Learn
The basics, without the jargon.
Short explainers for first-time investors in India. How things work, with made-up examples. Never what to buy or sell.
26 articles
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2 min read
What is a share?
A share is a small piece of a company. Here is what owning one means, where shares are bought and sold, and where they are kept.
2 min read
How the stock market works
From a company's first sale of shares to your trade on the NSE or BSE: the primary market, the secondary market, brokers, clearing and market hours, in plain words.
2 min read
What are the Sensex and the Nifty?
The Sensex and the Nifty 50 are scoreboards for a group of big Indian companies. Learn what they measure and how to read "Sensex up 300 points".
2 min read
How to read market news without the hype
Headlines are written to be clicked. Five simple habits help you read Indian market news calmly: check the source, the numbers, the date and the original.
Numbers in the news
2 min read
What is market capitalisation?
Market capitalisation (market cap) is the total value the stock market puts on a company. Learn how it is calculated and what large, mid and small cap mean.
2 min read
What is the P/E ratio?
The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio compares a share's price with the company's profit per share. Learn how to calculate it and why it is never the whole story.
2 min read
How to read a company's results
Revenue, profit, margins and EPS: what the numbers in a quarterly result mean, why year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter differ, and what a headline can leave out.
2 min read
Dividends, bonus shares and stock splits
Three company actions that often confuse first-time investors. Learn what a dividend, a bonus issue and a stock split actually change, with simple rupee examples.
2 min read
What is promoter pledging?
Promoters sometimes pledge their shares to borrow money. Learn what that means, why news reports on it, and where pledge details are officially disclosed.
2 min read
What is an exchange filing?
Listed companies must tell the stock exchange about important events. Learn what exchange filings are, what's in them, and why they're the original source behind most company news.
The economy
2 min read
Inflation and interest rates
Why prices rise over time, how India measures inflation, what the repo rate is, and why the two together affect savings, loans and what your money can buy.
2 min read
What the RBI does
The Reserve Bank of India is the country's central bank. Learn how it sets interest rates, regulates banks, manages currency and why its announcements make news.
2 min read
What is GDP?
GDP is the total value of what a country produces in a period. Learn real vs nominal GDP, how often India publishes it, and how to read "GDP grew 7%" in the news.
Your money
2 min read
Budgeting and emergency funds
Before investing, get the basics right: know where your money goes, set aside an emergency fund, and keep investing money separate from money you may need soon.
2 min read
What is compounding?
Compounding means earning returns on your earlier returns. See how time changes the result with made-up numbers, the Rule of 72, and why costs and inflation matter too.
2 min read
What is diversification?
Diversification means not putting all your money in one place. Learn what it can and cannot do, how it differs from owning many similar things, and its limits.
2 min read
Bonds and fixed deposits
Fixed deposits and bonds pay interest instead of ownership. Learn how they work, what credit ratings mean, why bond prices move, and what DICGC insurance covers.
2 min read
Taxes on investment gains in India
A general guide to how profits from shares, mutual funds and deposits are taxed in India: short-term vs long-term, holding periods, dividends and why to check current rules.
Ways people invest
2 min read
What is an IPO, and why GMP is unofficial
An IPO is when a company sells its shares to the public for the first time. Learn about price bands, lot sizes, allotment, and why the "grey market premium" is not official data.
2 min read
How IPO allotment works
Applying for an IPO is not the same as getting shares. Learn lots, bids, UPI mandates, oversubscription, the allotment lottery, refunds and listing day.
2 min read
What is a mutual fund?
A mutual fund pools money from many people and invests it for them. Learn how NAV, expense ratios and the riskometer work, in plain words.
2 min read
Index funds vs active funds
An index fund copies an index like the Nifty 50; an active fund tries to beat it. Learn how they differ in cost, goals and results, and what to read before choosing a fund.
2 min read
What is a SIP?
A SIP (systematic investment plan) puts a fixed amount into a mutual fund at regular intervals. Learn how it works, what rupee cost averaging means, and what a SIP can't promise.
2 min read
F&O, and why most individual traders lose
Futures and options (F&O) are contracts based on a share or index. Learn what they are, why leverage cuts both ways, and what SEBI's own study found about individual traders.
Stay safe
2 min read
How to check SEBI registration
Anyone who gives paid stock advice or research in India must be registered with SEBI. Learn which numbers to look for and how to check them yourself.
2 min read
How stock-tip scams work
Most stock-tip scams in India follow a few patterns: a free group, fake profit screenshots, urgency, then a request for money or a fake app. Learn the signs.
Ask Hypeless
Still unsure about a word?
Ask Hypeless to explain a term or what outlets reported. It answers only from named outlets' headlines and never says what to buy, sell or hold.
Educational only, not investment advice. The companies in the examples are made up.