Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Given gains in equity prices, it is not surprising that the earnings of asset management companies (AMCs) are growing quicker. The earnings momentum looks set to continue. Good fund performances have thus led to AMC earnings upgrades although valuations are high. Recent market performance and net flow trends have led to earnings upgrades by between 3-8 per cent for FY25-27.
These funds at times invest in companies going through corporate restructuring, such as mergers, demergers, or buybacks.
The stocks are largely from sectors such as chemicals, finance and cement, which struggled earlier but the worse seems to be behind them.
Tata Power's Q2FY25 reported results were above consensus despite challenges like low plant availability at Mundra and Odisha discom operations affected by rain. A positive development for the power major included module manufacturing hitting nearly 100 per cent capacity utilisation. The Board has approved an investment proposal for a 1GW pumped storage project (PSP).
The income-tax (I-T) department has issued showcause notices under Section 68 of the Income-Tax Act to several startups over funds routed through Singapore, seeking explanations for investments received over the past five years, people familiar with the development said. The department is questioning the source, identity, and creditworthiness of overseas investors in these transactions, they said.
Paytm operator One97 Communications Ltd on Wednesday said it is not in talks to sell a stake to the Adani Group. Adani group has also termed such reports as "false and untrue." Commenting on a report that billionaire Gautam Adani was in talks with Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma for a possible stake buy, One97 Communications said, the "news item is speculative and the company is not engaged in any discussions in this regard."
India's financial sector is dominated by large government-owned and private-sector banks.
UTI Asset Management Company will float an initial public offer by March-end 2008 to help its sponsors State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda -- offload up to 50 per cent stake.
'My advice: Don't mark your portfolio to market every day. Focus on survival.'
Towards the end of February, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) restored the risk weighting on banks loans to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs; including to microfinance institutions, or MFIs) to 100 - back to its November 2023 position - from 125. It is only a partial relief though. "Higher risk weighting on unsecured lending continues to be in place while the same on bank funding to NBFCs has been done away with. "This is a positive step by RBI," says Rajiv Sabharwal, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), Tata Capital.
LIC Housing Finance (LICHF) delivered a healthy FY24 with improvements in net interest margin (NIM) and credit costs and an improved return on assets of 1.7 per cent compared to an average of 1.3 per cent between FY14-FY23. Loan growth was low due to technology upgrades to the platform in H1FY24, though momentum improved in H2FY24. In Q4FY24, the net interest income (NII) came in at Rs 2,250 crore.
There was no smooth surge in middle class prosperity for foreign businesses to tap into because of the Indian economy was mismanaged, argues Debashis Basu.
L&T plans to launch as asset management company and has also collaborated with US based Travelers for a non-life insurance venture.
'Expect India to keep doing well irrespective of geopolitics.'
Portfolio management services (PMS), catering to higher networth individuals (HNIs), are facing tough competition from emerging alternative investment funds (AIFs), evident from their dwindling client base. In May, the number of clients for the industry stood at 125,390, down 20,528 in two months, shows data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). "PMS managers also have a high active ratio, which means their portfolios are quite differently positioned and more actively managed, compared to the benchmark, which is also a highlight for long-term investors.
An allocation to ESG theme funds can bring down the overall risk of an equity portfolio. Investors with long-term financial goals, such as retirement, should not ignore sustainable investing.
All investors should ideally have a 10 to 15 per cent allocation to gold. Whether they invest in gold ETFs or SGBs should depend on their investment horizon.
Largecap companies are generally less vulnerable to economic slowdowns than their mid- and smallcap counterparts.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) brass, including its Governor Sanjay Malhotra, on Tuesday told a Parliamentary panel that it was "optimistic" about the impact of the US tariffs on the Indian economy and, in long-run, it could benefit the country due to dipping trade relations between the US and China.
Ahmedabad-based Torrent Group has completed the acquisition of a majority 67 percent stake in Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Gujarat Titans.
Organisations are facing growing privacy concerns over the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) while getting attractive returns from investments in privacy, according to Cisco's latest Data Privacy Benchmark Study. The findings highlight the responses from 2,600 privacy and security professionals across 12 geographies, said the annual review of key privacy issues impacting business. "Organisations see GenAI as a fundamentally different technology with novel challenges to consider," said Dev Stahlkopf, Cisco Chief Legal Officer.
Increase in surcharge will adversely impact fund managers planning to shift to India. As a matter of fact several fund professionals based in India could also relocate to other jurisdictions, resulting in a brain drain.
Isn't the goal of retirement planning to create a balanced portfolio that aligns with your financial goals, rather than chasing returns blindly, asks Ramalingam Kalirajan
The inclusion of a "no-contest" clause in Ratan Tata's will has caught the attention of India Inc, prompting a wave of interest among promoters of listed companies and business families. Legal advisors and estate planners are seeing a noticeable uptick in queries, as wealthy individuals look for ways to shield their legacies from courtroom battles.
The Tokyo-based Shinsei Bank is all set to foray into the Indian mutual fund business by forming a joint venture asset management company with Andhra Bank.
'The retail business was somewhat slow initially, but it has picked up over the past seven to eight days. Following Makar Sankranti, there is a renewed sense of positivity.'
Alternative investment funds (AIFs) have crossed Rs 5 trillion in terms of funds raised, while the investment commitments have surpassed Rs 12 trillion for the first time as of September, according to data released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
However, the meeting of the company's board of directors, through video conferencing, started at 1.30 pm and ended only at 11.50 pm on Tuesday, according to a filing made to BSE at 12.51 am on Wednesday. In the 2024 December quarter, the airline, which had been facing multiple headwinds, raised Rs 3,000 crore from qualified institutional investors.
Don't let panic ruin your wealth. Avoiding these mistakes can save you from HUGE losses, says Ramalingam Kalirajan
Find out whether the fund is equity, debt, or hybrid oriented. 'Understand the portfolio composition and whether it suits your risk appetite and horizon.'
'The deal pipeline across products is robust for 2024.'
'We are in a position to start due diligence and private data room access shortly.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the world looks at India as an important pillar of stability, a trusted friend, an engine of growth in the global economy, a technology hub for finding solutions and a powerhouse of talented youth. He also said that in the rapidly changing world order, India is moving forward as 'vishwa mitra' (friend of the world). Speaking at the inauguration of the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which saw participation of state hea
The Enforcement Directorate is conducting searches at some places linked to asset manager Franklin Templeton and its former and current executives as part of a money laundering investigation, officials said on Thursday. The federal agency is looking to gather more evidence as part of its investigation against the company and its promoters under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Office and residential premises in Mumbai and Chennai are being searched, they said.
Here's how to own your dream home without paying excessive interest on your EMIs.
>The Indian Army still uses old British-era names and recruits soldiers based on caste or region, which hurts national unity, argues Colonel K Thammayya Udupa (retd).
Indian asset management companies (AMCs) are likely to see a hefty spike in their valuations, after the last week's 5 per cent equity stake sale by Reliance Mutual Fund to US-based hedge fund Eton Park.
