India's gold demand rose 8 per cent annually to 136.6 tonne in the March quarter helped by a strong economic environment despite prices touching historic highs, according to the World Gold Council. The aggressive gold buying by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also contributed to the rise in demand. India's gold demand in value terms rose 20 per cent on an annual basis to Rs 75,470 crore during the January-March period of this year on volume growth as well as a rise in quarterly average prices by 11 per cent.
Rediff.com spoke to registered investment advisors to figure out how best the extra Rs 17,500 saved ever year can be invested to create a decent corpus in the years ahead. This is what they said.
In 2022, gold emerged as the top performer among all conventional asset classes with over 14 per cent returns mainly owing to the depreciation of the rupee.
The State Bank of India said on Monday it would launch a gold exchange traded fund in 2008. "We are examining this product in our mutual fund company and we are hopeful we should be able to come out with an ETF next year," O P Bhatt, SBI chairman said at a conference in Mumbai.
While the regulators -- Sebi and RBI -- are yet to issue guidelines, gold ETFs certainly look more promising.
Gold is an excellent asset class for diversification and should be included in all long-term portfolios.
'We suggest an equity strategy of 5% to 10% exposure to cash, 5% to Gold ETF, close to 50% to Sensex/Nifty/large mid-cap stocks.'
It has mostly been a one-way street for smallcap stocks that have taken it on their chin thus far in February. The Nifty Smallcap 250 index has shed 3.2 per cent in the current month as compared to the 1.8 per cent decline in the Nifty Midcap 100 and the 0.5 per cent drop in the Nifty 50 index, data showed. Technically, the index has slipped below its 20-day moving average (DMA) placed at 14,800 levels on Monday, and is currently testing the 50-DMA, and is placed at 14,278 levels.
'It makes sense to have gold in one's portfolio keeping the political and economic risks of 2024 in mind.'
Gold prices have surged nearly 18 per cent, so far, in the calendar year 2022 (CY22) to around $2,050 per ounce against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and there is more headroom over the next few months, believe analysts at Goldman Sachs who expect the yellow metal to become costlier by another 25 per cent to $2,500 an ounce by the year-end. Goldman Sachs, earlier, had raised its 12-month gold price forecast to $2,150 per ounce considering that an impending US growth slowdown would lead to increased concerns of a US recession and incentivise 300 tonnes of inflows into gold ETFs. At the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine tensions, Goldman Sachs had suggested the resultant rally in commodities could deteriorate the developed market (DM) growth-inflation mix, increase concerns of a American recession, and push gold ETF inflows to 600 tonnes and, in turn, lift gold prices to $2,350 an ounce in 12 months.
Provision to invest in gold deposit schemes introduces credit risk to such funds
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.
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.
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.'
The net inflow in equity mutual funds plunged 76 per cent to Rs 2,258 crore in November over the preceding month amid a sharp up move in the stock market that made investors wary of higher valuation. This also marks the 21st straight month of inflows into equity schemes. Overall, the mutual fund industry registered net inflows of Rs 13,263 crore in November, slightly lower from Rs 14,045 crore seen in the previous month, data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed on Friday.
As the Indian stock market gyrates to the tune of global uncertainties, investors are looking out to invest their moneys in safe haven. Gold, in virtual form, can obviously be one of those safe havens. But if you are not convinced here are 7 reasons why you must invest in gold exchange traded funds.
According to the report, benchmark gold ETFs have increased to 2.03 tonnes in May from 1.5 tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Whereas gold ETFs at UTI, Reliance Capital and Kotak remained at 1.32 tonnes, 1.23 tonnes and 0.34 tonnes respectively during May period, it said.
The rise in consumer price index (CPI) inflation could see the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in an extended pause mode as regards interest rates, and in turn, keep the market rally in check, believe analysts. Signs of inflation cooling off in the US, however, is likely to provide some cushion as the expectations of a change in stance by the US Fed as regards interest rates is likely to aid sentiment. Back home, CPI inflation surged for the first time in five months to 4.81 per cent in June 2023, and was higher than the street's expectations of 4.58 per cent.
The government has sold SGBs worth Rs 1,990 crore in April and May alone.
Regular investment in gold-linked financial instruments will safeguard against price fluctuation and do away with storage cost.
Fund houses have been barred from being net sellers or holding net short positions at the scheme level in commodities.
Those interested in investing in gold have shifted to instruments, such as sovereign gold bonds and gold ETFs. Many others are, in fact, selling gold or using it as collateral to generate short-term liquidity.
The demand for gold has bounced back sharply in India from the lows seen in 2020 because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and has even beaten the pre-pandemic level. In the September quarter, the demand for gold jumped 47 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 139.1 tonnes, as against 94.6 tonnes in the year-ago period, and higher than the 123.9 tonnes recorded in the pre-pandemic September 2019 quarter, the World Gold Council (WGC) said in its latest release. In value terms, demand surged 37 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 59,330 crore during the quarter.
At present there are two types of gold related funds available in country
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.
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With the listing of Reliance gold ETF on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday, four fund houses (Benchmark, UTI Mutual Fund and Kotak Mutual Fund being the other three) currently offer gold ETFs to Indian investors.
First Rajya Sabha approved the Rs 45 lakh-crore spending proposed in the Budget, followed by the nod to the Finance Bill that contains tax proposals.
'Gold could return 10% to 12% in the next two-three years.'
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.
Despite its recent underperformance, gold must be a part of your portfolio.
Assets under management with the mutual fund industry jumped a whopping 41 per cent in fiscal 2021 to Rs 31.43 lakh crore, despite a minor 1 per cent decline in March, says a report. The 1 per cent decline in assets on monthly basis in March was because of net outflows from open-ended debt funds, even though open-ended equity funds for the first time in June 2020 recorded net inflows, according to the industry data collated by Crisil on Friday. Marc saw net outflows of Rs 29,745 crore, taking down the industry's asset base to Rs 31.43 lakh crore, down from the record high of Rs 31.64 lakh crore in February, registering a whopping 41 per cent growth in the fiscal 2021 over the previous fiscal, said Crisil, adding cumulative inflows equalled Rs 2.09 lakh crore.
Total holdings of the top eight gold ETFs have risen by 3.8 million ounces so far this year
Move over equity markets, mutual funds and bonds. Investors across India are these days picking up and trading in the latest investment avenue in town: the Gold Exchange Traded Funds.
The Finance Act, 2020, has inserted a sub-section, mandating a seller to deduct tax equal to 0.1 per cent of sale proceeds if the value of goods sold exceeds Rs 50 lakh in a financial year.
With Indian jewellery market already on the robust recovery path, the jewellers are expecting strong Diwali sales in the Dhanteras as the festive mood remains high with low Covid third wave possibility and softer gold price this season. The industry expects the trends in 2021 will be able to reach pre-covid level sales of 2019 on the back of gold price hovering at Rs 46,000-47,000 per 22 carat 10 grams gold nearly 5 per cent lower than 2020, and jump in number of weddings, a senior official of an industry body said. "Since Navratri market is showing demand. It will continue on Dhanteras also.
Given the economic trends, it might make sense to allocate some savings to gold.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
'Investors with as little as Rs 1 can start investing in digital gold.'
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