Geopolitical conflict is all over the screens - from the small to the big ones What is likely to happen? What is likely to be Iran's strategy? And since 'सबको अपनी ही किसी बात पर रोना आया" what is likely to happen to stock markets and oil? My perspective based on data and history... Including what we did in our global portfolios recently and what to do now Want proper guidance for your Indian and global portfolios? Send a DM to @firstglobalsec

Which gender is somewhat better at cooking? Coding? Makeup? Turns out women are naturally good at all activities which are unpaid or undervalued, when they are classified as 'womanly virtues'...but when they start to command money and prestige suddenly the field is overrun with men, and women are pointedly excluded - sometimes absolutely prohibited from entering them. Once you see the pattern you cannot unsee it! And yes gender is about economics as well - not just woolly notions of fairness and equity. Besides the examples given in the piece here are a few others - some of them were pointed out by the readers of the column - The one thing which patriarchal men always boast about is their superior physical strength, so why is it that in remote corners of the country it is always the women and girls who carry water (a full water container is extremely heavy) over kilometres on end. - Mehndi at weddings was typically applied by women but now that weddings are multi crore businesses with huge payment to vendors, suddenly men have begun to dominate the field - The early computer whizzes include the great Grace Hopper whose inventions include COBOL which served as the backbone of computing for business (and still does in mainframe computing) - Not just in luxury hotels but even in traditional weddings all cooking related contractors (from Kashmir to Tamilnadu) are men. Interestingly most of them (including the celebrity chefs from hotels) will say that they don't do the cooking in their homes. Had written this column a few months ago but was reminded recently in a discussion on classical music. Most of what we call classical music and dance was preserved for the coming generations by the tawaif and Devdasi tradition. Till it was outside the respectable category, the women were the main characters and the men were the supporting players. Once it became mainstream, the men muscled in. Just think about it, no veteran male classical singer or player is spoken of without the Ustad or Pandit or Maharaj honorific - it is more or less unthinkable to do it. For many female artists it is used only occasionally if at all. For instance, think of how Gangubai Hungal or Kishori Amonkar are spoken of. (As an aside, two books that give a good glimpse into the tawaif tradition are Tawaifnama by Saba Dewan and यह कोठीवालियांँ by Amritlal Nagar) Women are not incapable or lacking in skills... they are simply systematically excluded from anything that gives them money, power and prestige. Culture, values, traditions are the ways used to control them. So many things hide in plain sight! What are men and women good at - The answer may surprise you @livemint @PenguinIndia @mileeashwarya

Which gender is somewhat better at cooking? Coding? Makeup? Turns out women are naturally good at all activities which are unpaid or undervalued, when they are classified as 'womanly virtues'...but when they start to command money and prestige suddenly the field is overrun with men, and women are pointedly excluded - sometimes absolutely prohibited from entering them. Once you see the pattern you cannot unsee it! And yes gender is about economics as well - not just woolly notions of fairness and equity. Besides the examples given in the piece here are a few others - some of them were pointed out by the readers of the column - The one thing which patriarchal men always boast about is their superior physical strength, so why is it that in remote corners of the country it is always the women and girls who carry water (a full water container is extremely heavy) over kilometres on end. - Mehndi at weddings was typically applied by women but now that weddings are multi crore businesses with huge payment to vendors, suddenly men have begun to dominate the field - The early computer whizzes include the great Grace Hopper whose inventions include COBOL which served as the backbone of computing for business (and still does in mainframe computing) - Not just in luxury hotels but even in traditional weddings all cooking related contractors (from Kashmir to Tamilnadu) are men. Interestingly most of them (including the celebrity chefs from hotels) will say that they don't do the cooking in their homes. Had written this column a few months ago but was reminded recently in a discussion on classical music. Most of what we call classical music and dance was preserved for the coming generations by the tawaif and Devdasi tradition. Till it was outside the respectable category, the women were the main characters and the men were the supporting players. Once it became mainstream, the men muscled in. Just think about it, no veteran male classical singer or player is spoken of without the Ustad or Pandit or Maharaj honorific - it is more or less unthinkable to do it. For many female artists it is used only occasionally if at all. For instance, think of how Gangubai Hungal or Kishori Amonkar are spoken of. (As an aside, two books that give a good glimpse into the tawaif tradition are Tawaifnama by Saba Dewan and यह कोठीवालियांँ by Amritlal Nagar) Women are not incapable or lacking in skills... they are simply systematically excluded from anything that gives them money, power and prestige. Culture, values, traditions are the ways used to control them. So many things hide in plain sight! What are men and women good at - The answer may surprise you @livemint @PenguinIndia @mileeashwarya

Classic example of a non apology apology 'mujhe lagta hai' NOT that I was clearly wrong but maybe I was 'if anyone was hurt I apologize to them'... Again conditional Also it was not a lapse of judgement in the moment! Later and in cold blood this was made into a reel and promoted None of this has been acknowledged He is only feeling bad that he lost some business and wants people to call him again No real remorse

Perfect analysis.

What saved Devina Mehra's portfolio in a year when the Indian stock market did so poorly Most investors spend hours looking for the next winning stock. But what if that's not what drives wealth creation? In this exclusive talk with @LiveMint, @DevinaMehra shares why asset allocation may matter far more than stock picking, and why many investors could be focusing on the wrong things. She also discusses AI hype, global diversification, gold, real estate, risk management, and the biggest investing mistakes people make during market cycles. One question for you: 👉 What's contributed more to your returns: picking the right stocks or building the right portfolio? Watch the full conversation and share your thoughts below. If you're looking to build a more resilient portfolio through diversification, asset allocation, and disciplined investing, we're here to help. 📩 DM us or email us at enquiry@firstglobalsec.com

Sharing a song that for me has the Vibe of being Light-hearted. Carefree. Joyous. When the world is vibrant and welcoming. (Although I am not otherwise not a Mukesh fan) youtu.be/0-lEVmE_j3k?si=Phk7… यह दिन क्या आये लगे फूल हँसने देखो बसंती बसंती होने लगे मेरे सपने सोने जैसी हो रही हैं हर सुबह मेरी लगे हर सांझ अब गुलाल से भरी चलने लगी मेहकी हुयी पवन मगन झूम के (Yogesh/ Salil Chowdhury) Have a wonderful weekend - full of light and joy 🌹🌺💕 #poetry

Early labels and unconscious programming While I have mentioned here what my 4th grade class teacher told me, the labelling can work both ways Recently at a reading of RK Laxman autobiography, one incident he had mentioned from when he must have been seven or so The teacher had some work to do and asked the class to draw a leaf on their slates When Laxman submitted his work the teacher called him. Laxman was scared but the teacher asked him: Did you draw it yourself? When he said yes the teacher told him. "You are an artist. Never forget that' He must have written his autobiography seven or more decades later but this is the incident he recounted as what convinced him that he was an artist even when he was rejected by the JJ school of art So much unconscious programming runs within us

#LifeLessson #47 Don't let anyone dim your light and your laughter🎈🎈 When someone lies, cheats, is unkind, critical, cruel whatever, even if they are close to you; remember all this shows the kind of person they are...nothing at all to do with who YOU are. Not always easy to see this when it comes from your safe zone. But step back, evaluate & move on if you need to.

A few days ago, my phone reminded me that it was 2 years since I made my first 'painting' If you had asked me even a month before that what was the last thing I would do in my life I would have said drawing and painting The doctor prescribed and I still resisted giving him evidence like My fourth grade class teacher told me. 'Devina, you are hopeless in art!' That I did not take biology for my class 10 boards because 'I could not draw' (Both are true) He forced me to buy paints, including fingerpaints meant for toddlers, and just play with them And here I am - turning out so much that I don't know what to do with it 😀 Have given away more than 200 bookmarks to date This is all the recent stuff including many that have been doodles on long concalls There is a book/ bookshelf themed cluster also...but if course Then I got a few laminated to use as coasters 😀 I don't take up long projects just something that can be done quickly - mostly in one sitting I am doing it without fear of judgement because 'this is something I am anyway not meant to be good at'... And that frees you up And I experiment with a lot of materials - there is even a tissue paper collage in here Try something you thought you never could... You may find all that was holding you back was your belief You can surprise yourself! Have a good weekend...try something new PS: it is also supposed to be good for your brain health to learn something you have not tried before

Love it.

Reminded me of something I had written. You are right that it is never really about the person. At all. The Language that went extinct - Devina Mehra The language that we had... when one could still say 'We' When a glance and a word were enough - Enough to tell a whole story Enough to set off a storm of laughter Enough to explain what would require several paragraphs When a half articulated 'Remember..' could set off a deluge of memories When explanations were not required because 'we' had lived through it together When we still spoke the same language Or at least thought we did That language has died forever #poetry #weekend

#LifeLesson #45 You can stop worrying about your legacy as you won't leave one! Your only(slim) chance is if you're a Gandhiji level leader or an artist (Rafi, Premchand or Monet) As a businessperson,the only chance is having your name on buildings like Carnegie or Rockefeller

My own view is that you can stop worrying about your legacy as almost none of us will leave one At best we can touch a few lives who might remember us with love for a few more years Else this is my view👇 x.com/i/status/1672843112203… @LeoAman @PenduProfessor

The SpaceX IPO is not about the valuation - it is about having near zero corporate governance and shareholder rights! Essentially giving your money and handing over the keys to Elon Musk to do as he pleases with it - whether on his own compensation, dilutive shareholding or merging with his private companies. There is practically NOTHING outside shareholders can do! No independent directors. No independent audit committee. Good luck with this! Just a reminder: Besides his volatile personality, Musk has not exactly covered himself in glory on the execution front. Tesla, from having a huge head start, is now struggling on the market share front where the five Chinese makers have zoomed. My bonus column in Mint today @livemint @firstglobalsec @fghumsmallcase

Would you invest in a company where your money is welcome... but your voice isn't? Giving away all corporate governance norms is playing with fire As excitement builds around the potential SpaceX IPO, one question deserves more attention than the valuation. What rights will public shareholders actually have? When founder control reaches an extreme, where does investor protection fit in? In this article for @LiveMint, @DevinaMehra, explores a side of the SpaceX story that many investors may be overlooking. 🔗 Read the full article, link in the thread below!

Excellent returns in last 2 years in global fund . @firstglobalsec serious investors must opt global allocation. It balances overall portfolio returns .

Saying it vehemently does not make it true...read on 'Confidence does not equal competence' is one of my favorite maxims.  Much before I read it in books, I learnt it the hard way via hiring mistakes 😀, but see it all around! Standby for some examples from the world of investing One guy who makes index projections every year - sometimes the same projections for 2 years in a row 😉 without any thought or explanation for why he was completely off in the previous year. And of course he talks about why reading books is worthless...if he had read them, he would know that talking confidently about something you CANNOT know is a fool's errand. Then there is a loud guy who ‘explained’ on the biggest Hindi Business channel in July 2024 how all structural reasons for a bear market in India were gone and India would be in a perma bull market. NOW he is shooting his mouth off saying that the Indian equity investor has no future and would have been better off investing in real estate. Never mind that the real estate index versus the equity index show no such outperformance (the long term compounding in real estate has been just over 4% as per the index maintained by National Housing Bank). And of course the illiquidity means that you can be stuck with a real estate investment forever or else sell it at distress prices. I had already posted on how there is no data to support that once an emerging market currency cracks it never makes a come back - another recent gem! But all these guys know that no one does a fact check even on historical numbers. And most Indian interviewers also neither check the numbers nor are able to challenge even patently absurd statements. Then of course is global investing. Every fund manager who is on record as having zero Global exposure nearly 2 years ago is now a self styled Global expert - confidently stating so on every podcast and interview simply because they now have a product to sell. The data on global investing as offered by various gift City providers is as below (FG stands for @firstglobalsec). And remember that the FG-GFF is not just an equity product its a multi asset product and includes low yielding fixed income... still it has done so much better than the Gift City products, even in a year when Global equities performed well. Returns are in US dollars post fees as reported 👇 Not at all inspiring to say the least  This confidence masquerading as competence is also one of the major hurdles for women to take charge of their own finances because the men in the family act more confident although they may know little. More on that another time @firstglobalsec

As a doctor, I can’t tell you how many older women I have treated over 80, who often recall to me their life stories and have told me things like: “I really wanted to be a doctor/lawyer/professor, but in those days, we were told that women don’t do those things” So anyone who genuinely believes that the 1950s or 1960s were fantastic times, better also explain why it was okay for half the population to not be allowed to pursue their dreams (… and if you are OK with it, I presume you are also okay with discouraging your daughters/granddaughters from having careers)

Excellent Article 👌🏽