rediffGURU Ulhas Joshi answers readers' mutual fund queries
Volatility in April continued from where it signed off in March. The specter of rising interest rates and climbing oil prices dealt a double whammy to the stock markets.
It was another good month for investors as equity markets surged northwards and touched record highs. The BSE Sensex posted a gain of 14.73% during the month to close at 19,838 points; the S&P CNX Nifty appreciated by 17.53% to settle at 5,901 points. The CNX Midcap rose by 8.49%, before settling at 7,450 points. However, these numbers conceal the intense volatility that was experienced during the month.
The month of September proved to be the most lucrative one in the calendar year so far, as equity markets set and breached record highs at alarming regularity. The BSE Sensex posted a gain of 12.87 per cent during the month and closed at 17,291 points; the S&P CNX Nifty appreciated by 12.48 per cent and ended at 5,021 points. The CNX Midcap rose by 13.62 per cent, before settling at 6,867 points.
Is the parabolic rise in silver running out of steam or just getting started? Ramalingam Kalirajan offers his take on if you should invest in silver now?
With so many equity funds available, how does one go about selecting the right one? Here are some simple tips...
Returns of liquid funds are meant only for the short term and don't help investors create wealth over the long term, as equity funds do.
'Those trying to use these funds for quick gains should avoid them due to risk of being late to the party.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Milind Vadjikar your insurance, stocks, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
HSBC Tax Saver Equity Fund too offers deduction under Sec. 80C
Which fund companies' equity funds clocked the best median performance over a five-year period? Here's the answer!
There is little time left for investors to finalise their tax-saving investments. As far as the risk-taking investor is concerned, its about time he tied up his investments in tax-saving funds.
The rupee recovered 55 paise from its all-time low level to close at 90.38 against the US dollar after a volatile trade on Wednesday, amid suspected aggressive central bank intervention.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
A key trigger for the increased retail participation in equities has been the lockdown triggered by Covid-19 that saw investors channelising their savings to capital markets in search of better return on their investments and the need to increase their disposable income.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Indian investors have always been debt-heavy but with growing financial awareness they are getting comfortable with equities.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'...not merely in managing fiscal mathematics, but in demonstrating conservatism and prudence within that framework.' 'Looking forward, we believe sufficient growth drivers exist -- ranging from government reforms to revival in consumption to favourable monsoons. Numerous factors support the Indian economy.'
Investing is not just about setting aside money -- it's about making it work for you, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
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.
rediffGURU Ramalingam Kalirajan answers your personal finance queries.
After reaping rich returns with their stock investments in 2012, mutual funds have begun the new year on a high note with plans to pay dividends to their investors in equity funds.
With the introduction of 10 per cent tax both on long-term capital gains and on dividend, choose funds based on investment horizon and risk appetite, not on tax advantage, experts tell Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Standard Chartered Mutual Fund on Wednesday launched a close-ended Enterprise Equity Fund that\nwould invest 10 per cent of its corpus in public offerings.
It is a three year close-ended equity scheme that propagates long-term investing
Redemptions from systematic investment plan (SIP) accounts scaled a new high of Rs 14,367 crore in July, indicating investors booked profits following back-to-back months of gains in the market. Volatility triggered by Budget announcements also played on investor sentiment. "July 2024 saw a peak in the Nifty, which may have prompted profit-booking among investors nearing the end of their goal tenure.
Here's what Indian investors diversifying into equities, ETFs, and real estate abroad to manage risk, returns, and currency exposure must watch out for.
Equity mutual funds witnessed an outflow of Rs 9,253 crore in January, making it the seventh consecutive monthly withdrawal, primarily due to profit booking and portfolio rebalancing amid markets touching new highs. The pace of outflows from equities has however slowed for the third month and Gautam Kalia, head - Investment Solutions, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas said that it will likely turn positive soon as investors get used to the new normal. In addition, investors pulled out Rs 33,409 crore from debt mutual funds last month after investing Rs 13,863 crore in December, data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India showed on Tuesday.
People with modest incomes can also build a crore-worthy portfolio by investing small amounts consistently, says Ramalingam Kalirajan, and shows how the magic of compounding works.
Mutual funds' largecap investment universe is expected to see seven changes in the upcoming stock reclassification exercise by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). According to a report by IIFL Securities, Hero MotoCorp, Zydus Lifesciences, JSW Energy, NHPC, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bosch and Samvardhana Motherson are expected to earn upgrades in the revised list of largecap, midcap and smallcap stocks set to be released in the first week of July. Amfi revises the list at the start of January and July every year based on the previous six-month performance of the stock.
The competitive intensity in the mutual fund (MF) industry is moving beyond scheme performance, cost structures, and distribution. In recent months, several fund houses have rationalised exit loads applicable on redemptions.
'Indian markets may underperform global peers for the next two quarters.' 'But beyond that, India should catch up and resume its long-term growth path.'
Investors must account for currency depreciation in their financial plans and use instruments that can cushion the erosion in purchasing power.
'The frenzy for gold is primarily due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariff war.'
"Investor focus is shifting from equity to debt funds because of the extreme volatile market conditions," Association of Mutual Funds in India chairman, A P Kurian, told reporters on a Wednesday at a seminar on risk and compliance being held in Mumbai.
The new fund, which is different from gold exchange traded funds that require subscribers to have a demat account, will also offer investors the option to invest as little as Rs 100 per month, the company said in Mumbai.
