rediffGURU Jinal Mehta answers readers' financial planning and health insurance queries
The answer depends on your financial goals and risk appetite, says Certified Financial Planner Ramalingam Kalirajan, and explains why.
The ideal time to invest in sector funds, is during a downturn so that investors can capitalise on a turnaround in 1.5 to 2 years.
Equity mutual funds attracted an all-time high net inflow of Rs 28,463 crore in March, on continued interest by retail and HNI investors, who used market correction as a good buying opportunity.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Large-cap oriented portfolio should perform well even in turbulent markets
Since MAAFs invest across multiple asset classes, they offer diversification.
rediffGURU Sunil Lala answers your personal finance-related queries.
The fund has opened for subscription on May 3, 2007 and will close on May 31, 2007.
Mutual fund bets in their own schemes are nearing the Rs 1 trillion mark. The total value of sponsor and associate investments across all categories of schemes touched Rs 95,058 crore in February, according to a Business Standard analysis of data from industry body the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). This represents a 28.9 per cent increase over March 2023.
Smallcap mutual funds recorded net outflows for the first time in 30 months in March as investors pulled out money after the markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), warned against "froth" in the mid and smallcap space. Active equity mutual fund (MF) schemes raked in Rs 22,600 crore in March. The March inflow is 16 per cent lower than the two-year high inflow of Rs 26,860 crore in February, shows data from the Association of MFs in India (Amfi).
rediffGURU Ramalingam Kalirajan answers your personal finance queries.
If the price-earnings (p/e) ratios of their portfolios are anything to go by, domestic fund managers are betting on bigger growth in earnings than what the market can generate on an average.
Officials from both India and the US in the recent past have indicated that a "fair deal" will be concluded soon, with Indian officials holding that more formal rounds of talks are not needed.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Gross inflows into active equity mutual fund (MF) schemes dipped 34 per cent month-on-month (MoM) -- to Rs 25,400 crore -- in April as investors applied brakes on lump sum investments amid a sharp upwards movement in the market. Gross inflows for March stood at Rs 38,641 crore. The sharp decline pulled the net inflows to a five-month low of Rs 6,480 crore, shows data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi).
The mutual fund industry also witnessed record sales.
Mutual fund houses have been on an equity buying spree in the past three months as they have invested a net amount of Rs 55,000 crore in them between January and March 2023. The number is more than double the amount deployed in the preceding three months (October to December), signalling improved valuations and favourable economic indicators. The valuations, which had peaked in October 2021, returned to its long-term average in March 2023.
These funds at times invest in companies going through corporate restructuring, such as mergers, demergers, or buybacks.
The average ticket size for a systematic investment plan (SIP) is edging up, even as the pace of new account openings remains strong. SIP ticket sizes had been shrinking in recent years, as mutual fund (MF) penetration grew. However, the average ticket size has started to climb again after a steep drop in the post-pandemic period, as the industry has doubled its investor base in the past four years.
To minimise risk, invest in a debt fund whose duration matches your investment timeframe.
Net flows from domestic institutional investors crossed Rs 5 trillion for the first time during a calendar year.
Despite the uncertainties created by rising bond yields and oil prices, fund managers have been proactively deploying fresh flows into the equity market. The cash available with equity fund managers, which has remained lower at around 5 per cent in the past few months, hit a 16-month low of 4.8 per cent in September, shows a Motilal Oswal Financial Services report. Cash holdings in equity schemes had topped 6 per cent in February amid subdued equity market sentiment.
Fund managers say the recent fall is not going to sustain.
'By investing in a basket of funds, FoFs can help minimise the impact of underperforming funds, thus reducing overall investment risk.'
In January, SIP account closures surpassed new registrations for the first time.
The majority of active largecap funds are set to outperform for the second year in a row in 2024, thanks to the strong performance of their midcap and smallcap allocations.
Mutual funds (MFs) have significantly increased their ownership across market segments, but the midcap space stands out with comparatively higher growth. Data reveals that the number of midcap companies with over a fifth of MF ownership has doubled from nine in March 2022 to 18 by March 2025. In contrast, largecap stocks saw only a marginal rise, from three to four such companies during the same period.
Arbitrage funds have recorded net inflows for three months straight, after steep outflows for half a year before that. The trend changed as mutual fund (MF) schemes improved amid a rise in equity market volatility. Investors redeemed over Rs 31,000 crore from arbitrage schemes between June and November before putting in Rs 3,000 crore in the last three months, shows data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi).
Many senior citizens 'underestimate the impact of inflation, taxation, health-related expenses, and the heavy premium they will have to pay on health insurance.'
When it comes to making investments in mutual funds, it all boils down to which fund to invest in.
Investors must adhere to their risk appetite at all times and should do well for themselves over the long-term.
