Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Rande Is . . . HOME -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: BANCHEE who wrote (14220)	11/2/1999 11:31:00 AM
From: Kaliico	Respond to of 57584

Thanks Banchee...me hands are full with infrastructure/enablers and B2B at the moment. Will look later, nice to get a list with charts. K

To: BANCHEE who wrote (14220)	11/2/1999 12:30:00 PM
From: Kaliico	Respond to of 57584

More on India(n) tech stocks, of which SIFY is INFY has an awesome appreciation chart, over time I expect the same for SIFY (IMHO). K Tuesday November 2, 5:22 am Eastern Time India software firms set for shopping spree By Narayanan Madhavan NEW DELHI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - India's software companies, once criticised as ''body shops'' because of the fast buck they made from cheaply available programmers, have reversed the trend and are ready to shop now for overseas firms, industry officials say. ''We believe in the next two years, Indian companies will acquire at least $3.0 billion worth companies in the world,'' Dewang Mehta, president of the National Association of Sofware and Service Companies (NASSCOM) told a news conference on Tuesday. With big cash chests or booming shares which can substitute for currency, Indian companies are now aggressively eyeing buys which could boost market access or bring in skills and strategic positioning crucial for future growth. One watershed this year was in March, when Bangalore-based Infosys Technologies Ltd (NasdaqNM:INFY - news) became the first Indian company to get listed on the U.S. Nasdaq exchange. ''At least five to seven information technology companies will be listed in 2000 in overseas stock exchanges,'' Mehta said. The New York exchange and Nasdaq are both courting Indian listings. CASH CHESTS VS GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS Mehta said the current market capitalisation of Indian software companies was around $23 billion, of which the top 10 firms alone accounted for $19 billion. He said 70 to 80 percent of the anticipated overseas acquisitions were expected to be made through stock swaps. However, the swiftly growing industry, whose exports are growing by more than 50 percent annually, has to contend with conservative, often outdated, government regulations. The government currently limits a company to making overseas acquisitions only if its cost does not exceed $25 million. NASSCOM has been lobbying to increase the ceiling to $500 million or up to 25 percent of the market capitalisation of a company. ''We have been promised they (government) will be positive on it,'' Mehta said. A QUEUE OF SHOPPERS ALREADY Several Indian firms including Silverline Industries Ltd , Kale Consultants Ltd and CyberTech Systems and Software Ltd , an affiliate of U.S.-CyberTech Systems Inc, are among those which have already shown an interest in acquisitions. CyberTech plans undetailed European acquisitions. Silverline is planning an American Depositary Receipt issue to fund acquisitions in financial services software and e-commerce content. Kale says it is looking for Australian or American software firms working in the banking and airline sectors. Infosys chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy said last month his company was seeking a good proposal for acquisition, and intended the acquisition to be equivalent to about 10 to 20 percent of Infosys' market capitalisation. Hughes Software Systems, a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp (NYSE:GMH - news), which recently had a successful initial public offering, plans to use the funds for e-commerce acquisitions. Mehta said mergers and acquisitions will be a major theme at an international industry conference that NASSCOM would hold in Bombay from February 2 to 5 next year. Around 400 companies and 1,000 delegates from 23 countries would take part in the conference, he said.

To: BANCHEE who wrote (14220)	11/2/1999 8:18:00 PM
From: DlphcOracl	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 57584

BANCHEE: No way I invest in HMO's and health care. The profit margins in HMO's are squeezed mercilessly and the health care sector will be a plaything of the politicians during election year 2000. These companies do not trade on their earning and fundamentals; they are hypersensitive to political pressures and public sentiment. I'm a physician and have never invested in the health care sector; I and my portfolio) have never regretted it. Caveat emptor.