Largecap companies are generally less vulnerable to economic slowdowns than their mid- and smallcap counterparts.
The mutual fund (MF) industry is set to approach the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for relaxation in the recently implemented rules designed to prevent market abuse. According to MF executives, the new rules that came into effect in November for large schemes have created operational challenges for fund managers, particularly when executing large transactions or participating in block deals.
The mutual fund industry has grown 25 per cent in the first six months this year, accumulating assets worth over Rs 4 trillion on the back of bullish sentiments in the stock market and robust economic growth in the country.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Milind Vadjikar your insurance, stocks, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'The real question is how best to leverage technology to deliver better services, all the way to the last mile, where we still haven't been able to get across the financial literacy that can enable us to unlock the potential of the entire country.'
Here's what Indian investors diversifying into equities, ETFs, and real estate abroad to manage risk, returns, and currency exposure must watch out for.
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.
Inflows into equity mutual fund (MF) schemes declined in May, logging their lowest tally in 13 months at Rs 19,013 crore. It came even as the gross systematic investment plan (SIP) inflows surged to a record high of Rs 26,688 crore.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'When interest rates rise, the NAVs of these funds will fall.' However, they won't fall as much as longer-duration funds.
After three post-pandemic years of an upcycle, it was a mixed bag for the realty sector in 2025, with sales volumes in the residential real estate moderating across top cities, and commercial real estate and institutional investments emerging as standout performers. Residential: Volumes soften, value holds firm.
In the Indian stock market, investors are interested in the actions of both domestic and foreign institutional investors (FIIs and DIIs). These groups have wealth as well as expertise in research, which makes them powerful participants in the Indian stock market. Their buy and sell positions have a large effect on stock prices and market sentiment due to the large volume.
The number of fund houses are increasing each year in the fast growing Indian economy but when it comes about the size, the top five players control over half of the country's mutual fund business.
Index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have added a record number of investment accounts in 2024, buoyed by the sectoral and thematic investing euphoria that has spilled into the passive space.
At least four foreign fund biggies would soon enter the Indian mutual fund industry, a sign that re-affirms overseas interest in the country's stock markets though indices continue to sway.
Gold fund of funds may not offer more than Exchange Traded ones
Non-resident Indians (NRIs) haven't gone big on the Indian stock market story despite the post-pandemic boom. While domestic participation through mutual funds (MFs) and dematerialised accounts has soared, NRI participation figures show limited signs of a similar rise.
High energy costs, long a drag on India's manufacturing competitiveness, are finally easing. Power and fuel expenses accounted for 1.98 per cent of net sales in 2024-25, the lowest level in data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) over the past two decades.
MNC funds invest in companies where foreign promoters have more than 50 per cent shareholding.
More than 50 per cent of SIP accounts come from semi-urban and rural areas.
Inflows into equity mutual fund (MF) schemes declined for the third month in a row in March even though the equity market recovered sharply. Equity MF schemes raked in a net Rs 25,082 crore in March, down 14 per cent from February.
When it comes to making investments in mutual funds, it all boils down to which fund to invest in.
The interplay between domestic and foreign capital will shape India's equity markets.
Equity mutual funds attracted Rs 6,120 crore in August, the lowest level in 10 months, amid a volatile stock market environment. This was the 18th straight month of inflows in equity mutual funds but the pace of inflow has been declining over the past few months. The net inflows in August were lower compared to Rs 8,898 crore in July, Rs 15,495 crore seen in June, Rs 18,529 crore in May and Rs 15,890 crore in April, according to data released by Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) on Friday.
'There is a lot of euphoria in the country after a trade agreement is signed. But it is an illusion for us. What is more important is making it real.'
In January, SIP account closures surpassed new registrations for the first time.
Global funds have opened a window to international asset markets for Indian investors
The returns from such funds will be limited
While the minimum holding period for LTCG taxation has now been lowered, the tax outgo could be a bit higher under the new structure.
'For most investors, I recommend a low double-digit allocation (10 to 12 per cent) to gold and silver combined.'
'The government is actively engaging with EU to ensure that concerns of Indian companies and hard-to-abate sectors are adequately addressed under CBAM'
New investor additions by mutual funds (MFs) have slowed dramatically in recent months, indicating that market correction and a rise in volatility are somewhat dimming the appeal of equity schemes. MFs have onboarded 300,000 new investors in April 2025, the lowest in 22 months.
Investors are yet to warm up to the concept of sustainable investing with sustainable or ESG (environmental, social, and governance) funds in India witnessing outflows of Rs 315 crore in 2021-22. This comes following a staggering inflow of Rs 4,884 crore in FY 2020-21. Prior to that, sustainable funds saw an infusion of over Rs 2,000 crore, according to data compiled by Morningstar India.
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.
Two equity funds at the opposite ends of the risk matrix - small-cap and arbitrage - bucked the 'low inflow' trend in May this calendar year 2023 (CY23) to receive the highest net inflows in recent years. The Rs 3,280-crore net inflows into small-cap schemes in May was the highest for the category since the mutual fund (MF) industry started releasing fund-wise inflow data in April 2019. Arbitrage schemes raked in a net Rs 6,640 crore - the highest since July 2021.
At a time when exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were unloading Jio Financial Services from their portfolios, some active fund managers were placing large bets on the demerged financial services arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), a report by Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research shows. Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund and Quant Mutual Fund were the top MF buyers of the stock in August. They bought around 60 million shares each, together investing around Rs 2,800 crore.
