MUMBAI: Are Indian women showing more interest in the equities market? Well, that seems to be the case — at least anecdotally — as stock-talk and market chit-chat is fast replacing familial gossip on the dinner table in most urban homes in the country.The proof of this is in the ‘pudding’. Well, not actually the pudding that is laid on the dinner table, but ‘Indian Trading League’, a ‘real cash’ investment game organised by Samco Securities.The ratio of women-to-men participation in the game is 24:76, claim Samco executives. But much more than mere involvement in the game, women investors are giving male opponents are hard run for their money.Jyoti Kushwah, Sarita Agarwal and Kamini Jogani – all participants in the trading league - have grown their portfolio value 3 – 4 times since January this year. The investment game apart, this is reflective of the rising popularity of stock markets among members of the fairer sex.“You’ve to update yourself every day,” said 30-year-old Kushwah. “With some effort and interest you can easily understand annual reports and balance sheets. Then it’s all about investing in the right company.”Need for financial independence, potential to make some quick money and long-term wealth creation possibilities seem to be beckoning women to stock markets. Take the case of 37-year-old Sujatha Burla, who became physically challenged after an accident in 2001.“I tried doing a lot of things after recovering from the accident; I opened a textile business, a boutique... but I could not run these efficiently as I had to depend on people for everything,” Burla said. “I wanted to be independent in the truest of sense... So I started trading in 2006.I made mistakes initially, but then I learnt. The most important thing in investing is to revisit your wrong trades,” she said. Like Kushwah, Burla also learnt market basics by investing in stocks She started off investing in largecap stocks, but later moved down the chain to mid- and small-caps.“I lost a lot of money investing in penny stocks, but then I learnt... I rarely do intra-day trades; am more of a long-term investor now. I sell a portion of all stocks that gain 50% from my purchase price. The remaining shares are sold at 80– 100% gain levels,” said Burla, who made a killing going short on indices in early 2008.Burla manages an eight-figure portfolio, the gains from which are used to meet her personal needs and also some expenses of ‘Shraddha’, an NGO she set up to support orphans and people with disabilities.But not all women investors have long-term targets like Burla. Ekta Sharma, a 31-yearold dentist in Delhi, likes to keep small achievable shortterm targets while investing.A string of wrong F&O bets –advised by a broker – opened gaping holes in Sharma’s equity portfolio last year. This has left Sharma disenchanted with equities in general and stock advisors in particular.“I’m not a fan of equities anymore; I invest more in agricommodities. I don’t do complex stuff... My target is to make `2,000–`3,000 from trading every day,” Sharma said. “Do not rely too much on advisors while investing. Do your own research; devote more time to understand market trends.”Then there are investors are like Bengaluru- based Chethana Rajshekar, who likes to hunt in packs for good market deals. Chethana and her set of market-savvy friends share tips and information about companies that may do well on the bourses.Chethana, a legal professional, started investing five years ago, while she was still in college. Her initial investment of `5,000 has grown to a six-figure investment portfolio.“I’ve a set of friends who are active in stock markets. Initially we used to take a lot of risk... but now after suffering some losses, we’ve cut our risky positions,” said Chethana. “These days we analyse companies and their businesses before investing.” HDFC Bank and Axis Bank are Chethana’s best stock picks.Gender stereotypes abound when it comes to finances. One of the most common misperceptions in India is that women don’t understand money matters. This is being debunked by many market experts now. There are many out there who believe women make better stock investors than men.“Women are way superior in controlling the emotions of greed and fear, the most essential ingredient for trading success,” said Jimeet Modi, CEO of Samco Securities.Deena Mehta, MD of broking firm Asit C Mehta Investments and one of earliest women investors in the country, has seen members of her tribe growing over time.“When I started in 1985, there were very few women inside the trading ring. By 1995, towards the close of public outcry system, there were more than 50 women in the ring. These days you find more women investors than men in conferences and seminars,” Mehta said.“Women are better stock investors than men as they are more patient in their approach. They pay a lot of attention to details and they know when to stop (limit losses),” she said.