In an Oct. 22 interview, NDTV Profit identified Peter McGuire as chief strategist for Asia at XM.com and reported that he named five sectors to watch in India, where oil exposure adds risk to the economic outlook.
McGuire connected his long-term view to India’s young population and expanding consumption. He named infrastructure, health, consumer staples, energy and telecommunications as areas for investors to watch. NDTV Profit also reported, citing Bloomberg data, that the Nifty 50 ranked among the weakest major benchmarks over the previous year, with only Indonesia’s index lower.
India’s Economic Survey 2024-25 puts the country’s median age at about 28 years and says demographic potential depends on people finding productive work. It cited an estimate that India needs to create an average of 78.5 lakh nonfarm positions a year through 2030.
McGuire described gold as inexpensive and said he expected it to gain over the next couple of years, whether held as jewelry or as an investment. In a separate interview published Oct. 19, ET Now reported that he associated the second quarter of 2027 with a potentially favorable period for precious metals if the energy sector weakened.
The Reserve Bank of India said crude import dependence reached 88.2% in fiscal 2024-25, compared with 77.6% in fiscal 2013-14. The central bank said global crude-price shifts can feed inflation by changing transportation, fuel and business production costs.
In the Oct. 22 NDTV Profit interview, McGuire said easing geopolitical pressures could lower crude prices and inflation. If those pressures lasted into the second quarter of 2027, he said, crude could stay near $110 as interest rates rose and economic activity slowed.
McGuire also cited the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections as a key political test. NDTV Profit reported that he ruled out an October Federal Reserve rate hike and pointed to nonfarm payrolls and persistent inflation as factors to watch before a possible December decision.
