Equity mutual funds attracted Rs 39,688 crore in January, driven by sharp inflow in small and midcap schemes, even as market volatilities continued. However, this was 3.5 per cent lower than the net inflow of Rs 41,156 crore registered in December.
Meaningful market share would go to those who have the distribution strength to push their products, such as banks.
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.
Regardless of market levels, invest in stocks and equity mutual funds in a staggered manner.
Equity mutual fund (MF) schemes were flush with cash at the start of this month, even as fresh investments shrank in February. As of February 28, equity schemes from the top 20 fund houses held 6.8 per cent of their portfolios in cash, up from 6.1 per cent in January and 5.9 per cent in December 2024, according to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
Equity mutual funds witnessed a record inflow of Rs 41,887 crore in October, marking a surge of over 21 per cent on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, fuelled by robust investments in thematic funds. This also marks the 44th consecutive month of net inflow in the equity-oriented funds, highlighting the ever-increasing appeal of mutual funds among investors, data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) showed on Monday.
Value mutual funds have witnessed robust investor interest, garnering Rs 22,757 crore in inflows in 2024, nearly double the amount seen in 2023, fueled by impressive returns generated by the segment. This surge reflects a shift in investor focus towards fundamentally strong yet undervalued stocks.
India's gross savings rate is projected to be nearly 47 basis points higher in FY25 than previously estimated, following the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi) revision of the methodology for calculating household savings routed through the securities market.
'Long-term investors seeking sustainable gains from resilient, fundamentally strong companies may go for these funds.'
The improvement in the performance of actively managed mutual fund (MF) schemes is acting as a key tailwind for the nearly Rs 50 trillion industry, Kotak Institutional Equities (KIE) said in a report. The report adds that the two largest listed asset management companies (AMCs) - HDFC and Nippon India - are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries. "The industry has a solid track record of delivering alpha on 10-year returns (70-80 per cent of assets under management (AUM) beat the benchmark), with shorter duration performance also on an upswing.
rediffGURU Vivek Lala answers your income tax and personal finance queries.
Viresh Joshi, a former chief trader and fund manager of Axis Mutual Fund, has been arrested under the anti-money laundering law in a case linked to alleged cheating of investors to the tune of Rs 200 crore by 'front-running' in trade activities, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Sunday.
After a stellar 2023, the mutual fund industry sustained its growth momentum in 2024 with an impressive Rs 17 lakh crore surge in assets, driven by buoyant equity markets, robust economic growth, and increasing investor participation. Experts are predicting the positive trend will extend into 2025.
The SIF vertical, which allows MFs to offer complex products to relatively sophisticated investors, has managed to garner scale in just seven months of the launch of the first products.
Global financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, have invested Rs 963 crore in One 97 Communications (Paytm's parent company) through open market transactions, acquiring a 1.34 per cent stake from SAIF Partners and Elevation Capital.
The number of companies had touched a low of 792 in July 2020 amid heightened uncertainty because of COVID-19.
Their assets under management (AUM) rose from Rs 1.04 trillion (January 31, 2025) to Rs 1.75 trillion (January 31, 2026), an increase of 68.3 per cent.
Mutual funds are looking to tap into the special opportunities theme ahead of the results of the general election results and the continued uncertainty on the geo-political and interest rate fronts. Two fund houses - WhiteOak Capital and Samco - are set to launch special opportunities funds next week. Kotak MF has also filed papers with the regulator to launch a scheme in the same category.
The top 20 fund houses held 6.8 per cent of their portfolios in cash as of May 31, down from a record high of 7.2 per cent in April 2025.
Listed capital market companies in India delivered strong fourth-quarter earnings growth, with a universe of 12 firms posting 30 per cent year-on-year revenue growth and 19 per cent earnings growth in Q4FY26, despite mark-to-market (MTM) losses impacting headline profitability for some.
The mutual fund industry took a hit of more than Rs 16,000 crore on its asset size during 2011, even as the newly-crowned market leader HDFC MF grew in size and consolidated its top position.
Net inflows into equity mutual fund schemes moderated in FY26, falling by 27 per cent to about 3 trillion till February, as choppy markets and global uncertainties prompted investors to shift towards safer options like hybrid funds and gold ETFs.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is considering a proposal to allow mutual funds (MFs) to charge a fee based on their performance, said Ananta Barua, whole-time member of the markets regulator. He said the proposal is being reviewed by a working group formed to look into cost structures. "One working group has been set up which is going to review... One of the suggestions is that if any scheme or fund is performing well above the benchmark, it (fee) can be linked to its performance.
K Ramalingam explains the three most powerful signals that indicate your mutual fund's performance
Companies in the lower mcap deciles have recorded the fastest growth in median mcap.
Knowing these will save you from taking undue risks, losses and also create wealth in the long run, says Dwaipayan Bose.
Retail investors tend to overlook the warning signs in a Bull market. So who makes the most of their 'greed?' The unscrupulous mutual funds.
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.'
Too many EMIs draining your salary? Ramalingam Kalirajan explains the safe borrowing limit that protects your income from a dangerous debt trap.
Mutual funds (MFs) are lining up distinguished new fund offerings (NFOs) for the next financial year to win over investors after a lukewarm response to product launches in the 2022-23 financial year (FY23). NFOs drew a lukewarm response in FY23 as launches were mostly in the passive debt space, which has a comparatively lower popularity among retail investors. The limited launches in equity space also failed to rake in huge sums due to subdued investor sentiments in a volatile market.
Asset management companies launched 239 new fund offerings (NFOs) mobilising Rs 1.18 lakh crore in 2024, with sectoral or thematic equity funds emerging as the top choice of investors, according to a report by Germinate Investor Services Research. This was higher than 212 NFOs collecting Rs 63,854 crore in 2023 and 228 NFOs garnering Rs 62,187 crore in 2022.
'Healthcare costs in India rise by 10 to 14% annually, causing treatment costs to double roughly every 5-7 years.'
The share of non-resident Indians (NRIs) and overseas investors in Indian mutual funds has been declining over time, despite adding half-a-trillion rupees to holdings over the last five years. Mutual fund holdings for the segment went up from Rs 0.95 trillion as of December 2018 to Rs 1.54 trillion as of December 2022, shows Business Standard analysis of data from the industry body Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). Their share in overall mutual fund assets has fallen from 4.2 per cent to 3.9 per cent during the same period.
Despite strong AUM growth, MFs lag behind other popular investment avenues. MFs received only 6 per cent of total household savings in 2021-2022.
Amidst a sharp run-up in gold and silver prices, investors are advised to rebalance their portfolios by booking partial profits in precious metals and reallocating to domestic equities and debt, according to financial experts.
Yield-generating instruments like Infrastructure Investment Trusts (Invits), Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits), and Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) are witnessing a surge in investor interest, contrasting with a notable slowdown in the equity primary market, which saw only one IPO in April.
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