The financial market can be a gold mine or a treacherous trap, depending on the investments you choose
1 Astrology Funds
“Jupiter enters Cancer, which could help non-cyclicals, but since Saturn is opposite Pluto, mergers will fail and fears of recession could increase.” Sounds weird? Sure, many traders are known to use astrology to pick shares. But funds that do so with other people’s cash are a definite no-no. The only defence in favour of astrology funds is that they sometimes perform better than regular funds. US fund manager Henry Weingarten pioneered this novel scheme and his book Investing by the Stars is a good introduction to the subject. (Surprisingly, this is in USA which makes a fetish of rationality, not India, where business folk frequently choose auspicious days for events.) But beware, it is too difficult even to measure market risk; don’t add celestial risk to your portfolio.
(This story appears in the 08 January, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)