Is India Ready for Long-Term Alpha Creation? Jefferies Reports

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- India remains poised for long-term wealth creation.
- Strong growth opportunities exist in small- and mid-cap stocks.
- The automobile sector is set to benefit from the GST cut.
- Investors should focus on 'compounders' and multibaggers.
- Recent SEBI changes have sparked interest in SIFs.
New Delhi, Sep 9 (NationPress) In light of recent market setbacks and global uncertainties, India is still poised for long-term wealth generation, according to a report released on Tuesday. The analysis by global brokerage Jefferies highlights that particularly small- and mid-cap stocks present significant growth potential, even as larger companies exhibit limited growth prospects.
Experts predict that the automobile sector will be one of the primary beneficiaries of the GST reduction, with a substantial surge in demand anticipated post-September 22.
Auto stocks have already shown positive momentum and are expected to remain robust despite recent gains.
“The Indian stock market is gradually regaining its strength, bolstered by expectations of an earnings surge from the newly sanctioned GST 2.0 reforms,” the brokerage firm noted.
Jefferies observed that while the Nifty index has slipped by 0.65% over the past year and both small- and mid-cap indices have also faced corrections, the overall market is gearing up for improved performance in the near future.
Factors such as easing earnings downgrades, attractive valuations, and a significant decrease in India's valuation premium compared to other emerging markets are highlighted as key positives.
“The reduction in earnings downgrades, fair valuation metrics, and a notable decline in India's premium valuation relative to other emerging markets are fostering a more stable environment,” the brokerage emphasized.
Jefferies anticipates India’s corporate profits to grow at a rate of 10% annually between FY26 and FY27.
Regarding market strategies, Jefferies recommended that investors refrain from making extreme bets, suggesting that ‘compounders’ have shown the best performance this year.
The brokerage also identifies value in underperforming stocks and potential multibaggers that could yield strong alpha.
Moreover, the recent SEBI reforms and stagnant market returns have reignited interest among high-net-worth investors in specialized investment funds (SIFs), which permit unhedged short positions of up to 25% of net asset value.
Jefferies mentioned that it is rolling out new long-short and short-only strategies in this arena, focusing on factors such as momentum, earnings revisions, free cash flow, valuations, and company size.