The September quarter results have been in-line or slightly better than expected, but consumption demand is a cause for worry, said Anil Sarin, CIO – Equities at Centrum Broking in an interview with CNBCTV18.com. He added that the reduction in bad news and government efforts are positive for investor sentiment, meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India's accommodative stance on liquidity is helping the circulation of money in the system. Edited Excerpts:

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Markets have started consolidating in the last few days after hitting record highs? Do you expect a bearish or bullish trend to follow?

The frequency of bad news relating to corporate developments and NBFC

Have the September-quarter earnings been up to your satisfaction? Which sectors are your top bets now and why?

The results have been in-line or slightly better than expected. But consumption demand is a cause for worry. As we scan the landscape, niche sectors like real estate, staffing, digital business model (DBM) companies appear promising. Healthcare (not generic pharma) is also showing signs of rising profitability. The coming bull market would have to be negotiated through bottom-up ideas, unlike the earlier approach of investing in well-known and well-understood sectors.

With so many recent developments in the telecom sector, do you think it's worth an entry? Vodafone has become a penny stock, but do you see an upside in the near future?

We cannot comment on individual stocks. But we feel the recent developments will prove to be long-term helpful in highlighting the troubles faced by the sector. It will force the government to address the contentious issues of spectrum pricing, revenue sharing etc.

Which is your top pick among large-cap private banks ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and HDFC Bank and why? They have recently witnessed some selling, is it only profit booking or there are other factors at play?

We continue to like ICICI Bank based on its profit improvement potential and comfortable valuation. Recent troubles in a few private sector banks would aid the profit recovery process of ICICI Bank. The other two banks continue to be attractive investment bets, but we would accord higher priority to ICICI Bank.

How long do you expect for the midcap segment to fully recover?

A lot depends on the revival of the Indian economy. While the valuation gap vis-à-vis large caps is very evident, it would take a substantial recovery in earnings to sustain a bull market in midcap stocks.

What are your views on the BPCL divestment? Do you think its the right move?

We are of the view that the government should gradually exit this business. As such we are positive on recent developments where the government is showing a willingness to hand over actual control of certain PSUs

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