Retail investors tend to overlook the warning signs in a Bull market. So who makes the most of their 'greed?' The unscrupulous mutual funds.
Banks are depending more heavily on the market for certificates of deposit (CDs), whose worth climbed to a record Rs 5.75 trillion in the fortnight to January 15, owing to deposit tightness in the system.
We will explore some of the reasons why a stock-only portfolio may no longer be sufficient and some of the modern alternatives and strategies that can help investors build resilient and profitable portfolios.
'For the initial decade, I consistently advise young professionals to prioritise career development and income growth rather than market analysis.'
HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank remained among the top mutual fund (MF) buys for the second consecutive month in September. MFs deployed a net of Rs 15,000 crore into these stocks during the two-month period (August-September), revealed Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research reports.
Following the money and freezing anything unaccounted is the only way to set an example for others, suggests Debashis Basu.
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.
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.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India does not seem to have understood the enormity of what funds have been up to. If Sebi does not crack down on mutual funds using cooked-up credit ratings to hide behind promoter funding, this is bound to grow into a systemic menace, says Debashis Basu.But MFs decided to become lenders without the legal backing to secure themselves, or the skillset to assess lending risk. If Sebi does not crack down on mutual funds using cooked-up credit ratings to hide behind promoter funding, this is bound to grow into a systemic menace, says Debashis Basu.
To become a sponsor-free AMC, a MF must have positive liquid net worth and net profit of at least Rs 10 crore in all of the preceding five years.
Industry body Amfi to hold meeting to decide on road map.
Domestic gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw their holdings jump 65 per cent to 95 tonnes in 2025, elevating Indian ETFs to sixth place globally, going by holdings of the yellow metal. At the end of 2024, they ranked eighth with 57.5 tonnes of holding, according to an analysis of data from the World Gold Council (WGC).
Inflows into mutual fund (MF) schemes via systematic investment plans (SIPs) have topped Rs 3 trillion for the first time in a calendar year, as investors increasingly rely on the staggered investment route amid market volatility.
Mutual funds aspirants have the option of snapping up smaller AMCs or applying for a new licence.
Unperturbed by election uncertainty, investors poured record sums into equity mutual fund (MF) schemes in May, driving India closer to a $5 trillion market capitalisation. The Rs 34,697 crore net inflows into actively managed equity funds last month surpassed the previous high of Rs 28,463 crore recorded in March 2022. In April 2024, equity schemes had garnered nearly Rs 19,000 crore.
The Reliance Centre, a guesthouse and some residential assets in Mumbai, apart from 231 plots of land in Chennai, are among the fresh assets worth Rs 1,120 crore attached by the ED as part of its ongoing money-laundering probe against the companies of Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani.
Market regulator Sebi on Thursday said that timelines for portfolio rebalancing in mutual fund schemes will now be applicable to all types of passive breaches across actively managed schemes, which was earlier limited to only asset allocation. A passive breach refers to unintended deviations from the mandated asset allocation or regulatory limits that do not arise from the direct actions or omissions of asset management companies (AMCs).
Which are the best mutual funds to buy now? What should be your strategy now while buying mutual funds? Should you buy open-ended or close-ended funds?
State-run UTI Mutual fund has toppled private sector ICICI Prudential to be the country's second biggest fund house, while Anil Ambani Group's Reliance MF has retained its top position.
It is easy to get lost in the huge world of mutual funds. Mutual funds expert T Srikanth Bhagavat tells you how to cut through the maze.
The top 10 fund houses are slowly losing ground to their smaller peers, even as they continue to hold the lion's share in the total assets under management (AUM) of the mutual fund (MF) industry, according to an analysis of the quarterly AUM for the past six years. These fund houses had an average AUM of Rs 38.8 trillion in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023-24, which is 79 per cent of the total industry AUM of Rs 49.2 trillion. The share has come down steadily since Q3 of 2019-2020, when the share stood at 84 per cent.
The post-Covid euphoria surrounding direct equity investing has ebbed in 2025. Individual investors have turned net sellers in the domestic equity market, pulling out about 8,461 crore so far this year - a sharp reversal from the record purchases seen in 2024, according to a report by the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).
'Active funds have the ability to manage downside risk.'
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) could soon issue interim orders imposing a market ban on the two former fund managers of Axis Mutual Fund (MF) for suspected front-running of trades, said people with knowledge of the development. "The market regulator has gathered prima facie evidence that demonstrates that the duo has violated the integrity of the market. "While a detailed investigation is still pending in the matter, Sebi could take action under Section 11 (4) to prevent further harm to the investors and the securities market," said a source.
With the ever-changing finance industry and the new rules brought out by SEBI, are you sure you are up-to-date on your mutual funds gyaan?
Investors seeking higher returns at relatively higher risk should consider allocation to smallcap equity funds.
Parents must note some peculiar feature of child funds.
Domestic mutual funds have infused the highest ever -- Rs 4.84 trillion -- this year amid strong inflows via SIPs.
Fund companies deny the existence of 'star managers' to understate key man-risk; investors on their part, must evaluate if the fund remains as good a bet, sans its 'star'.
'They are a poor fit for anyone with near-term goals, low volatility tolerance, or a need for steady income or liquidity.' 'First-time investors should typically avoid them.'
For some time now, Indian mutual fund investors have taken a fancy for star ratings that are accorded by select mutual fund research firms/agencies. These firms, based on certain pre-determined parameters, give a rating.
Five parameters that will help you make a winning decision
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.
Mutual funds focused on small-caps have emerged as the winner with a net inflow of close to Rs 11,000 crore in April-June quarter, as fund managers struggle to create alpha in the large-cap space, and the trend is expected to continue for some time. On the other hand, large-cap space, which is yet to pick up momentum, witnessed an outflow of Rs 3,360 crore during the quarter under review, data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. Apart from the June quarter, small-cap funds logged an inflow of Rs 6,932 crore in three months that ended in March.
'Allocating 5 to 10 per cent of one's portfolio and staying disciplined through market cycles helps in having a positive investment experience.'
When it comes to the average assets under management among the top five mutual funds, there has been a shuffle in positions. While Reliance Mutual Fund has been able to maintain the number one position at Rs 700 billion, ICICI Prudential has been pushed to number four from second spot by HDFC Mutual Fund. ICICI Prudential was above HDFC by Rs 73 billion in January-end 2008. But at the end of December, HDFC's assets were up by Rs 48.79 billion over that of ICICI Prudential.
Investors having a moderate-risk profile can use these funds in their retirement portfolios.
'Long-short SIFs are designed for seasoned, high-risk, high-reward investors, who understand market volatility.'
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