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New Delhi, Asset management companies launched 212 <keyword id="20372350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-fund-offerings" source="keywords">new fund offerings</keyword> mobilising Rs 63,854 crore in 2023, marginally higher from previous year, on the back of significant uptrends in broader markets. In comparison, Asset Management Companies (AMCs) garnered Rs 62,187 crore through 228 New Fund Offerings (NFOs) in 2022. Further, they collected Rs 99,704 crore in 2021 and Rs 53,703 crore in 2020, according to data compiled by <keyword id="20372349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="morningstar-india" source="keywords">Morningstar India</keyword>. "The trend towards the financialisation of assets in India is unmistakable. Aligned with changing consumption behaviours and a need for a higher standard of living, investors recognise the importance of long-term investing. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the necessity for financial planning and the creation of liquid assets to address emergencies and pave the way for wealth-building," FYERS Research said in its report. It further said that "despite indices exhibiting strength, propelled by robust economic activity, steady <keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst" source="keywords">GST</keyword> collections, and confidence in government reforms and policies, anticipating a similar outperformance in 2024 may not be prudent. Valuations across various market capitalisations look elevated, advocating a cautious approach to direct equities in the short term". As per the FYERS report, the January-March period of 2023 saw the highest number of NFOs at 57. However, the peak fund mobilisation occurred in the July-September period, totalling Rs 22,049 crore. Additionally, 29 thematic or sectoral funds raised an aggregate of Rs 17,946 crore in 2023. With an increased risk appetite for equities and awareness of products and offerings, retail investors opted for higher-risk products like thematic and sectoral funds compared to other products. Usually, NFOs come during a surging market when investor sentiments are high and optimistic. The NFOs were floated to capitalise on the mood of investors and attract their investment as they were willing to invest at that time. Industry experts said that the stock market performance along with the positive investor sentiments led to higher fund mobilisation through NFOs in 2023. In the year 2023, Nifty 50 index delivered a return of 20 per cent, majorly supported by earnings growth. <keyword id="19994732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nifty-midcap" source="keywords">Nifty Midcap</keyword> and <keyword id="20118967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nifty-smallcap" source="keywords">Nifty Smallcap</keyword> indices recorded impressive returns of 47 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) infused a substantial Rs 1.7 lakh crore into the market and the infusion played a pivotal role in propelling Indian equities beyond the USD 4 trillion market capitalization milestone. Overall, the mutual fund industry saw a net inflow of Rs 2.74 lakh crore in 2023 as compared to an inflow of over Rs 71,000 crore in the preceding year. The huge inflow could be on the back of sustained investors' interest in equity funds, arbitrage funds, and index funds &amp; ETFs. Debt schemes experienced a net outflow of Rs 46,100 crore last year, while equity schemes saw substantial inflows of Rs 1.62 lakh crore, closely followed by hybrid category schemes at Rs 93,208 crore.

Mutual funds collects ₹63,854 cr via new fund offers in 2023

<ul><li>Mutual fund companies launch NFOs to introduce fresh investment avenues, capitalising on <keyword id="29547" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market" source="Orion">market</keyword> trends or addressing specific investor demands. </li><li>Typically, NFOs are launched amidst a buoyant market, capitalising on high investor confidence and optimism. </li><li>Experts say <keyword id="47916" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="invest" source="Orion">invest</keyword>ors should invest in NFOs only if the product is truly differentiated from existing products and adds value. </li></ul>The Indian markets have been on a bull run with benchmark indices, the Nifty and the Sensex, scaling new highs. Along with initial public offerings or IPOs that have hit Dalal Street, new fund offers (NFOs) by mutual fund houses have also been the flavour of the season. In fact, 177 NFOs have been launched this year from the beginning of January to the end of October. In the quarter from July to September, NFOs registered a ₹22,000 crore inflow. This was nearly four times the inflow in the last quarter. Going forward, the market expects more NFOs to hit the market. Mutual fund companies launch NFOs to introduce fresh investment avenues, capitalising on market trends or addressing specific investor demands. These offerings bring new <keyword id="6378958" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="schemes" source="Orion">schemes</keyword> to the market, allowing fund houses to gather initial capital while offering investors a chance to enter at an initial offer price, usually set at par value (Set a ₹10 per unit). <div type="image" title="NFO-2023" agency="Business Insider India" msid="105891355" hostid="261" sizebytes="42526"></div> Why are NFOs being launched in large numbers? Typically, NFOs are launched amidst a buoyant market, capitalising on high investor confidence and optimism. These offerings are introduced to leverage the favourable sentiment among investors, aiming to attract their capital by tapping into their willingness to invest during such optimistic periods. “There is confidence in the markets and confidence in the product. Also, the offer docs which have been filed earlier have got approval, so the launches have happened,” says Jimmy Patel, MD and CEO, Quantum mutual fund. The key question: Should you invest? “There is a thumb rule that one should not invest in an NFO just for the sake of investing,” says Patel. For example, since small caps have been registering strong inflows, there would be several NFOs of small caps that would be launched. However, if you have a moderate risk appetite, investing in a small cap NFO would not be a right decision. Consider investing in a NFO when the fund aligns with your investment goals and offers a unique opportunity unavailable in existing funds. Assess its strategy, track record of the fund manager, and potential for growth. Avoid investing solely based on hype or market timing. However, if you do not have exposure to a particular asset class or product, this is one way to make an investment, experts say. “Investors should invest in NFOs only if the product is truly differentiated from existing products and adds value to their portfolio by fitting into their investment objectives. Most investors are best served by investing into existing products with well - established track records,” says Kaustubh Belapurkar, director, manager research, Morningstar India, a firm that provides data and research insights on investments. Says financial planner Gaurav Mashruwala, “I don’t encourage NFOs as I don’t want my clients money to be in a new scheme. I normally prefer existing to schemes.” It is important to remember that existing funds may offer similar opportunities with established track records. NFOs lack historical performance data, posing uncertainty. Hence one should focus on established funds aligned with your goals rather than banking on untested offerings.

New Fund Offers explained – Should you bite the bullet or stick to the tried and tested?

A recent report by Axis AMC shed light on the burgeoning Indian mutual fund industry. Since March 2021, the MF industry has grown at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 23.65%, touching an AUM (asset under management) of Rs 67.25 lakh crore in October 2024. <keyword id="20300870" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Equity-Mutual-Funds" source="keywords">Equity mutual funds</keyword>, which garnered Rs 41,886.69 crore during the month, saw a 58.96% YoY growth. The biggest contributor to the equity segment was sectoral funds, which captured 29.3% of net equity sales in October 2024. In all, they brought in Rs 12,278.78 crore during October 2024. The AUM of <keyword id="20890471" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hybrid-Funds" source="keywords">hybrid funds</keyword> also stood at Rs 9.24 lakh crore during the month, registering an annual growth of 47.8% and inflows worth Rs 16,863.30 crore during October 2024. Amidst this, the arbitrage funds led in net sales, capturing 3.61% of their AUM with monthly inflows worth Rs 7,181.70 crores. There and more people are entering the Indian markets, as is evident in the growing SIP corpus (Systematic Investment Plans), which saw contributions worth Rs 25,323 crore in October 2024, a 54.7% year-over-year growth. In October 2024, about 63,69,919 new SIPs were registered, taking the number of SIP accounts to a record high of 10,12,34,212 The growth in equity investments was largely led by retail investors and HNIs (high-net-worth individuals). Since March 2021, the retail segment in mutual funds has seen a 31.2% CAGR, while banks and foreign investors have recorded a CAGR of 31.8% during the same period. Corporations were the biggest contributors to debt mutual funds. Notably, the AUM of debt funds grew 14.8% over the previous year to stand at Rs 10,65,037 crore as of October 2024. The category saw net sales worth Rs 47,699 crore last month. Also testimony to the growing interest of investors in mutual funds were the figures of <keyword id="23958398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Passive-Mutual-Funds" source="keywords">passive mutual funds</keyword>, which recorded net sales worth Rs 8,025 crore during the month. Out of this, just index funds observed net sales of Rs 7,931 crore in the previous month. AUM from the top 30 Indian cities grew at 22.6% CAGR, whereas other cities grew at 27.8% CAGR since March 2021. FY25 also seemed to be the year where NFOs received an enthusiastic response from investors. So far, a total of 124 NFO schemes have managed to collect a total of over Rs 77,932 crore.

Mutual funds in spotlight: Industry grew at 23.65% CAGR since March 2021

Equity <keyword id="19929240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-funds" source="keywords">mutual funds</keyword> saw inflows worth Rs 40,537 crore during the month. On the other hand, <keyword id="20671790" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="debt-funds" source="keywords">debt funds</keyword> saw outflows to the tune of Rs 1,07,357.62 crores. Out of this, liquid funds saw the maximum outflows of Rs 80,354.03 crores. This is generally attributable to investors withdrawing money to meet their advance tax obligations. Overnight funds also saw outflows to the tune of Rs 25,142.72 crores. <keyword id="20296225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thematic-funds" source="keywords">Thematic funds</keyword> saw massive inflows of Rs 22,351.69 crore, the highest in <keyword id="20210668" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-funds" source="keywords">equity funds</keyword>, and were the investor's favorite during June 2024, as per <keyword id="22344564" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AMFI-data" source="keywords">AMFI data</keyword>. About 50% of the inflows in this category came from 9 new NFOs (new fund offers) in this category, which amassed Rs 12,974 crore. In terms of inflows, multi-cap funds came a distant second, garnering Rs 4,708.57 crore last month. Amidst <keyword id="22344565" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hybrid-schemes" source="keywords">hybrid schemes</keyword>, multi-asset allocation funds, which garnered Rs 3,453.12 crore in June, and Arbitrage funds, which saw inflows worth Rs 3,836.58 crore remained investor favorites. The only hybrid scheme to see net outflows were conservative hybrid funds, which shed Rs 130.57 crore. <h2>Large-cap funds see moderate inflows</h2>Inflows in small cap funds tapered at Rs 2,263.47 crore, slightly below inflows seen by midcap funds, which stood at Rs 2,527.84 crore. However, inflows in large-cap funds sobered significantly to stand at Rs 970.49 crore. Investors clearly took a far greater liking to large and mid-cap funds, which saw inflows worth Rs 2,912.19 crore, which is reflective of investor's growing confidence in the Indian stock market, and their increasing desire to diversify their investments and take risks. As of June 30, 2024, the AUM (<keyword id="20257654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asset-under-management" source="keywords">asset under management</keyword>) of the Indian mutual fund industry stood at Rs 61.15 lakh crore. It took the MF industry 6 months to cross the Rs 60 lakh crore threshold, from the Rs 50-lakh crore mark. During the month, the number of new MF folios also stood at an all-time high of 19.04 crore. <h2>SIP Inflows at all-time high, <keyword id="20050894" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-etfs" source="keywords">Gold ETFs</keyword> glitter hard</h2>SIP inflows for June surpassed the Rs 21,000-crore mark, standing at Rs 21,262 crore, as against Rs 20,904.37 crore in May 2024. Passive mutual funds (ETFs, Index funds) also registered a solid growth, with index funds gathering Rs 5,071.82 crores and other ETFs pulling in Rs 9,134.06 crores. Gold ETFs registered the highest month-on-month growth, gathering Rs 726.16 crore in June. Out of the 17 NFOs which were up for subscription last month, 9 belonged to the thematic fund category, while 2 were index funds. Cumulatively, these NFOs amassed Rs 15,227 crores.

AMFI Data: Debt funds see major outflows, thematic cap funds attract Rs 22,351.69 crores in June 2024

The deluge of funds in sectoral, or <keyword id="20296225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thematic-Funds" source="keywords">thematic funds</keyword> continued unabashed in September, with investors pouring in Rs 13,254.63 crore via 183 schemes into this category, as <keyword id="20090036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AMFI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AMFI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="AMFI">AMFI</keyword> data showed. In August too, investors had put in Rs 18,117.18 crore via 179 schemes here. The trend has been going strong since July, 2024, which saw <keyword id="20444306" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sectoral-Funds" source="keywords">sectoral funds</keyword> garner Rs 18,386.35 crores via 174 schemes. In August, 5 new thematic funds were launched on the momentum, which raised Rs 10,202 crore. Last month saw the launch of 4 new sectoral schemes, which garnered around Rs 8,000 crore. However, inflows into <keyword id="21366551" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Equity-Schemes" source="keywords">equity schemes</keyword> fell by 10% in September to Rs 34,419 crore, as compared to Rs 38,239 crore in August 2024. Between April and June 2024, equity <keyword id="19929240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mutual-Funds" source="keywords">mutual funds</keyword> had seen a total inflow of Rs 94,222.27 crore, out of which inflows in sectoral funds (Rs 46,731.17 crore) alone were a whopping 50%. While the quantum of inflow in equities, and sectoral funds certainly seems to have tapered down a bit, it continues to remain significantly strong, indicating heavy <keyword id="20354507" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Investor-Interest" source="keywords">investor interest</keyword> in this largely risky segment. Over the last year, AMCs have been pumping out more and more NFOs in this space in a bid to get a bigger chunk of investor's money, and also regulations restrict them from launching new schemes under other categories. However, with the ongoing geopolitical concerns in Middle East, and rising prices of crude oil, the equity markets are set for volatile, uncertain times ahead. However. thematic funds have had a good run so far this year, with YTD (yield to date) of 28.69%, and returns worth 44.71% over the past year. Says Deepak Ramaraju, Senior Fund Manager, Shriram AMC, "On the prima facie, it looks like investors are concerned about the valuation, increasing geo-political uncertainty and moderation in earnings and hence, we have seen redemption from funds. But we will have to wait for how the global events play out – like the Chinese stimulus, the Fed Decision and the RBI’s MPC policy stance in the months to come". As such, you should think twice and carefully assess the risks involved before dipping your hands in the gush of sectoral funds right now. While they may be all the rage, identifying the right sector or theme at the right time is a job best done by professionals. <h2>Don't ignore the risks involved</h2>Siddharth Alok, AVP Investments, Multi Ark Wealth-Epsilon Money explains that sectoral funds come with high risk, since they are more vulnerable to sector-specific downturns. This might not suit the risk palate of many investors. "All markets have cycles, where some sectors naturally outperform while some underperform in the short to medium term. For instance, industrial and consumer discretionary sectors may perform well in a growing economy, while defensive sectors like utilities or healthcare may perform better during downturns". "To make the most of your investments in sectoral funds, it is essential to time your entry and exit in these sectors, which is a difficult job for a regular investor", he continued. In order to maximise your returns in thematic funds, either investors i.e. you should understand the dynamics of the underlying sector or theme, or you should have qualified and experienced advisors who can help you take the right decision with regards to such investments. As a matter of fact, you should approach any new funds only after comparing them with similar existing offerings and ensuring their aptness in your portfolio. As an astute investor, you should understand that such funds offer a very high-risk high return investment proposition and may not fit in the portfolio of every investor. Investing in every <keyword id="20498936" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NFO" source="keywords">NFO</keyword> (New Fund Offering) without assessing the sector's viability and future growth, merely on the back of its current hype is unadvisable.

The newest fad in mutual fund multiverse: Sectoral Funds. Here's why you should not over-invest in them

Investors continued to push significant money into sectoral, or thematic funds, with the category seeing inflows worth Rs 18,117.18 crores during August 2024. The inflows in this category remained largely flat last month, changing negligibly from Rs 18,386.35 crores in July 2024. During August, 5 new thematic mutual fund NFOs were launched, which raised a total of Rs 10,093.57 crore. <h2>42nd consecutive month of positive inflows</h2>This takes the total tally of existing sectoral fund schemes to 179. The next category with most schemes offered (42) is <keyword id="103549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ELSS" source="Orion">ELSS</keyword> (equity-linked savings scheme). Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director – Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India cautioned that investors should be cautious while selecting funds specially from the sector/thematic category. Such funds offer a very high-risk high return investment proposition and may not fit in the portfolio of every investor. "Either investors should themselves understand the dynamics of the underlying sector or theme to take a prudent investment decision, or they should have a strong advice available to them, who can help them take the right decision", he advised. Inflows in small-cap funds tapered significantly, and are now largely in line with funds garnered by large-cap and mid-cap funds. In August, large-cap funds saw inflows worth Rs 2,636.86 crore, while large and mid cap funds amassed Rs 3,293.74 crore. Small-cap funds raked in Rs 3,209.33 crore during the month. "With large cap segment faring relatively better from valuation point of view, investors have shifted their attention towards this category again. Besides, large cap funds add stability to the portfolio during the times of market volatility, and this could be another reason for investors to invest in these funds, given heightened volatility observed in the markets in the recent times. Additionally, with the valuation high in the mid and small cap segments, some shift towards large caps is not surprising", continued Srivastava. Also, investors showed far more proclivity for <keyword id="6357979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mutual-Funds" source="Orion">mutual funds</keyword> spread over various market caps, as opposed to a single one. This is evident in the amount garnered by flexi-cap funds, which amassed Rs 3,513.16 crore. All in all, the equity segment saw total inflows of Rs 34,302.82 crores in August, making it the 42nd consecutive month of net inflows in this segment. Even the number of folios in equity jumped 3.16%, up from Rs 13.8 crore in July to Rs 14.3 crore in August. In hybrid funds, balanced advantage funds saw inflows worth Rs 3,215.06 crore, while multi-asset allocation funds received Rs 2,826.89 crore. <h2>Debt inflows take a dip</h2>As for debt categories, they saw inflows worth Rs 45,169.36 crore during the month, higher than their equity counterparts. However, this was significantly lower than the inflows it registered in July, which stood at Rs 1,19,587.60 crore. The biggest contributors to this quantum were <keyword id="428654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="liquid-funds" source="Orion">liquid funds</keyword> and overnight funds, which received Rs 13,594.87 crore, and Rs 15,105.93 crore respectively. And despite various PSU stocks having a good run on the bourses, banking and PSU funds saw outflows worth Rs 1,549.99 crores, the highest in debt segment. Nehal Meshram, Senior Analyst, Research, Morningstar Investment Research India highlighted that overnight funds, liquid funds and money market funds accounted out 86% of the overall debt inflow last month. "This trend reflects a preference for low-risk and highly liquid investment options. Investors also showed a preference for categories with shorter maturity profiles, such as short term, corporate bond and ultra short duration funds, for temporary parking of funds. Medium duration funds, which had consistently seen outflows, reported marginal inflows in August for the first time in 15 months", she explained. During the month, about 63,93,602 new SIPs were registered.

Sectoral funds rake in Rs 18,117.18 crore during the month, debt schemes see more inflows than equities, notes AMFI data for August

New Delhi, May 11 () The number of proposals for new fund offers (NFOs) filed by mutual fund houses with markets regulator Sebi has been dwindling since past few months largely due to the nationwide lockdown and its impact on overall investor sentiment. Fund houses approached Sebi for as many as 11 NFOs in January, the number fell to six in February and further dropped to just one in March and nil in April. In May so far, the figure stands at two, according to the markets regulator. Since March, draft documents for only three new schemes have been filed. This comprises one by Nippon India MF in March and two by SBI MF in May and interestingly, all the three are passive funds. "The slowdown in March/April is largely related to the lockdown and its impact on overall investor sentiment," said Kaustubh Belapurkar, Director – Manager Research, Morningstar India. Jimmy Patel, MD and CEO, Quantum Mutual Fund said the industry is grappling with fixed income funds facing redemption pressure last month and the prevailing market conditions are not so encouraging either, which resulted in slowdown in NFO filing. "In COVID-19 era, there seems to be uncertainty on the survival and continuity of a lot of industries and business models. At this point in time, it is not a liquidity crisis but a crisis of confidence," Ashika Wealth Advisors Co-Founder and CEO Amit Jain said. So far in 2020, draft documents for 20 NFOs have been submitted with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Of these, some of the schemes have already been launched after getting regulatory clearances. Of these 20 NFOs request filed with Sebi, a large chunk of these offerings are passive funds. Patel said passive funds have slowly gaining traction as such funds do not need minimum assets under management (AUM) and investor count, Patel said. Themes like exchange traded funds (ETFs) and environment social and governance (ESG) attracted of mutual fund companies. Besides, many mutual fund companies filed applications for index funds. Given the defined Sebi categories most fund companies are only looking to fill gaps in their active fund bouquets if any. "On the passive side there has been a fair bit of interest with a number of offerings around broader Index funds and ETFs as well as some thematic /sectoral ETFs. Another theme that is seeing interest is the ESG theme, which has been in the spotlight globally for a while now," Belapurkar said. "Fund companies are beefing up their product bouquets to be ready for the future where passive funds and ESG funds will play an increasingly important role in investor portfolios," he added. Jain said new fund offer shall increase once economic and financial stability is restored in the system. Nippon India MF, SBI MF, Aditya Birla Sunlife MF, DSP MF, BNP Paribas MF, UTI MF, Tata MF and HSBC MF are the fund houses that approached Sebi with the offer documents for NFOs. Nippon India Mutual Fund spokesperson said new schemes have been filed to complete our ETF portfolio suite. SP DRR

Lockdown, weak investor sentiment impact mutual funds' NFO

<ul><li>The Securities and Exchange Board of India (<keyword id="35210" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="Orion">SEBI</keyword>) has warned <keyword id="6357979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-funds" source="Orion">mutual funds</keyword> to hold off from launching any crypto-centred offerings until regulations come in.</li><li>India’s cryptocurrency bill was supposed to be discussed during the previous session of Parliament earlier this month, but did not make it to the table.</li><li>Invesco Mutual Fund has already delayed the launch of its crypto-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) and Navi Mutual Fund’s application is still pending approval from SEBI. </li></ul>India’s market watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), wants mutual funds to wait it out before coming up with new fund offers (NFOs) based on <keyword id="6368079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crypto-assets" source="Orion">crypto assets</keyword>. According to SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi, mutual funds should not be making such investments until there’s a law in place to regulate the industry. And, as things stand, India’s Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill (2021) is still pending approval from the Cabinet — the highest decision making authority in the country led by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. “It is prudent for regulated entities with public markets exposure or focus, or any form of public solicitation, to wait for additional clarity regarding the legality or definition of digital assets as assets or securities or commodities in India,” Nitin Sharma, partner at Antler India and blockchain lead for Antler Global, told Business Insider. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Caught in limbo" comment="subhead" text="Caught in limbo">Caught in limbo</cmsannotation> The warning from SEBI comes after asset management company Invesco Mutual Fund <a href="https://www.invescomutualfund.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/press-release---blockchain.pdf?sfvrsn=80e88ac2_0">delayed</a> the launch of its blockchain fund — the first of its kind in India — due to legislative uncertainty, even though they already have the green stamp from SEBI. “A lot of HNIs, family offices and retail investors will be drawn to such options because they are more comfortable with indirect exposure right now, even at a cost, versus dealing directly with digital assets,” said Sharma. Invesco isn’t the only mutual fund in India wanting to dip its two in the crypto space. Earlier this month, Navi Mutual Fund also filed a draft with SEBI for a Blockchain Index Fund of Funds (FoF), which will track the IndxxBlockchain Index. The IndxxBlockchain Index, however, index doesn’t track crypto assets directly. Instead, it tracks mainstream companies like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and others that have some crypto activity. The index also includes Indian IT giants like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS. “As and when this space matures, we can definitely expect multiple mutual fund houses coming up with Blockchain specific funds. These funds do not necessarily need to have direct exposure in crypto,” Edul Patel, the CEO and co-founder of Mudrex, told Business Insider. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/bitcoin-ethereum-shiba-inu-rake-up-losses-with-the-crypto-dip-showing-no-signs-of-slowing-down/slidelist/88557375.cms">Bitcoin, Ethereum, Shiba Inu rake up losses with the crypto dip showing no signs of slowing down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/dogecoins-co-creator-now-owns-just-40000-of-the-meme-token-and-says-he-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-anymore/articleshow/88551122.cms">Dogecoin's co-creator now owns just $40,000 of the meme token -- and says he has nothing to do with it anymore</a>

India’s market watchdog warns mutual funds to stay away from crypto assets at least until regulations come in

New Delhi, May 17 () Sustainable funds in India have shown resilience during the coronavirus-triggered market selloff and attracted more than USD 500 million (over Rs 3,700 crore) in January-March largely due to growing investor interest in environmental, social and governance issues, says a report. Sustainable or ESG (environmental, social, and governance) funds in Asia (excluding Japan) witnessed an inflow of over USD 900 million during the quarter under review, according to the report by Morningstar. Such funds offer exposure to themes such as renewable energy, low carbon, green transport and environmental protection. "Indian funds experienced record inflows of USD 507 million in first-quarter 2020, supported by Axis ESG Equity, which received USD 239 million in inflows," the report noted. The inflows in the first quarter of calendar year 2020 speak of the stickiness of ESG investments. Investors in sustainable funds are typically driven by their values, invest for the long term, and seem to be more willing to ride out periods of bad performance, it added. During the quarter, Axis ESG Equity made its debut in India with USD 240 million seed capital and the fund assets under management (AUM) was pegged at Rs 1,554 crore. Apart from Axis MF, Quantum MF and SBI MF too have ESG funds. At the end of the March quarter, AUM of SBI Magnum Equity ESG stood at Rs 2,039 crore and that of Quantum India ESG Equity was over Rs 12 crore. Besides ESG funds, experts believe index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are the other themes which are gaining traction among the country's mutual fund companies. During January-March, draft documents for as many as 17 new schemes were filed with markets regulator Sebi and a large chunk of these requests for new fund offers (NFOs) were for index funds and ETFs. Bucking the overall trend, the report said sustainable fund assets in Asia were up 21 per cent to USD 7.7 billion, bolstered by new fund launches. Globally, such funds witnessed an inflow of USD 45.6 billion during the quarter under review. In comparison, a withdrawal of USD 385 billion was seen in the overall fund universe. The assets in global sustainable funds dropped 12 per cent to USD 837 billion at the end of first quarter 2020, from a record high of USD 960 billion at the close of 2019. However, assets in the global fund universe took a greater hit, declining by 18 per cent. Europe continued to dominate the ESG space, housing 76 per cent of the global sustainable offerings and 81 per cent of the assets, but investor interest in other regions is growing, it said. European sustainable funds attracted inflows of USD 33 billion in the first quarter of 2020. This contrasts with the USD 163 billion in outflows suffered by the overall European fund universe. SP ABMABM

Sustainable funds in India attract USD 500 mn during COVID-19 selloff

“Mutual funds investments are subject to market risks, please read the offer document carefully before investing’ goes the oft-repeated statement.” 
	 
This warning that is written on all mutual fund investment documents and websites, just like they write warnings on cigarette packs, yet mutual fund investors ignore this caution primarily because people like you or me are not generally aware of the risks involved in mutual funds. This article would cover various market risks involved in mutual fund investments and also share tips on how you can reduce them. 
 

	Types of risks
The market risks are of two types. One type is of market risks are the ones that you, as an investor, can do nothing about. These are called systematic risks; these could be political factors, exchange rate fluctuations or even bad weather. Contrary to what you may have heard, these are difficult, if not impossible to predict or avoid. The second type is of risks are those that you can manage by diversification strategies. Generally, in a mutual fund, these risks are taken care of by your fund manager but you should be aware of them nonetheless. We can categorize them further into three broad types: business risk, concentration risk and liquidity risk. 
 
· Business risk: A sudden strike in the auto sector is an example of business risk. Poor financial performance of a company is another example. A fund manager mitigates this by diversifying across companies and sectors. 
 
· Concentration risk comes in when a mutual fund invests too large a proportion of its money in a single stock or sector. Sector funds, by definition, suffer from concentration risk because they invest in a single sector. 
 
· Liquidity risk arises if a fund cannot quickly convert its investments into cash, either in response to a redemption demand by investors or as part of portfolio rebalancing. Mutual funds investing in small cap stocks face this risk. 
 
 
 
What can you do about this, now that you know? 
Be careful while picking mutual funds. Ensure that you invest in large well-diversified equity funds. If you invest in specific sector or small/mid cap funds, do it with full knowledge of attendant risks. 
In our experience, mutual fund managers do a good job of managing risk. The biggest risk to an individual investor investing in mutual funds comes from faulty investment practices. And there is a lot you can do about it. 
 
Reduce risk by reducing mistakes 
Investing by definition involves exposing yourself to ‘risk’. The best you can do is: minimize risk. Having decided to invest via mutual funds, and not directly into stocks, is step 1 of minimizing risk. You are saying, “Let me entrust the task of investing to people more capable than me, and who do it fulltime”. 
 
But most investors still make lots of simple errors while investing in mutual funds. Let’s look at common errors, so can you avoid them. 
 
1. Investing with expectation of very high returns 
In an earlier section we talked about what the long-term expected returns from various asset classes are. However, we continue to see investors choose investments with expectation of unreasonable (40-50%) returns. This is just not going to happen and in an attempt to generate that return, you are likely to be misled into investing in funds that have shown a temporary blip in performance. 
Look at returns of funds over a minimum 5 year period. A 2-3% outperformance for equities and a 0.5-1% outperformance in debt funds is the best you can expect and you should be aware of that. 
 
2. Investing without understanding of underlying investments 
You already know that all mutual funds are not the same. Depending on which asset class and category of assets they invest in, you will get different returns with different behaviours. Debt funds offer lower but steadier return. Equity funds offer higher but more volatile return. 
 
Taxes saving funds (ELSS) are essentially equity funds and have the same return and risk profile. 
 
With this course, you should have enough knowledge to understand how the returns from a specific type of mutual fund will vary. 
 
3. Investing in NFOs “at par” or funds with “low” NAV 
Some investors believe lower the NAV (Net Asset Value) of a fund, the better value it provides. In other words, a fund with an NAV of Rs 20 is “cheaper” than another with an NAV of Rs 30. This belief is, perhaps, a mistaken application of the value-investing principles of equity investing. 
 
So, often such investors invest into a New Fund Offering (NFO) at par value or Rs 10, thinking they are buying value. 
 
But as you already know, from this course, that it makes no difference whether the NAV of a fund is high or low. In fact, older funds, with a longer track record, will always have high NAV and you are better off choosing those rather than a new fund with lower NAV but no track record. 
 
4. Investing for “dividends” 
We often see advertisements by mutual funds declaring dividends. Some investors are misled by these and think higher dividends reflect good performance. In the case of mutual funds, dividend declaration is nothing more than a book entry. Dividends are not interest but repayment of capital. Therefore the fund’s NAV falls to the extent the dividends are paid out to its unit holders. In fact, a growth option where you withdraw the money when YOU need it is better for you from a tax perspective. 
 
Conclusion 
Understanding market risk is important, but if you have chosen the asset class that best meets your objectives, you can trust the fund manager to manage the market risk for you. 
As an investor, you should focus on things you can control which are: Choosing the right mutual funds; following the correct process for investing; and reviewing your investments every year. 
 
(About the author: This article has been contributed by Sanjiv Singhal, CEO, <a href="http://scripbox.com/" target="_blank">scripbox.com</a>.) 
 
(Image credits: www.economictimes.com)

Mutual fund risks: Here is how you can reduce them

<keyword id="443223" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="misselling">Misselling</keyword> is defined as deliberate, reckless, or negligent sale of products or services in circumstances where the contract is either misrepresented, or the product or service is unsuitable for the customer's needs. 
 
In simple terms Misselling means that you were given unsuitable advice, the risks were not explained to you or you were not given the information you needed, and ended up with a product that isn’t right for you. 
 
Examples of Misselling in Finance 
· Selling life insurance to someone who has no dependents. 
· Selling retired or elderly person a long-term or child plan. 
· Selling the policy promising a single premium mode or a limited term policy but it actually turns out to be a regular premium mode. 
· Selling endowment plans without disclosing the expenses and commissions earned, 
· Selling ULIPs by promising huge returns, 
· Asking investors to surrender the existing policy (giving false reasons of non performance) and to buy a new high commission-yielding policy. Churning the policy every five or six years while the policyholder pays the price 
· Selling investor five funds with SIPs of Rs 1,000 each instead of one fund with SIP of Rs 5,000. 
· A bank relationship manager suggesting his client to exit from the existing funds as their NAV is at Rs 140, Rs 80 each, and instead start fresh SIP investments in two cheap NFOs with their NAV of Rs 10 each, recommended by the bank’s research team. Relationship manager used the ignorance of his client that low NAV doesn’t mean the fund is cheap and it has nothing to do with the future performance of the fund. · Recently it’s also observed that some unscrupulous elements call randomly(send emails) and introduce themselves as belonging from <keyword id="6361421" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="IRDA">IRDA</keyword> or Ministry of Finance or <keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword> and lure customers with fake offers like bonus or incentives. But they are pushing high commission-yielding products. 
 
Misselling for financial products is not unique to insurance and happens in various lines of businesses such as loans, credit cards, investment products, pharmacy, hospitality etc. The customers mostly buy financial products either in obligation or because of ignorance. Lot of mis-selling of insurance policy happens during last month of a financial year as people are in a hurry to save taxes. 
 
But Misselling is quite rampant in our daily life also in products other than the financial products. Example of a misselling of non financial products: 
 
● Say you were looking to use 4G on a mobile phone. You told the shop assistant that you planned use 4G and they recommended a model. Then you took it home, and found that it doesn’t work. There’s nothing wrong with the phone itself – it’s not faulty – but it’s not what you needed. The mobile phone was mis-sold to you. 
● Fairness creams are a multi-billion rupee industry in India as in India a large population equates fairness with beauty and superiority. Now they have for men too! 
● A superior course, global exposure, international faculty, good placement. Many universities claim. 
● Speak Asia, duped around 23 lakh investors to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore. It promised a weekly income, merely on filling online survey forms. Members paid money to join the firm’s network and earn reward points for referring its offerings to friends and peers. 
● Diet soda With no calories or sugar, comes with its own set of side effects that may harm your health-from kick starting kidney problems to adding inches to your waistline. 
● Brown bread much of the ‘brown’ bread you’ll find in the supermarket is simply the same white bread with brown coloring added. Hardly the healthier choice it’s made out to be! 
● As Indians are becoming more health conscious market is full of high nutritional products heart-healthy cooking oil, crunchy granola bars, fruit-flavoured yoghurt, to dry fruit-sprinkled muesli, we are taking everything that screams low calorie. 
 
If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. And this applies in case of buying anything, any product financial products as well. Don’t get tricked into the trap of marketing, intermediaries and buy the product just because the advertisement or agent is eulogizing it. 
 
Ignorance is no bliss. If you have limited wisdom about a product, an insurance plan or a mutual fund scheme, it becomes easy for commission-seeking agents to trick you into the wrong insurance or mutual fund scheme. Understand that a salesperson or an agent’s job is not to advice on the product's suitability for the specific needs of customers. He/she is just an intermediary between the company he is representing and you, as a customer and so his strategy revolves around just three words: sell, sell, sell. It is unrewarding for him to think about the investor’s financial goals when he has his own to fulfill. 
 
Stop the blame game. Do your own homework before buying any product, including financial product. Playing victim is no use and then till how long can you hide behind it. Misselling happens because mis-buying happens. There is no easy way out, no short cuts. As they say “It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to cover the earth with carpet.” 
This article is written by Kritika. 
Image: Thinkstock

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