The surge in volatility across the globe sparked by Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to an increase in prices of gold and silver - considered to be safe-haven investment bets. In the past month, silver funds have delivered returns of 7.34 per cent, while gold funds on an average have risen around 6 per cent. In comparison, the benchmark Nifty has declined 4 per cent. Fund managers say precious commodities act as a good hedge against inflation and phases of geopolitical uncertainty.
Following the sharp run in markets, valuations across the board have become elevated. The National Stock Exchange Nifty50 Index now trades at a 12-month trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 24.3 times, 18 per cent higher than this year's low of 20.5 times. The valuation expansion in the broader markets has been sharper.
Rising gold prices and continuing investment flow in yellow metal has pushed the size of assets held through gold exchange traded funds to an all-time high of Rs 11,198 crore.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was a net seller of the US dollar in August, reversing its net buying position from July. During the current financial year up to August, the central bank had sold a net $1.11 billion. The RBI sold a net total of $6.49 billion worth of the foreign currency in August, according to the central bank's monthly bulletin.
Cases of front-running mostly happen when large asset managers and intermediaries are involved in bulk trades as their transaction size is generally big enough to impact the stock price.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday hiked individual limits of mutual funds' investments in overseas equity instruments by $50 million to $150 million.
Gold demand fell 15 percent in 2013 as huge outflows from physically backed investment funds outweighed record consumer demand, but that heavy disinvestment is tailing off this year, pointing to a recovery, the World Gold Council said.
Gold demand fell 15 percent in 2013 as huge outflows from physically backed investment funds outweighed record consumer demand, but that heavy disinvestment is tailing off this year, pointing to a recovery, the World Gold Council said.
Kamlesh Chandra Varshney, a whole-time member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), said on Friday that the market regulator in the last three months had removed around 15,000 content sites linked to unregistered finfluencers or providing unauthorised investment advice. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest, he said there was successful engagement with the technology providers who are complying with the regulator's request.
Investors may take a 5 to 10 per cent exposure to silver. 'Have a long-term investment horizon when investing in silver ETFs to ride out short-term market fluctuations.'
Benchmark Assent Management Company, a Mumbai-based mutual fund house, has listed India's first gold exchange traded fund (EFT) Gold BeES on the National Stock Exchange on Monday.
From the Sensex pack, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Bank, Adani Ports, Maruti Suzuki India, Axis Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Asian Paints were among the laggards. Reliance Industries fell the most by 2.38 per cent to close at Rs 1,171.10 apiece.
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) planned to list the futures trading in its benchmark index, Sensex.
Among the Sensex firms, IndusInd Bank, Power Grid, Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, NTPC, HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, Nestle and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the major gainers. Infosys, State Bank of India, Tata Steel, Hindustan Unilever and Titan were the major laggards.
Actively managed mutual fund (MF) schemes had been at the receiving end over the past few years for their inability to beat their benchmarks. However, the slump in shares of Adani Group companies - two of which are part of the benchmark National Stock Exchange Nifty50 index - have helped them improve their performance vis--vis exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or index funds.
According to a report by mutual fund tracker Morningstar, India-focused offshore funds and ETFs had witnessed a cumulative net outflow of $1.8 billion during 2012 as against a net withdrawal of $5.4 billion in 2011.
'He will be remembered more for what he did as finance minister -- as someone who functioned well when the political fallout was taken care of.'
State Bank of India, Adani Ports, Tata Consultancy Services, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries and PowerGrid were also among the laggards.
From the 30-share Sensex pack, Infosys, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, State Bank of India, HCL Technologies, Axis Bank, NTPC and HDFC Bank were among the laggards. In contrast, Maruti, IndusInd Bank, Adani Ports, ITC and UltraTech Cement defied broader market trends and ended in positive territory.
Influenced by ads like 'Make money sitting at home', 'Make Rs 10 lakh with just Rs 1,000', to YouTube influencers promoting 'pump-and-dump' stocks, a vast majority of small investors who mushroomed during the COVID-19 period are losing money in reckless overtrading in the market, cautions Dr V K Vijaykumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.
Leading brokers are expected to increase brokerage rates in the coming weeks, as they navigate a series of regulatory changes that are expected to squeeze profitability. According to industry sources, top brokers may soon begin charging for equity trades and raise the flat fees for intra-day and derivatives trading by 10-30 per cent. Several smaller players have already hiked their brokerage charges, signalling a potential end to the zero-brokerage era that has drawn millions of new investors into the stock market and fuelled active trading.
NSE Indices on Wednesday changed the methodology for handling schemes of demerger involving index constituents. The index provider said a company undergoing demerger would now be retained in its indices. The move comes ahead of the proposed demerger of Reliance Industries' (RIL's) financial services arm. Under the rules prevailing thus far, RIL -- which has the highest weighting among the 50 Nifty components -- would have been required to be removed from the index, resulting in a churn by funds tracking the Nifty index.
The yen and hedge funds are at centre stage, but what will happen if China diversifies into holding the yen.
Aimed at curbing gold imports and relying more on domestic supply, the government on Monday linked Gold ETF with gold deposit scheme.
If Sebi and RBI remain quiet about this brazenly illegal activity, will someone in the finance ministry or the NITI Aayog take a closer look, asks Debashis Basu.
During April-July, the investor-base in gold ETFs expanded 24 per cent.
Gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) witnessed a net outflow of Rs 199 crore in January, making it the third monthly withdrawal in a row, with investors preferring equities over other segments on buoyant record SIP flow. This was in comparison to a net outflow of Rs 273 crore registered in the segment in December and Rs 195 crore in November. Prior to that, Gold ETFs attracted Rs 147 crore in October, data with Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed.
If the gift is received from a relative, there is no tax implication. But if the gift is received from a non-relative and exceeds Rs 50,000 in value during a financial year, the entire value of the gift is taxable.
The pros and cons of investing in gold coins and bars, jewellery, gold ETFs and gold mining stocks.
The trend is expected to continue for a couple of months. But that hardly moves investors. Confusion, lack of knowledge and unpredictability are some reasons for gold ETF not pickling up as an investment option in India, market pundits say. The idea of gold ETF was first officially conceptualized by Benchmark Asset Management Company in India when it filed a proposal with the SEBI in May 2002.
The decision was taken in view of significant rise in imports of gold in recent years putting pressure on current account deficit.
Hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in publicly traded Adani group stocks through Mauritius-based 'opaque' investment funds by partners of promoter family, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) alleged on Thursday. The fresh allegations by an organisation funded by likes of George Soros and Rockefeller Brothers Fund come months after a US short seller wiped away close to $150 billion in value of Adani group stocks with allegations of accounting fraud, stock price manipulation and improper use of tax havens by the ports-to-energy conglomerate run by billionaire Gautam Adani. Adani group has denied all allegations. Citing review of files from multiple tax havens and internal Adani Group emails, OCCRP said its investigation found at least two cases where the "mysterious" investors bought and sold Adani stock through such offshore structures.
Data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India show that in 2010-11 till date, gold ETFs have seen net inflows rise by close to four times, to Rs 1,169 crore (Rs 11.69 billion), compared with Rs 312 crore (Rs 3.12 billion) during the same period last year.
The joint venture of Jio Financial Services and BlackRock to foray into India's asset management space could be disruptive but not disastrous for incumbent industry players, analysts said on Thursday. As an investment strategy, analysts suggest investors stay put in shares of those AMCs that consistently improve business metrics, and where market capitalisation-to-asset under management (AUM) valuation is not stretched. However, growth expectations of incumbent players may get trimmed in the medium-to-long term, analysts said, once the Jio-BlackRock JV unveils its plans, discounting the looming challenge as significant enough to dent their profitability.
It will help to stop widening of Current Account Deficit.
While the amount collected is a tad lower than last two years, it may surpass the previous two years' collections by the end of the year.
An official said the government is preparing the financial statements and getting the data room ready for the sales, suggesting that such aspects take time.
The sluggish market situation notwithstanding, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday clarified to ministry officials he wouldn't accept any slippage in the government's Budget divestment target of Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion) for this financial year.
The BSE's arm Asia Index has announced Wipro will replace Bajaj Auto in the 30-share Sensex. The move is part of a semi-annual rebalancing exercise and will take effect when the market opens for trading on December 20. On account of the rejig, Wipro will see buying by passive funds to the tune of Rs1,300 crore, while Bajaj Auto will see selling of Rs 636 crore, estimate analysts.
The top 100 companies have accounted for 63% of the gains (Rs 51 trillion out of Rs 81 trillion), while firms beyond the top 100 have contributed 37 per cent (Rs 30 trillion).