 is exclusive of round 1. Given budget is Rs. 1,00,000.
·       If you expect market price to rise above the future price, buy the future.
·       If you expect market price to remain below the future price, sell the future.
·       In case you buy the future, Payoff = Contract Amount*(Settlement Price/Future Price)
·       In case you sell the future, Payoff = Contract Amount*(Future Price/Settlement Price)
·       It is necessary to trade in each commodity. And contract size in any commodity cannot exceed Rs.40,000.

PRICES

·       Gold: Spot Price - 300, Future Price – 280
·       Silver: Spot Price - 500, Future Price - 535
·       Copper: Spot Price - 300, Future Price - 330
·       Aluminium: Spot Price - 100, Future Price - 115
·       Zinc: Spot Price - 600, Future Price - 650
·       Nickel: Spot Price-  900, Future Price - 975

NEWS

·       Modi government urges companies from China, Japan, Germany and US to lead investments of $100 billion to boost India’s solar energy capacity  by 33 times. (Silver is used in photo voltaic cell) Foreign companies say that they are enthused by Modi’s personal interest in solar energy development.
·       Consumer appetite for jewelry, which was dampened by the global recession, now appears more voracious in this festive season.
·       Copper prices are expected to trade lower on signs of slow-down in China along with supply surplus that will hit the markets next year.
·       Gold Near Futures February Contracts are trading at lower than the spot price with rising open interest.
·       The US Equities benchmark index NASDAQ has been rising consistently for last two months over tapering and interest rate decisions .
·       World primary aluminum production to increase in 2015 compared to the production in 2014, as a result of starting new smelters and restarting smelters that had been shut down in 2008 and early 2009,reports MCX.
·       India and the Republic of Korea saw an increase in Zinc production of 8.9% and 8.2%, respectively, while India and Japan saw an increase in consumption of 15.6% and 12.2% in last month.
·       World production of primary Nickel during 2014 was 1.612 million metric tonnes (MMT), up by 11.53% as compared with 1.446 MMT in 2013. Whereas, the world's consumption during 2014 was at 1.608 MMT vis-à-vis 1.465 MMT in 2013, up by 9.76%, according to latest report by WTO.

Send in your responses latest by 11:59 PM today at the following link: http://goo.gl/E7LWGN

  

 

MSL Leg 2 | Commodities | Round 1

RULES

·       Total Contract Budget available - Rs.1,00,000.
·       If you expect market price to rise above the future price, buy the future.
·       If you expect market price to remain below the future price, sell the future.
·       In case you buy the future, Payoff = Contract Amount*(Settlement Price/Future Price)
·       In case you sell the future, Payoff = Contract Amount*(Future Price/Settlement Price)
·       Positions will be squared off after the end of this round. Round 2 will start afresh with a fresh budget.
·       It is necessary trade in each commodity. And contract size in any commodity cannot exceed Rs.40,000.

 PRICES

1. Cardomom:  Spot Price - 100, Future Price - 115
2. Sugar:  Spot Price - 300, Future Price - 325
3. Mentha Oil: Spot Price - 200, Future Price - 220
4. Guar seeds:  Spot Price - 250, Future Price - 260
5. Jute:  Spot Price - 400, Future Price - 430
6. Wheat:  Spot Price - 150, Future Price - 160

 

NEWS

 

·       A report by food commission of India says that the availability of gaur seed crop and water is going down for sowing of gaur seed for the coming marketing year. Higher prices of guar seed in the month of April to May urge farmers to plant more guar seed in the next marketing year.

·       Karnataka Cardamom growers wilt under twin attacks – The farmers of Hasan district are struggling as first, their cardamom crop was hit by viral diseases (Katte & Kokke Kundu) and next came the jumbo menace, as elephants & other wild animal plundered their lands. This leads to around 80-90% fall in the yields of the farmers.

·       Mentha oil production to decline - The production of Mentha oil to decline by 20% due to lower planting of the aromatic herb. A huge capacity built of synthetic mint, a substitute of mentha oil also discouraged farmers to bring less area under mentha plants.

·       Sugar is expected to be subsidized in many regions, including the EU, through production and high tariffs on imports. Any shift in policy could topple this disparate plan.

·       The Central government is making packaging of sugar and food grain compulsory in jute bags. The Centre has recently made the order under the Compulsory Jute Packaging Act of 1987.If prices of raw jute do not remain within limits, the cost of production of bags would shoot up, adversely affecting the operations of the food ministry, FCI .

·       The Indian government has sidestepped its own parliament to rush into law the world’s largest food subsidy scheme - cheap rice, wheat and millet for 800 million people – but the government’s haste has reignited rumours India might be headed for early elections.

 

Send in your responses latest by 11:59 PM today at the following link: http://goo.gl/mY1nBH

  

 

 

MSL | International Equities - Round 2

RULES

• This is the final round. Prices will be squared off at the end of this round.
• Only mention the amount you want to invest/(sell) in front of the company.
• For buying, just mention the amount and for selling, use a (-) minus sign before the amount. Do not sell any unowned stock. Short selling facility is not available.
• You cannot have stock of any company worth more than $1,40,000 in the final portfolio.

  COMPANIES

1. Toyota (Automobile) - $29
2. Microsoft (Technology) - $44
3. JP Morgan (Banking & Finance) - $82
4. Boeing (Aviation)- $63
5. Amazon (E-commerce) - $41
6. Nike (Apparel & Accessories)- $100

NEWS

• Toyota registers growth again in December: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) sold 11,740 (Domestic) units in Dec 2014 in the domestic market as compared to 10, 648 (domestic) units in Dec 2013 thereby registering a growth of 10%. The company exported 1,888 units of Etios series in Dec 2014. TKM registered sales of 13,628 (Domestic + Exports) units, in Dec 2014 as compared to 12, 622 (Domestic + Exports) units in Dec 2013. TKM registered an overall growth of 8%.

• Microsoft to pay China $140 million for 'tax evasion': China has levied about $140 million in back taxes from Microsoft Corp in the first major case concerning cross-border tax evasion in the country, as regulators ramp up pressure on US corporations doing business there.

• Microsoft CEO meets Modi, keen on ‘Make in India’: Global software leader Microsoft’s chief executive officer, Indian-born Satya Nadella, aspires to empower every Indian to use the latest digital technologies and has pledged his support to the government’s Digital India and ‘Make in India’ campaigns.

• Nike has moved to capitalize on the Chinese public’s growing love for the Football by replacing Adidas as the National team's kit supplier; it swooped to sign a contract worth 100 million yuan (£10.5 million) which will last till 2026.

• Amazon's acquisition this year centered on its entertainment expansion with its $970 million acquisition of video game streaming company TWITCH and digital comic company COMIXOLOGY.

• JP Morgan Chase & Co., the biggest U.S. Bank reveals a major data breach by hackers where data on 76 million households and 7 million small businesses were compromised which included user contact information, names, phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses. However, JP Morgan officials say there is no evidence that hackers stole account numbers, passwords, user IDs or Social Security numbers.
• The crisis engulfing Toyota worsened today after U.S officials revealed they were investigating complaints about steering on the Corolla - the company's best-selling car. Federal safety officials have received 80 complaints from drivers of 2009 and 2010 Corollas in America, with many saying their cars wandered when driving straight on highways - making it hard to stay in lanes.
• Afresh after its World Cup win, Germany National Football Team overtakes Brazil as the world's most loved sports team; Adidas wins official merchandise rights for Manchester United from 2015. 
• Boeing beats own guidance, delivers 114 Dreamliners in 2014: Boeing has exceeded its earlier guidance for 787 Dreamliner deliveries. The number is the result of a rush of end-of-year deliveries. This means the company will have exceeded its own guidance for the year. Boeing President Dennis Muilenburg shared the company's estimate at the Credit Suisse Global Industrials Conference in New York City in early December.

Send in your responses by 11:59 PM tonight at the following link:

http://goo.gl/mL8XHI

MSL | International Equities - Round 1

• Every team has a budget of $2,00,000 at the beginning.
• There are 6 companies in which you can invest your amount depending upon the news and rumors given.
• You cannot invest more than 60% of the budget in one stock at a time. You need to invest in at least 2 stocks in each round.
• The first round only includes buying of shares. Short selling of shares is not allowed.
• The team with the maximum profit at the end of both the rounds is the winner.

COMPANIES

1. Toyota (Automobile) - $30
2. Microsoft (Technology) - $40
3. JP Morgan (Banking & Finance) - $80
4. Boeing (Aviation)- $60
5. Amazon (E-commerce) - $40             
6. Nike (Apparel & Accessories)- $90

NEWS 

• U.S. business spending plans gauge flat in January: A gauge of business investment plans was unexpectedly flat in January, suggesting a slowdown in economic growth after a brisk expansion over the last two quarters even as Boeing reported a surge in aircraft orders last month. Boeing received 224 aircraft orders in November, sharply up from only 46 in October.
• Accenture and Microsoft launch new hybrid cloud platform to accelerate enterprise-wide adoption: Accenture and Microsoft Corp. have expanded their long-standing strategic alliance with the introduction of the Accenture Hybrid Cloud Solution for Microsoft Azure, a powerful hybrid cloud platform designed to bring new capabilities, economics and innovation to the enterprise. Working with Avanade, the companies are co-funding and co-engineering this platform with new hybrid cloud technologies and services to help enterprises build and manage enterprise-wide cloud infrastructure and applications.
• Amazon just launched PRIME NOW, a standalone app that delivers things in 1 hr in NYC: It is available to prime subscribers in region of Manhattan. It has over 10 million new customers. It is a Positive sign for future growth as its prime members who get unlimited two- day shipping for $99 a year to spend almost twice as much as non prime members.
• Google Inc Enhances Shopping Feature To Counter Amazon: Google Inc has been nurturing a dream of becoming a giant force in e-commerce for a long time, and it may be coming closer to it. To penetrate deeper into e-commerce, the internet giant plans to enhance Google Shopping to make it more like Amazon.com, Inc.
• Toyota to Introduce World's First Predictive Safety Cruise Control System: Toyota is to introduce the world’s first predictive cruise control system, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, capable of foreseeing and automatically reacting to other vehicles ‘cutting-in’ to the equipped vehicle’s lane.
• Toyota fined $70m by US for failure to report deaths: Japanese carmaker Toyota has been fined a record $70m (£46.4m) by US regulators for failing to report deaths and injuries to authorities. It is the largest civil penalty to date levied against a carmaker by the US government.
• After its FIFA World Cup marketing campaigning fuelled profit and sales, 4th quarter net income of NIKE Inc., the world's largest sporting goods maker, rose 23% y-o-y comprehensively beating the analysts' estimates. The stock has already outperformed the S&P 500 Index this year.
• Despite a sub par growth in net income, falling revenues and a declining pattern of EPS over the last year, some street experts rate JP Morgan in BUY category based on the convergence of positive investment measures by the company and attractive valuation levels.

Send your responses latest by 11:59 PM tonight at the following link: http://goo.gl/wL9KTp