The BASF stock will go ex-bonus sometime next week. The rush for these stocks is understandable, with the market realising the true worth of BASF's scrip. The scrip which is qouting at a cum-bonus price is going into no-delivery period next week. A 1:2 bonus meant that a BASF scrip at Rs 210 a few days ago was going for a song at an effective price of Rs 140 per share, which has now risen to Rs 180. There has been a sudden rush for the stock prior to going ex-bonus. The scrip has shot up from Rs 210 to Rs 270 in the past few sessions.

Why not NIIT now?

So what if NIIT could not get the shareholders' approval to hike the FII investment ceiling to 30 per cent? The obvious happened. In the following days, the share price tumbled by Rs 380 to Rs 1300. But isn't it good news. At some point or the other NIIT might succeed in getting the ceiling hiked to 30 per cent. So, why not buy now when the chips are down?

Apple will be ripe soon

Apple Goldshare is thelatest target of bargain hunters. The mutual fund will be delisting the scheme from six stock exchanges including Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta.

Later, the scheme will go open-ended with the fund repurchasing the units at NAV-linked prices. Buying from the exchanges now pays as the rise in price suggests.

The price of the units on BSE has moved up from Rs 7.90 to Rs 8.50 in seven trading sessions, a gain of close to 19 per cent. But there may not be room for more. The current NAV of the scheme is Rs 9.48. To what extent the units will rise is anybody's guess.

Speculators' account

The Bank of Rajasthan counter appears to have run out of steam, though the stock touched a peak of 82 on BSE yesterday. Speculators' appetite to keep the stock going is apparently limited by the Rs 90 open offer price that is doing the rounds on the exchanges.

The possible change in management control following the Tayals of Krishna group seeking nomination of five directors on the board of BoR is something the markethas welcomed. But how far can the punters go? There are too many unanswered questions? Even if the Tayals succeed in seeing through their nominees on the board, will the Reserve Bank of India give its approval? More, what is the basis of the open offer speculation? The takeover is triggered if the acquisition is 9.99 per cent. At least, the Tayals have said that they don't have the kind of funds to takeover a bank. You just have to bank on the punters!

Will there be a Clariant call?

What price would Clariant International offer the shareholders of Colour Chem? Market sees an offer price of around Rs 2,400 to Rs 2600. Ever since Sebi rejected Clariant Internationals' application seeking an expemption of open offer under the takeover code, Colour Chem has been on a rise.

The rejection of application by the market regulator meant that the company would have to make an open offer to acquire 50.1 per cent of the total equity capital of Colour Chem. Currently, Hoechst AG of Germany holds 50.1 per centof the equity capital of Colour Chem. In the process, the scrip has zoomed from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,460 in the past four trading sessions. The scrip had earlier been hammered down from Rs 2,950 in mid-April to Rs 1,800 in September.