'The day is not too far when the share of MFs alone will be greater than that of foreign institutional investors.'
Meet Radhika Gupta, CEO and MD of Edelweiss Mutual Fund. One of the 20 global influencers on LinkedIn -- a list she shares with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And perhaps one of the most candid and transparent voices in Indian finance today.
Capital markets regulator Sebi has permitted mutual funds to again invest in foreign stocks within the aggregate mandated limit of $7 billion for the industry. This came in the wake of a major correction in global markets that brought down the valuation of international stocks. In January, Sebi had asked mutual fund houses to stop taking fresh subscriptions in schemes investing in overseas stocks. The directive to stop subscription was mainly on account of the mutual fund industry crossing the mandated limit of $7 billion for overseas investments.
Investors with a 6 to 12 month horizon may consider them. They should align their holding period with the fund's maturity profile and prefer schemes with a lower expense ratio.
The factor fund launch spree by mutual funds (MFs) is moving from the passive to the active space. Two new fund offerings (NFOs) - ICICI Pru Active Momentum Fund and Bandhan Multi-Factor Fund - are currently open for subscription. Sundaram MF's multi-factor fund NFO closed this Wednesday.
Households should moderate large discretionary expenses for the time being.
'They should prioritise essential spending. They should maintain an emergency fund covering 6 to 12 months of expenses.'
Flexicap fund performance depends heavily on the fund manager's decisions.
'New investors should enter gradually and stay cautious.' 'Silver is a structural multi-year story, but timing matters in a high-volatility metal.'
'Long-short SIFs are designed for seasoned, high-risk, high-reward investors, who understand market volatility.'
The mutual fund industry added Rs 2.2 lakh crore to its asset base in 2022, driven by consistent monthly increase in SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) flows. The Assets Under Management (AUM) of the mutual fund industry rose by 5.7 per cent or Rs 2.2 lakh crore to a total Rs 39.88 lakh crore in 2022, data from the Association of Mutual Fund Industry (Amfi) showed on Tuesday. This was way lower than a surge of nearly 22 per cent or an increase of close to Rs 7 lakh crore in the asset base to Rs 37.72 lakh crore in 2021.
Mutual funds have launched a clutch of new fund offers in the silver ETF (exchange traded fund) category this year and collected Rs 1,400 crore in assets after the introduction of the newly-created investment asset class by market regulator Sebi in 2021. Further, fund houses including Kotak Asset Management Company have filed draft documents with the markets regulator to float silver ETF as well as silver ETF fund of funds for investors, information with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) showed. These NFOs (new fund offers) are providing an opportunity to the investors to digitally invest and own silver which is easily tradable during market hours.
Conservative investors seeking equity-like tax benefits with low risk may go for them.
Investors are moving away from the commercial paper (CP) market towards certificates of deposit (CDs), as primary CD issuances and rates on these short-term instruments rise.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Investors seeking higher returns at relatively higher risk should consider allocation to smallcap equity funds.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
The mutual fund (MF) industry had an action-packed 2023 as it tackled the scrapping of tax benefits for debt fund investors and surging flows into equity funds.
This exercise allows investors to realign their portfolios with changing market conditions and evolving personal objectives.
New investors or those with lower-than-planned exposure should add US-oriented funds through SIPs.
Omkeshwar Singh, head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Top officials said asking employees other than the fund management team to mandatorily invest a fifth of their salary goes against the principle of natural justice.
Invest in these funds through the SIP route with at least a seven-year horizon.
The change in debt fund taxation is seen as boosting the demand for hybrid funds. It is no surprise then that asset management companies (AMCs) have launched a raft of new products in the multi-asset category. However, they seem to be divided on the asset mix and approach. The multi-asset space, which provides fund houses ample scope to innovate, has seen five launches in as many months.
'Success isn't about a single brilliant idea; it's about the relentless execution, the ability to withstand the storms, and the unwavering belief in your mission, even when no one else sees it,' Madhu Lunawat, founder, The Wealth Company.
New investors should avoid short-term, tactical entries and instead go for staggered buying via ETFs to manage volatility.
Gripped with fear as an investor following a 12 per cent market fall? Here's Radhika Gupta's advice to investors.
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
'Increasingly, they treat gold as a financial asset in their portfolio rather than just as jewellery.'
To get back equity-wary investors, fund houses and their portfolio management services (PMS) have started schemes that will regularly book profits. In these funds, mutual funds and PMS will realise appreciation at specific target returns and transfer profits either to a safer investment avenue or give the money back to the customer.
'If gold's recent surge has increased its allocation beyond 15 per cent in your portfolio, now may be a good time to rebalance.'
'While investing in a silver ETF, one should be aware that it has historically exhibited higher price volatility than gold.'
Arbitrage funds, the new favourite of individual investors, delivered their best performance in nearly a decade in 2024. On average, the schemes delivered 8 per cent return last year, the highest since 2016, according to data from Value Research. The returns were supported by positive equity market sentiments, surge in open interest in stock futures, high interest rate, among other factors, analysts said.
Since November 2022, sectoral, midcap, and smallcap funds have collectively added nearly 39 million folios, which is 65 per cent of the total additions to equity funds over the past two years.
Data from Amfi shows that NAV of every one in two BAFs declined 1.5% or less on Monday compared to a 3.13% decline in Nifty 500.
A strong influx of 11 equity new fund offers (NFOs) in June, particularly within the thematic space, helped mutual funds collect Rs 14,370 crore - the highest ever via such introductory offers. This surpassed the previous high recorded in July 2021, where four NFOs accumulated Rs 13,709 crore, with ICICI Prudential MF's flexicap NFO alone mobilising Rs 9,808 crore.
Investors should avoid making drastic changes to their asset allocation during a market correction.
Do not, however, enter expecting quick returns.
Hybrid mutual fund (MF) offers, expected to drive higher investor interest after the change in debt fund taxation, are set to end 2023 with the slowest account growth in the past three years. Investment accounts in hybrid funds are up 5.7 per cent so far in 2023 compared with 7.6 per cent in 2022 and 20 per cent in 2021, shows the data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). In 2020, the count had dipped 2.4 per cent.
When you create a culture where people find purpose in what they do, they will go above and beyond for you, even in difficult personal circumstances, says Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO, Edelweiss MF