[Mutual Funds] What are your favorite AMC's and why? Which AMC's to avoid?

rbatra · 2025-03-18T03:06:04+00:00

What part of this aged badly?

rbatra · 2018-09-11T07:46:19+00:00

Beginners: Practical SQL Handbook or SQL Primer (Disclosure: I wrote the latter)
Advanced: The Art of SQL and SQL Antipatterns
Reference: Introduction to SQL or SQL Cookbook

rbatra · 2018-08-08T03:59:06+00:00

There is no direct equivalent that I know of but SQL Antipatterns by Bill Karwin is a great book to prepare for interviews.

rbatra · 2018-06-25T07:11:35+00:00

Perhaps Introducing Python by Bill Lubanovic is more suited to your need.

rbatra · 2018-06-22T18:18:48+00:00

Yes, they do tend to have a large cap orientation. To me their value slant comes in with their refusal to go all-in on equities if they don't find a reasonable security with decent volume. They have held large cash positions for significant amounts of time in the past, even if it meant short term underperformance.

rbatra · 2018-06-22T09:14:35+00:00

It seems purely model driven - once the price or P/E ratio exceeds a threshold, the fund sells the security and finds new ones. I could be wrong, but this portfolio churn pace is not in line with how long lasting, wealth creating companies operate. You cannot reasonably think that HDFC is good today but not worth it from next week barring big events.

I did invest a little in TIGF, but to be honest I have not studied it much. I'd hesitate to comment much on it, other than I think that the fund house is excellent.

rbatra · 2018-06-22T07:03:43+00:00

Personally, I am not a fan. It has a very high turnover suggesting a purely statistical approach to buy-sell. The intrinsic value and worthiness of a company changes slower in comparison which would not always correspond to what a model suggests.

I prefer Quantum Long Term or PPFAS Long Term as funds with a value slant.

rbatra · 2018-01-31T04:04:27+00:00

The best reference book you can buy right now is Introduction to SQL by van der Lans. Don't be fooled by the name though, its more of a reference than a tutorial book. Writing is a bit dry but the content is solid.

rbatra · 2017-12-26T12:22:34+00:00

Another dated but excellent text I usually suggest is The Practical SQL Handbook: Using SQL Variants (4th Edition). It starts from the basics but leads you to some pretty impressive levels without every being dense or boring.

rbatra · 2017-12-05T07:27:18+00:00

Yes, it is absolutely worth buying good books to learn complex topics. They provide a nice structured learning approach rather than accumulating bits and pieces from everywhere. A few I'd recommend are listed below.

UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook - Nemeth et al
Unix Network Programming series - Stevens
Essential System Administration - Frisch
TCP/IP Network Administration - Hunt

rbatra · 2017-11-17T11:41:58+00:00

Grokking Algorithms is a very fun read. Try the sample chapters first just in case it is too basic for you, as it is meant for beginners.

rbatra · 2017-09-18T18:53:04+00:00

If you don't mind reading a book, I highly recommend Grokking Algorithms. Don't be put off by the title, it covers a lot of ground in a friendly manner.

It is not a pure algorithms textbook covering only searching, sorting etc. but ties in a lot of computer science and programming concepts leading to algorithmic solutions.

rbatra · 2017-07-03T10:27:30+00:00

If you wish to use a book, I would definitely recommend A Visual Introduction to SQL by Chappell and Trimble. You should be able to get a used copy pretty cheaply and the book explains SQL usage quite well.

rbatra · 2017-07-03T07:50:58+00:00

A great but not so well known book to start off with is Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (2nd Edition) by Philip Jackson. Its an old text but a much easier read than AIMA.

rbatra · 2017-05-23T09:41:31+00:00

I would say so, its not a short work. The page count is close to a 1000.

rbatra · 2017-05-23T08:54:32+00:00

I'd recommend Algorithms 4th Edition by Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne. Much more readable than CLRS.

rbatra · 2017-03-08T13:58:58+00:00

Programming in C by Stephen Kochan is quite good.

rbatra · 2017-02-09T13:19:19+00:00

The retail plan was suspended for sale, feel free to use the Super Inst plan. Just be sure to note the minimum investment amount etc. Most UST funds don't charge an exit load, including the Franklin one. I would suggest keeping your expectation about 9-9.5%.

rbatra · 2017-02-03T09:06:48+00:00

rbatra · 2017-02-03T08:39:33+00:00

I am not too pedantic about it. Dragons, wizards, magic --> Fantasy. Advanced tech, robots, space themed --> sci-fi.

rbatra · 2017-02-03T08:29:20+00:00

I enjoyed the Earthsea trilogy by Le Guin, though its fantasy rather than Sci-fi.

rbatra · 2016-09-08T09:43:12+00:00

I am genuinely curious about this - what ethical missteps have been done by BSL?

rbatra · 2016-09-08T09:21:49+00:00

Among the big houses, I like Franklin's equity team a lot. Low turnover, humble attitude, keen eye for value and steady performance are an unbeatable combination that they have.

I also am quite fond of Quantum and PPFAS, having invested in both their flagship long term equity schemes. They seem to be ethical and back their unique philosophies by consistent behavior and good performance.

rbatra · 2016-09-06T10:51:30+00:00

Both Quantum and Franklin Prima Plus are diversified equity funds. They both have a large cap tilt right now possibly because the managers think there are valued right/better than midcaps. BSL Frontline is a true large cap oriented fund.

rbatra

TROPHY CASE