About the client

A US-based specialist equity fund manager sought differentiated investment ideas in under-researched, high-growth markets for their EM portfolio

Client challenges

Investment selection and research 

• Limited analyst coverage delayed due diligence 
• Data scarcity made opportunity identification difficult
• Lack of local insights resulted in heavy reliance on broker reports
• Inconsistent reporting standards complicated financial analysis
• Lack of proper peer benchmarks hindered relative valuation comparisons
• Weak competitive intelligence limited conviction in niche sectors
  

Our solution

The Crisil analyst independently identified and researched an attractive investment opportunity 

• Spotted the sectoral shift toward organized gold loan lending 
• Identified undervalued gold loan firms in India using quant screeners
• Leveraged local insights to validate the initial investment thesis
• Built a comprehensive financial model, assessed share price correlation with domestic gold prices
• Analyzed competitive dynamics, highlighting gold loan’s safety compared with other retail lending products
• Presented the investment thesis and findings to the fund’s investment committee along with the portfolio manager, who then initiated a significant position in the security 
  

Impact and results

• ~90%
  One-year return on the recommended equity investment 
  
  
• 30%
  Shorter idea-to-investment cycle, enabling faster portfolio deployment in high-growth markets
  
  
• TOP-10
  The stock became a key position in the portfolio

About Crisil Integral IQ

Crisil Integral IQ delivers solutions and actionable intelligence to top financial institutions, driving strategic transformation, risk optimization, and operational excellence. Our offerings across research, risk, lending, analytics and operations have empowered clients to navigate complex markets, mitigate risks and unlock new opportunities. Our domain expertise, innovative solutions, future-ready technologies such as AI and data science give clients the confidence to accelerate growth and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Our globally diverse workforce operates in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

Questions

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