Amidst Corona virus Epidemic: Know the Impact on Financial Investment in India

The whole world is facing the COVID-19 epidemic. And, while its outbreak in China has only ended a few months, it has already affected 74,61,261 people worldwide, recording 4,19,070 deaths so far. The rapid spread of the virus has prompted people to keep their money in liquid form. Thus, instead of investing in the market, more people are selling their property. In just a few weeks, the epidemic has shaken investor confidence. Thus, the SENSEX is showing an unprecedented slowdown. In addition, the crude oil war between Saudi Arabia and Russia has led to instability in the equity and debt markets.

It is estimated that very soon, corona virus can infect two-thirds of the world's population. This scenario is going to have a negative impact on the Indian economy as well as global economic growth. Let us examine the effect of COVID-19 on most investment routes in India.

1) Sensex is below its 10-year average

The stock market is in turmoil as broader market valuations have slipped below the 10-year average. This is the worst time to sell shares as the Sensex has turned negative. The value of shares in the market has fallen by 44 percent, yet due to uncertainty people are eager to sell their shares. While some financial experts suggest that this time may be optimal for long-term investors, hype is that the market may take several years to recover. In addition, there may be a further decline of 8 to 10% over the next few years. Therefore, there is no certainty for the recovery of higher returns in the future.

As the stock market is witnessing heavy selling, this is the worst time for short-term investment. Right now, you should stay away from small and mid-cap stocks until the volatility settles.

2) Tourism and aviation are showing a sluggish business

The rapid proliferation of corona viruses has severely affected the aviation sector. Most international flights have been canceled, and even domestic carriers are showing sluggish business. Tourism is an important opportunity for income generation in India, but unfortunately, there is a panic in the tourism sector as thousands of tourists are barred from visiting India.

As a result, the hotel and restaurant industry is also showing a petty business. Also, all places of entertainment have been closed because avoiding public meetings is a preventive measure against COVID-19.

3) Gold is not so good for investment

Currently, gold prices are touching an all-time high due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Gold has been seen as a place of investment, with equity markets taking a step back from risk. Although gold is expected to benefit from the low yield scenario, it cannot be considered an interest-bearing asset. Eventually, gold prices will definitely decline after a few months.

If you are already investing in sovereign gold bonds, this is an opportune time to sell them and profit from gold price movements. But now investing in these bonds will not be beneficial.

4) Real estate shines amidst all the uncertainties

As the novel corona virus continues to spread throughout the world, the residential real estate market will feel the effects of quarantine. According to an estimate, only 15% of households in India provide at least one room per person, which is mandatory for self-quarantine. Therefore, in the next few months, there may be high demand for fully furnished homes on rent. And, property owners can take advantage of high rental demand.

As the government focused on the need for social isolation, the sale, purchase and construction of real estate will continue for the next few months. According to a survey, between the COVID-19 hit markets, there has been no change in the interests of the buyer and seller. Therefore, there will be almost no impact on the prices of assets. Although the commercial real estate market may not attract new rental interests over the next few months, there will be no drop or rise in their prices.

While each avenue of investment is showing a degree of uncertainty, real estate is the safest option at hand. Investing in stock and tourism businesses cannot be rationalized at present as these sectors are showing no signs of recovery soon. While gold prices have gone up, there is a strong possibility of a fall in prices after a few months. Therefore, if you are thinking about investing your money, then real estate is the best option as it is possible to drop its prices due to any market fluctuations or political, economic and social scenarios.

RBI extends EMI moratorium - latest update

As India struggles to get back on its feet in the rest of the world, the Reserve Bank of India is exploring ways to make the life of the common man less stressful.

The first EMI moratorium was announced on 27 March 2020 and was to cover debt repayment between March 1 and May 31. As the COVID-19 pandemic still continues, it was clear that postponement expansion was needed. That is why today (22 May 2020), RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das extended the moratorium on loan repayment saying - “In view of the expansion and continued disruption of lockdown due to COVID-19, the decision to allow lending institutions has been taken. From June 1 to August 31, 2020, another three months to extend the moratorium on term loan installments.

How does an extended EMI moratorium help?

About 122 million people lost their jobs due to the outbreak of COVID-19. To add to this, self-employed individuals are struggling to make ends meet due to loss of income during the epidemic. If you are wondering, about 51% of India's workforce is self-employed! This means that a large part of India's working population is now finding it difficult to manage its expenses and pay back its debts.

The additional 3-month extension would provide some much-needed relief to these individuals. They will now be able to take out their loans such as car loans, home loans etc. If they miss an EMI payment then they run the risk of negatively affecting their credit score.

Now that the loan is deferred for 3 months, and money is not deducted from their bank accounts, most people will have little money to watch them until things start appearing.

Important points to keep in mind about EMI moratorium

Although the RBI EMI moratorium is good news for many people, what should you know here-

· The EMI moratorium is not a mandate, it is a competent provision. Banks have the right to decide whether they want to follow it or not. Individual banks will also be allowed to decide whether this moratorium will be extended to all borrowers.

· If you have decided to avail the moratorium, the EMI will be extended with interest applicable to your outstanding principal amount during the unpaid time. This will increase your overall interest cost. If you have the money to manage your loan EMI, it is best to stick to the original repayment schedule, especially if you have a notable outstanding loan amount for a loan against a home loan or property.

· The moratorium prevents payments for principal and / or interest components; Bullet repayment; Equal Monthly Installments (EMIs) and credit card dues.

Repo rate reduction

Apart from announcing the moratorium, RBI also announced a drastic reduction of 40 basis points in the repo rate to 4%. The reverse repo rate has also been reduced by 40 basis points to 3.35%.

Repo rate is the interest rate that RBI charges for the funds to be given to banks. This drastic reduction in repo rates will also reduce the lending rates to banks. Lower lending rates will give people hope to think about reinvesting. It is also said that EMI will come down on home, auto, personal and term loan rates in the near future.

Increasing interest from house-buyers as families stay at house

Although the residential real estate sector was expecting zero sales from the first quarter of the new fiscal year, the lockdown has surprisingly brought people closer to the desire to buy a house.

The current epidemic has had an unprecedented impact on the residential real estate market. With families spending more time in the home, organized real estate players have seen increasing interest among buyers. Potential buyers also include NRIs, who are demanding digital presentations from developers in metro cities. Weak rupee depreciation and low interest rates are also factors contributing to the decision.

With work-from-house being the new normal, even existing buyers are changing their existing bookings as they look for larger apartments. While the numbers are still not comparable to March quarter sales, large developers say there is latent demand but for this to translate into sales, the job market and economy will have to respond better.

Many developers feel that there will be not only a recovery, but also a rebound in residential. The decision to favor decision-making has accelerated due to houses being closed for two months. Noteworthy recovery may take 6-12 months as real estate is a highly suppressed category, but expect first-time house buyers and mid-segment buyers to take advantage given the experience in the last two months will be encouraged.

According to research, demand was seen in the top two cities in India in the last two years, with unsold inventory levels falling 7% in 2018 and 4% in 2019.

In the first 40 days of the lockdown, the Maharashtra government has reportedly seen the sale of only 3,806 properties, which earned the state a nominal amount in registration fees. Typically, the state government earns Rs 25,000 crore per year from the real estate sector. While many state governments have allowed online registration, developers say they expect not only a return but a demand for rebound.

As far as demand is concerned, there are some very interesting patterns. Developers and real estate companies are questioning people who have never visited the site and are responding to digital advertisements. It can be said that consumers are realizing the importance of owning a house. People have started research and are ready for minimal transactions. A strong demand revival is expected once the lockdown is lifted, provided people have a fixed job.

Although the outlook is more promising for the residential sector than retail and commercial, a visual recovery is at least two years away. Developers believe that the digital sales trend will also grow in the coming years as innovative sales and marketing solutions are being worked on and drone shoots and virtual tours are becoming more and more common.