Being Nikhil, http://nikhilsharma.info Most recent posts at Being Nikhil, posterous.com Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:00:00 -0800 Rough ride indeed -- WSJ http://nikhilsharma.info/rough-ride-indeed-wsj http://nikhilsharma.info/rough-ride-indeed-wsj

What a Ride

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:52:00 -0800 Why Americans pay for brand-name drugs - sourced from ritholtz http://nikhilsharma.info/why-americans-pay-for-brand-name-drugs-source http://nikhilsharma.info/why-americans-pay-for-brand-name-drugs-source

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:18:00 -0800 Sentiment chart http://nikhilsharma.info/sentiment-chart http://nikhilsharma.info/sentiment-chart

Trivia - History is now called - "Where are we in time" in school syllabi. The name also doubles up as a very pertinent question in the current markets.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:33:00 -0800 In Merkozy, we trust... http://nikhilsharma.info/in-merkozy-we-trust http://nikhilsharma.info/in-merkozy-we-trust

And I say, define 'we', will you? 

World Indices

Index Last Change Change (%)
DJIA
11,997.70
-198.67 -1.63%
NASDAQ
2,596.38
-52.83 -1.99%
S&P 500
1,234.35
-26.66 -2.11%
DAX
5,895.83
+21.39 +0.36%
CAC Paris
3,122.27
+26.78 +0.87%
NIKKEI225
8,536.46
-128.12 -1.48%
Korea
1,874.75
-37.64 -1.97%
Taiwan
6,893.30
-89.60 -1.28%
Sydney
4,264.10
-74.80 -1.72%
Thailand
1,035.60
-7.64 -0.73%
Philippines
4,292.50
-20.39 -0.47%
Jakarta
3,759.61
-22.15 -0.59%

China Indices

Index Last Change (%) Weekly
SSE
2,315.27
-14.55(-0.62%) -1.92%
SSE A
2,425.63
-15.27(-0.63%) -1.93%
SSE B
223.59
-0.88(-0.39%) +0.44%
SSE Comp
1,917.43
-8.20(-0.43%) -1.23%
SSE-SZSE 300
2,503.46
-21.54(-0.85%) -2.11%
SSE 50
1,692.06
-9.62(-0.57%) -0.73%
SSE 180
5,323.36
-41.46(-0.77%) -1.55%
SSE 380
3,282.53
-32.27(-0.97%) -3.85%
SSE Dividend
1,857.01
-4.25(-0.23%) -0.69%
SSE Mid Cap
2,382.37
-28.07(-1.16%) -3.09%
SSE 180 Governance
615.59
-3.80(-0.61%) -0.74%
SSE Mega-cap
1,698.20
-5.58(-0.33%) -1.48%
SSE Industry Top
2,079.98
-6.82(-0.33%) -0.54%
SSE Commodity Equity
2,353.98
-25.11(-1.06%) -3.37%

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:19:00 -0800 Glamour http://nikhilsharma.info/glamour http://nikhilsharma.info/glamour

is often construed as a necessary ingredient in our actions when we take up a new activity.

In cricket as a bowler, when I look at the other end of the pitch, all I am thinking of is to uproot those stumps from the ground and send the batsman packing. In tennis, when I look at the other end of the court while looking to serve, all I am thinking of is to dish out a super fast ace leaving the opponent with no chance to return it. At work, as an analyst, I think of building super cool quant models which connect a dozen sheets, a bucket full of variables and work like a magic black boxes. At home, as a spectator to the hunting patterns of the agile male lion in the plains of Etosha on Discovery, I expect to see the lion give a 'camera slow-mo' friendly textbook chase to the straying wilderbeast and slay it. 

Aces

I am neither Nadal nor am I Federer. At initiation, the aces are always hard to come by; however what I can probably ensure is that each time I serve, I place it on the other side of the net within the box ; Speed, spin and all the other factors can wait. Even the majestic lion of Etosha takes about 6 -12 months in improving its hit ratio of successful hunts from 1 in 30 charges to 1 in 6. As an analyst,my magic black-box spreadsheet is pretty much useless if it does not account for all risks in the transaction.

Every penny saved by mitigating risks is a penny earned. The aspect seems very evident in the way Buffet's picks have made money over the years. Most of Buffet's picks have been quite traditional conservative businesses which have stuck to the basics of making money but have been disciplined enough to consistently get these basics right. 

As oxymoronic as it may sound, a disciplined rockstar is the person to be.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:23:00 -0800 The graduate... http://nikhilsharma.info/the-graduate http://nikhilsharma.info/the-graduate


Dsc_8074

becomes the post graduate.

Unsure as to how 'life changing' this event was supposed to be. Unsure if it has changed my life as much. 

Cheers to all my mates who graduated with me. The past year and a half would not have had the zing it did, if it were not for you all. 

 

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:07:00 -0700 Random clicks http://nikhilsharma.info/random-clicks http://nikhilsharma.info/random-clicks

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:24:00 -0700 St John's wood church and Regents Park (again) http://nikhilsharma.info/st-johns-wood-church-and-regents-park-again http://nikhilsharma.info/st-johns-wood-church-and-regents-park-again

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Mon, 25 Apr 2011 04:35:00 -0700 En route to LBS http://nikhilsharma.info/en-route-to-lbs http://nikhilsharma.info/en-route-to-lbs

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Sat, 23 Apr 2011 09:27:00 -0700 Regents Park, London http://nikhilsharma.info/regents-park-london http://nikhilsharma.info/regents-park-london

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Wed, 09 Feb 2011 02:57:00 -0800 Unlevering http://nikhilsharma.info/unlevering http://nikhilsharma.info/unlevering

is the act of nullifying the effect of debt on the Beta (risk exposure) in our lives. 

Equity is the effort we put in, in terms of studying/presenting ourselves/grooming ourselves. 

Debt comes in the form of suggestions/feedback/appreciation/depreciation from people around. Some of us operate with a lot of more equity than debt and some others vice versa. 

For those who operate with high amount of leverage, Good times are excellent as leverage multiplies the total effect. Bad times can get really stinky because leverage has a negative effect then. Essentially, in life, people who are dependent on leverage, get a considerable high when they are appreciated/admired and are completely down in the dumps when people discourage them. 

I am not sure as to which of equity/debt is good. I think both are required in our lives. 

Just that when we are alone and analyze our lives, we need to look at the unlevered beta ; Debt (be it good or bad), doesn't matter as much as its counterpart.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:29:00 -0800 Kung Hei Fat Choi (II) http://nikhilsharma.info/kung-hei-fat-choi-ii http://nikhilsharma.info/kung-hei-fat-choi-ii

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:03:00 -0800 South Bay Beach http://nikhilsharma.info/south-bay-beach http://nikhilsharma.info/south-bay-beach

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:49:00 -0800 Kung Hei Fat Choi (I) http://nikhilsharma.info/kung-hei-fat-choi-i http://nikhilsharma.info/kung-hei-fat-choi-i

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:10:00 -0800 Lamma Island http://nikhilsharma.info/lamma-island http://nikhilsharma.info/lamma-island

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Tue, 28 Dec 2010 03:39:00 -0800 Holiday Postcards - II http://nikhilsharma.info/holiday-postcards-ii http://nikhilsharma.info/holiday-postcards-ii

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:36:00 -0800 Holiday postcards - I http://nikhilsharma.info/holiday-postcards-i http://nikhilsharma.info/holiday-postcards-i

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:54:00 -0800 My walk to 100,Cyberport Rd... http://nikhilsharma.info/my-walk-to-100cyberport-rd http://nikhilsharma.info/my-walk-to-100cyberport-rd

Its been a long awaited hike - this one. This morning I walked upto Cyberport 4 from my place of residence - Kennedy town. Google Maps tells me that the distance is about 4.7 km and it should have taken me about 56 minutes by the shortest path. I am sure I covered more ground than 4.7 km and it took me about 2.5 hours to finish the trip. Thats obviously because I took a series of detours from the shortest path to feed my camera. 

The weather was extremely congenial for a long walk and Clapton crooning in the background on my Ipod made the journey all the more pleasant. Be sure to check out the pictures of the cemetery in the album below. It was by far, the high point of this walk. Never before, have I witnessed something similar to this place. Co-incidence or whatever you wish to call it, the moment I entered the cemetery, "River of Tears" started playing on my IPod. The pertinence of the song just added to the amazing serenity of the place. I must have spent a good half an hour to 45 minutes just rec'eeing the place and its awe-inspiring symmetry. 

The second high point of the walk was the fact that I actually got to see the place they call Sandy Bay and as to why the name Cyberport came through. To top it, I happened to meet these two people on the way who had some snippets to share about how fast/well Cyberport had developed in the middle of nowhere!

All in all, an extremely satisfying experience. Felt good to lay my footprint on the route that I use almost everyday when I ply to school. Felt even better to put that elusive 'tick in the box' that I have been wanting to put since long. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:07:00 -0800 Kat Hing Wai http://nikhilsharma.info/kat-hing-village http://nikhilsharma.info/kat-hing-village

This is a village in the Northern territories in Hong Kong. Its basically a 500+ year old structure (apparently, also had a moat in the olden days). Modernization of Hongkong, then probably took over this area and now, the rectangular walled structure houses 2/3 storied modern construction.

Apparently, the Hong Kong government has not established who the owner of this property is and so, the area is handled as a tourist spot with an entry fee by a bunch of 5-6 old ladies. 

As would come through in the photographs, this is bunch of super naughty ladies who collect money, not only to allow entry into the village but also for posing and a buying couple of random puffs. Imagine a 90 year old woman puffing about 3-4 cigarettes in a space of an hour. This particular 90 year old happened to be the subject of one of my portrait photographs. Do check it out in the album below. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma
Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:48:00 -0800 Stanley http://nikhilsharma.info/stanley http://nikhilsharma.info/stanley

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/36umem9gBoY1 Nikhil Sharma Nik Nikhil Sharma