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New Delhi: Nine of the top-10 most valued firms together added Rs 2,01,552.69 crore in market valuation last week, with <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> stealing the show, amid bullish investors' sentiment in equities. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 1,707.01 points or 2.10 per cent. The 30-share BSE Sensex hit its lifetime high of 83,116.19 on Thursday. Bharti Airtel's valuation jumped Rs 54,282.62 crore to Rs 9,30,490.20 crore, becoming the biggest gainer among the top-10 firms. The market capitalisation (mcap) of <keyword id="19900482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ICICI Bank" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="ICICI Bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> surged Rs 29,662.44 crore to Rs 8,80,867.09 crore. <keyword id="19950119" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Consultancy-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Consultancy Services" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Tata Consultancy Services">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> (TCS) added Rs 23,427.12 crore taking its valuation to Rs 16,36,189.63 crore. The mcap of Hindustan Unilever soared Rs 22,438.6 crore to Rs 6,89,358.33 crore and that of <keyword id="19895995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDFC-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HDFC Bank" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="HDFC Bank">HDFC Bank</keyword> zoomed Rs 22,093.99 crore to Rs 12,70,035.77 crore. The market valuation of Infosys climbed Rs 17,480.49 crore to Rs 8,07,299.55 crore and that of ITC rallied Rs 15,194.17 crore to Rs 6,42,531.82 crore. The valuation of <keyword id="19896380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Industries" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Reliance Industries">Reliance Industries</keyword> jumped Rs 9,878.19 crore to Rs 19,92,160.61 crore and that of State Bank of India went up by Rs 7,095.07 crore to Rs 7,05,535.20 crore. However, the mcap of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) declined by Rs 3,004.38 crore to Rs 6,54,004.76 crore. Reliance Industries was leading the chart of the top-10 most valued firms followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Infosys, State Bank of India, Hindustan Unilever, LIC and ITC.

Mcap of nine of top-10 most valued firms jump Rs 2 lakh crore, Bharti Airtel leads the surge

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have reportedly been tapped on a valuation of OpenAI.</li><li>The transformative AI startup is evaluating what it could take to become a for-profit company.</li></ul>As <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-3q-results-dealmaking-trading-resurgence-david-solomon-2024-10">third-quarter earnings demonstrated</a>, Wall Street dealmaking appears to be bouncing back after three years of lackluster activity.For bank bosses, it signals a return to vying for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/megamergers-deals-m-a-wall-street-comeback-2024-9">biggest M&amp;As</a>, IPOs, and debt-capital raises in hopes of the largest paydays for themselves and their firms. Yet, one of the most coveted projects on the Street right now is unlikely to mint much money for the investment banks involved — at least in the short term.Last week, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-14-billion-question-dividing-openai-and-microsoft-71cf7d37">Wall Street Journal reported</a> that OpenAI and its longtime backer, Microsoft, have begun talks to determine how much money Microsoft stands to receive if OpenAI converted to a for-profit institution. The Journal reported that OpenAI tapped advisors at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-2q-earnings-david-solomon-investment-banking-forecast-2024-7">Goldman Sachs</a>, and Microsoft, which has poured some $14 billion into the AI startup as a nonprofit, is relying on Morgan Stanley to facilitate the negotiations. Spokespersons for both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley declined to comment or confirm their reported participation in the project.BI called up two Wall Street dealmakers who specialize in tech banking to walk us through what the process could look like, as well as a valuation expert on the faculty of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wharton-data-science-class-upenn-madoff-diamonds-airbnb-finance-jobs-2022-3">Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania</a>. They also shared a look at what it could mean for the banks that won this business, both in terms of pay and reputation. The two investment bankers – neither of whom are affiliated with Goldman, Morgan Stanley, OpenAI, or Microsoft — requested anonymity to preserve industry relationships.The experts said the OpenAI valuation process stands to be stressful and drawn out — potentially taking up to six months — and could come with little to no financial reward for the banks involved. That said, the job still represents a huge win for Goldman and Morgan Stanley's tech teams since they now stand at the front of the line for whatever comes next for OpenAI.Thanks to ChatGPT, San Francisco-based OpenAI stands at the forefront of the artificial-intelligence revolution, which is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/artificial-intelligence/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html">projected</a> to contribute nearly $16 trillion to the world economy by 2030, according to consulting firm PwC. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-nearly-doubles-valuation-to-157-billion-in-funding-round-ee220607?mod=article_inline">A recent fundraise</a> valued the company at more than $150 billion. After it converts to a for-profit company, it could seek to raise money through the stock market or make acquisitions — all of which could prove lucrative for its Wall Street partners.Even the banks that are not part of this process stand to win if the final valuation is high enough, said Michael Roberts, the finance professor at Wharton. "If it comes at a really high multiple, what does that mean? It means you can raise an enormous amount of money if you are an AI company," he said, adding: "If I go back 15 years, the place to be as an investment banker was in Silicon Valley. But this could be sort of the next Silicon Valley 3.0."Here's a look inside the process and what it means for the Wall Street dealmakers who won this business, according to the tech bankers and the finance professor.<h2 id="277fe458-53dd-471b-bcca-880ebd8043d7">The banks have different goals: 'You're going to do battle'</h2>Morgan Stanley's objective will be to secure the greatest equity for its client, Microsoft, while Goldman's goal may be the opposite — pitting the two sides against one another."You're going to do battle," said one of the sources — a senior tech banker at a midsize investment bank — about the bankers on either side of the negotiating table.The valuation could take as much as six months, depending on what legal snags crop up, these people said. Since there's no obvious precedent for valuing this company, the bankers will want to get creative, which could open the door to lots of debate.The tech banker at the midsize firm said the goal will be to find comparisons in the real world that would make a compelling case for what OpenAI could be worth. "You might look at some of the early days of the last couple of generations of very disruptive technologies," he said, citing Apple in its early iPhone era and Google "back in the early days of disrupting the search market."The second banker, a former executive at a large-cap investment bank who now handles some tech deals at a small, independent firm, said that the banks will do a "landscape analysis" and ask questions about whether OpenAI could one day take Google's place.Roberts, the Wharton professor, proffered the name of another disruptive tech company: Uber. As it redefined the ride-hailing industry, there were "enormous" variations in its valuation projections. For OpenAI, though, the situation could be even more complex since its impact on the economy stands to be more dramatic.<h2 id="f2400755-f31e-489f-891d-876291a5211f">Risks and rewards</h2>Two of the experts BI spoke to estimated that the banks' fees for their work on the valuation could be low, at under $25 million each, with one suggesting it could even be gratis due to the competitive nature of the business. A third expert estimated the fees would likely be greater than $25 million but under $100 million.For context, advising on an actual merger or big-ticket public offering can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/04/banks-earn-650-million-in-fees-and-stock-gains-from-ipo-flurry.html">generate many multiples of that</a> for investment-banking advisors — to the tune of hundreds of millions.The fees, however, are not likely the focus. "The goal is to lock the relationship up," said the senior technology dealmaker at the midsize firm, noting that OpenAI and Microsoft are companies that bankers would kill to have as clients.This banker said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-chatgpt-openai-ceo-career-net-worth-ycombinator-prepper-2023-1">Sam Altman</a>, the founder of OpenAI, appears to put a premium on trust and interpersonal relationships, which could be to Goldman's benefit. He has a reputation for being "loyalty-driven," said the banker, who has met Altman and knows his reputation through conversations with the tech community.Morgan Stanley, for its part, has enjoyed a relationship with Microsoft that stretches back years. In 2016, the firm was the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-and-linkedin-bankers-2016-6">only advisor to Microsoft</a> on its $26 billion acquisition of social-networking-giant LinkedIn.This wouldn't be the first time banks have shown a willingness to play the long game in exchange for future potential gains.In 2022, a syndicate of banks led by Morgan Stanley <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-elon-musk-was-able-to-buy-twitter-despite-risks-2022-4">assembled $25 billion in capital</a> to lend to Tesla founder Elon Musk to finance his acquisition of X, the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter. X's lackluster financial performance prevented some banks <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-twitter-debt-financing-banks-2008-financial-crisis-2024-8">from offloading the debt</a>, leading to losses. However, the goal, as one banker said at the time, was to "get a foot in the door with the man and his business."The investment banker who formerly worked at a large-cap bank said potential drawbacks could include some banks being excluded from other AI deals for competitive reasons."The likelihood that Google would take a very stance and be less willing to work with them is probably high because whenever you're involved in something like this, you're 'under the tent,' and you're seeing a lot of very sensitive things about where something is going and not going," this person explained.Largely speaking, however, Wall Street is poised to win, Roberts said."Given how much money's at stake here, even the loser isn't really going to lose, are they?" he said, adding, "It's all relative."Are you an investment-banking insider? Get in touch with this reporter. Reed Alexander can be reached via email at ralexander@businessinsider.com, and SMS/the encrypted app Signal at (561) 247-5758.

Inside Wall Street's efforts to value OpenAI: Who's involved, how it could work, and what's at stake for the banks

“Ye le beta, humare khaandani sone ke gehne. Ise girvi rakhva de, shayad kuch paise aa jaye ghar main.” How many times have we seen similar dialogues repeat itself in Bollywood films of the 70s and 80s—abject poverty and a frail-looking old mother pleading to her son to pawn the family’s heirloom gold ornaments to a jeweller, all to get a few bucks? Well, if you’d ask that son in 2024, he’d rather hit the loan button on his <keyword id="105386" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Demat-account" source="Orion">Demat account</keyword> than pawn his mother’s gold jewellery. Given how Indians are rapidly resorting to taking loans against their investments in shares and mutual funds, these might as well be a cherished family heirloom in today’s time. Fair warning though; it's not as if gold and loans against it are going down in India’s lending scene. It's very much the opposite, shining brighter than ever! The secured loan category is having its time in the spotlight, and people are certainly looking beyond land and property to get their hands on some extra monies! But what is funding the steep rise behind these loans? And are they as failsafe and secure as they’re made out to be? We decode for you in this week’s Simply Put. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7em; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; background: 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The great Indian pawning party</h2>Pawning one’s gold has been, by far, the OG Indian financial move to get a loan. That continues well into 2024, and apparently, more so when India decides to wed and celebrate! Data from <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> suggests that the outstanding amount on gold loans has swelled from Rs 85,009 crore in September 2022 to Rs 1,47,081 crore in September 2024. It looks like Gold took the motto of rise and shine too seriously! Table 1: Growth in gold loans <table class="redcator-table-advance" style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 468pt; font-family: Merriweather; table-layout: fixed; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Amount (In Rs crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">September 2022 </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">85,009 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">March 2023 </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">89,370 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">September 2023 </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">97,426 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">March 2024 </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">1,02,562 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">September 2024 </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">1,47,081 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: RBI data While the world continues to be riled up in multiple geopolitical crises in 2024, gold has been making merry of these tough times. Thus far this year, <keyword id="3886593" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-gold" source="Orion">domestic gold</keyword> prices have grown by 23%, outperforming benchmark indices like Nifty and Sensex by a mile, which have gone up by 9.85% and 8.86%, respectively. The growth in gold loan disbursal rates month on month this year could also put Nifty and Sensex’s growth to shame. In just September 2024, gold loans grew an astounding 51%, up from 40.9% in August, 30.5% in June, and just 14.8% in March. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7em; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; background: 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Hey, wait up for me, says LAS</h2>In lockstep with the elder, gold loan sibling, advances against shares and bonds have also been inching up since 2022. Data from RBI (Reserve Bank of India) notes that as of September 2022, the outstanding quantum of loans that were taken against shares (LAS) and bonds stood at Rs 7,397.94 crores. This inched up to Rs 7,764 crore in September 2023. Come 2024, and it looked like this was LAS’ time to shine. Loans swiftly skyrocketed, with outstanding loans in this category going up from Rs 8,492 crore in March 2022 to a staggering Rs 9,546 crore at the end of September 2024. Naturally, the smoke of LAS has its fire in the record inflows that Indians are pouring into the stock market and mutual funds month on month. Per AMFI (<keyword id="134904" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Association-of-Mutual-Funds-in-India" source="Orion">Association of Mutual Funds in India</keyword>), the net AUM (assets under management) of India’s mutual fund industry grew to Rs 67,25,614.61 crores in October 2024, up from Rs 67,09,259.24 crores in September 2024. Even the number of retail mutual fund folios, which include equity, hybrid, and solution-oriented mutual funds, burgeoned to 17,23,52,296 in October, as compared to 16,81,61,366 in September. The same goes for stock investments in India, where the number of new demat accounts that are added every month just simply refuses to climb down. As of last month, total demat accounts in the country stood at 17.9 crore, which is more than the entire population of full-fledged nations like Japan (12.45 crore), Russia (14.38 crore), and Bangladesh (17.3 crore). In fact, since February this year, the monthly growth of LAS has been hitting double digits. From 11.3% in March to 21.6% in May to 26.8% in August, growth in LAS has been exceptional, hitting 22.9% in September this year. For context, monthly growth in the LAS segment was at a mere 5% in September 2023. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7em; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; background: 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">What's driving the growth?</h2>It's a win-win for both the bank and the customer. Customers love them because LAS is available at a lower interest rate compared to unsecured personal loans. You can get a loan at an interest rate of anywhere between 9 and 12% by pledging your gold, MF units, or shares. Compare this to over 10-28% rates, which is the range where unsecured personal loans charge interest. Banks love <keyword id="827883" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Secured-Loans" source="Orion">secured loans</keyword> since they are well-secured. In case you default on paying back, the bank can sell off your gold, shares, or mutual fund units to recover the amount. This takes a lot of stress off the banks, which are already dealing with secured loans’ riskier sibling-<keyword id="947940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unsecured-lending" source="Orion">unsecured lending</keyword>. High NPAs (non-performing assets) and non-payments in the unsecured borrowing space have already put RBI on red alert, which is why the apex bank is tightening the screws on unsecured lending, which was well on its way to becoming a ticking time bomb. As a result, credit growth has moderated to 12.8% YoY in October, as against the 19.3% rise recorded in the year-ago period. Yet it's not like the banks won't feel the heat. Analysts at Nomura note that <keyword id="23954457" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-loan-delinquencies" source="Orion">personal loan delinquencies</keyword> in India that have been overdue by over 90 days rose to 5.1% in the last financial year, as opposed to just 3.9% in the year prior. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7em; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; background: 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">How does it work?</h2>Both these loans work on a similar principle: Your <keyword id="857141" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="loan-amount" source="Orion">loan amount</keyword> is equal to a certain percentage of the actual market value of your asset. This is known as the LTV (loan-to-value ratio). In the case of gold and debt mutual funds, RBI mandates that this LTV be about 75-80%. So, for every Rs 100 of gold or debt mutual fund unit you pledge, your maximum loan amount cannot exceed Rs 80. If you pledge gold, which has a market value of Rs 10 lakh, you can take a loan of up to Rs 8,00,000. In the case of shares and mutual fund units, this limit is set at 50%. So, your shares worth Rs 5,00,000 can only get you a loan worth Rs 2,50,000. But the bright side? You can continue earning returns on your investments and pay interest only on the amount you use, since this loan works as an overdraft facility. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7em; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; background: 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Super safe, you say?</h2>Interest rates on both of these loans are very much dependent on the market value of the asset, which wildly fluctuates on a day-to-day basis. So, in case the value of your asset falls, you’ll have to keep a margin or more of the same asset in order to continue with the loan and maintain the LTV balance. Failure to do so could mean the bank can even sell off your asset. Says financial planner Nema Chaya Buch. “Yes, LAS offers easy availability of funds since these loans come with a lower interest rate as compared to personal loans. Also, you continue to earn average returns of 10–13% on your equity investments. But the downside is, in case of emergency, those pledged securities cannot be sold. Also, if the equity market goes down, then the bank may ask for additional collateral. Raghvendra Nath, MD, Ladderup Wealth Management notes that taking a LAS is best when the value of your securities has appreciated significantly. “This allows you to maximize the loan amount based on your collateral while also addressing financial needs without having to liquidate your investment portfolio. However, there are notable disadvantages to consider. The market risk is significant; a substantial decline in market value could lead to margin calls, which may incur fees and charges if there are delays or prepayments, ultimately increasing the effective cost of borrowing. Furthermore, failure to make timely payments could result in the loss of your assets.”. Umesh Mohanan, ED &amp; CEO, of Indel Money, cautions that one should have a sufficient quantity of gold to get the loan amount one wants. "According to the current RBI rules, the loan applicant/borrower can draw up to 75% of the total market value of the collateral/gold jewellery. So, always carry a sufficient quantity of gold based on one’s loan requirement. “The most important thing is that the valuation of the gold depends on the purity of the gold. If the borrower pledges gold with higher purity, such as 24 carats or 22 carats, he will get the maximum loan amount," he adds.

Secured Loans 2.0 — why more and more Indians are turning to gold, shares and mutual funds to get loans

<keyword id="19895579" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gold" source="keywords">Gold</keyword> consistently reduces portfolio <keyword id="19908008" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="volatility" source="keywords">volatility</keyword> while improving returns, even with increased <keyword id="20108512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="allocation" source="keywords">allocation</keyword>. By simulating portfolio performance with varying allocations of gold (2.5% to 10%), it's evident that the yellow metal bolsters return without adding significant risk, according to the <keyword id="20195223" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Gold-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Gold Council" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Gold Council">World Gold Council</keyword>. On the other hand, <keyword id="19899404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin" source="keywords">Bitcoin</keyword> shows diminishing returns as its allocation increases. A 2.5% allocation of bitcoin can enhance risk-adjusted returns, but beyond that, the portfolio's volatility rises, leading to larger drawdowns and lower overall performance. The data underscores that while bitcoin may offer short-term upside, it introduces risk that erodes its effectiveness as a stable <keyword id="22820244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="store-of-value" source="keywords">store of value</keyword>. Global equities experienced a sharp downturn, with the <keyword id="19919944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SP-500" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="S&amp;P 500" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="S&amp;P 500">S&amp;P 500</keyword> and <keyword id="19951906" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASDAQ" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASDAQ" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASDAQ">NASDAQ</keyword> dropping over 4% and 6%, respectively, at the peak of the selloff. Amid this volatility, the debate over whether bitcoin can be considered "digital gold" resurfaced, as investors re-examined its place as an inflation hedge and a store of value. While bitcoin enthusiasts often label the cryptocurrency as "digital gold," a closer examination of the data, particularly during turbulent market periods, challenges this claim. Gold, a time-tested asset known for its stability, has long been a <keyword id="20466459" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="safe-haven" source="keywords">safe haven</keyword> during <keyword id="22820245" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market-downturns" source="keywords">market downturns</keyword>. Bitcoin, on the other hand, displays characteristics more akin to high-risk technology stocks, making it an unsuitable substitute for gold in times of market stress. The primary distinction between gold and bitcoin lies in volatility. On a five-year rolling basis, gold has proven to be far less volatile than bitcoin, a trend that underscores its role as a safe haven asset. Gold's stable value is supported by central bank holdings, long-term investment demand, and its status as a global store of wealth. Bitcoin, conversely, is at the extreme end of the volatility spectrum, with its price fluctuations resembling those of tech stocks--closely tied to blockchain adoption and innovation trends. The most recent market correction in early August 2024 further emphasized these differences. While bitcoin experienced sharp losses, gold remained relatively stable, reinforcing its value as a risk mitigator during crises. The comparison of year-to-date returns reveals the stark contrast: bitcoin's wild swings have made it less reliable for investors seeking protection in a turbulent market. Bitcoin and gold also show stark differences in their correlation with broader markets. Gold has historically exhibited a negative correlation during down markets, and a positive correlation during up markets, making it an ideal asset for a diversified portfolio. Bitcoin, on the other hand, behaves more like risk assets, amplifying market stress rather than mitigating it. This was especially evident during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when gold outperformed while bitcoin faltered, aligning with other high-risk equities. Gold's global acceptance as a store of value--unrestricted by geographic or regulatory boundaries--provides further stability. Bitcoin, while growing in prominence, has not demonstrated the same universal acceptance or reliability, particularly during significant market downturns. The critical takeaway from the events of early August 2024 is that bitcoin has yet to demonstrate the same safe haven characteristics as gold. In times of significant market drawdowns, bitcoin has tracked risk assets like tech stocks, offering no meaningful protection for investors seeking stability. This reinforces the notion that bitcoin's most common use case is as an indicator of blockchain adoption rather than a dependable hedge against inflation or market turmoil.

Gold boosts returns and lowers risk, while Bitcoin heightens volatility, says World Gold Council

<div type="image" title="Are Indians depositing less money in banks, or more in mutual funds? Turns out, it&amp;#39;s neither of those." msid="113663806" hostid="261" sizebytes="1121785"></div> Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of brouhaha about the lagging pace of <keyword id="20202062" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bank-deposits" source="keywords">bank deposits</keyword> in India. Simply put, the rate at which Indians are depositing their hard-earned money in banks has been falling constantly, and some blame the increasing financialisation of <keyword id="20751315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-savings" source="keywords">household savings</keyword> in the country or the rising preference of Indians towards <keyword id="19929240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-funds" source="keywords">mutual funds</keyword> and shares. So, the hypothesis is that people are choosing to invest more in mutual funds and the Indian <keyword id="19949641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-markets" source="keywords">equity markets</keyword> through direct investments, IPOs, or NFOs, the money flowing into Indian banks in the form of deposits is slowing down. But is that really the case? <h2>A crisis or a phase?</h2><keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="RBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="RBI">RBI</keyword> data suggested that for the quarter ended June 2024, bank deposits grew at 11.7%. On the other hand, credit growth has outpaced this at 15%. This means that the outflow from banks as loans is far greater than the inflow into them in the form of deposits in Q1 of FY 2024-25. The situation largely saw cut-copy-paste in the first week of September as well, with loans registering a 13.3% YoY growth during the period, while deposits rose only 11.1%. This gap has only been widening for the last 3 years. Since deposits are how banks gather assets to further lend and earn interest income as a consequence, even a slight dip could set the alarm bells ringing for banks, and rightfully so. And truth be told, mutual funds are indeed taking on bank deposits in a big way. Per a report by Franklin Templeton, in August 2024, the AUM (assets under management) of Indian mutual funds, or the total funds managed by them, stood at 31.3% of total bank deposits in the country, up from 24.20% during the year-ago period. As of August 2024, the AUM of mutual funds stood at Rs 66.17 lakh crore, an all-time high. But all said and done, is this really the reason why the rate of bank deposits is falling behind? SBI has dismissed this to be a “statistical myth”, and experts point out that since equity and fund houses also keep the cash in their respective bank accounts, there’s no cause for concern. So, is financialization really to be blamed for the trailing tempo of deposits? Or is something else happening behind the scenes? We take a closer look: <h2>First, are household deposits really slowing down? And is that a cause of concern?</h2>Data from Motilal Oswal suggests the contrary. Deposits grew by around 10.4% between March 2020 and August 2024. Data from RBI also highlights that as of August 9, 2024, bank deposits witnessed a YoY growth of 10.8%. The loan-to-deposit ratio for the retail segment, which indicates what percentage of its total deposits the banks lend out as loans, has stayed at 77.5%, above the 77% mark for the tenth straight month. <div type="image" title="Yes, household deposits (as % of total deposits) have dipped, but the drop is far from significant" msid="113663882" hostid="261" sizebytes="306706"></div> Also, we can’t forego the fact that the share of Indian households in bank deposits has indeed slowed down. However, data from Axis AMC shows that the dip is marginal—from 63% in 2022 to 62% in 2023 and 61% in 2024. What has slowed down even more considerably is the share of government deposits in the aggregate bank deposits, which has dipped from 14% in 2018 to 9% in 2024. So, it's not just household deposits, you see. Moreover, as of March 2024, the collective CASA ratio (current and <keyword id="114757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings-account" source="Orion">savings account</keyword> deposits) of all commercial banks in India stood at 41.00%, down from 43.1% in March 2023 and 45.2% in March 2022, marking a nearly 5% point decline over the past year, while still staying over the 10-year average of 39.2%. This implies that Indian banks are relying more on higher-cost funds (savings accounts), which can limit their profitability. <h2>What is this financialisation of savings we are talking about?</h2>Then again, there is no doubt about the growing affinity of Indians towards mutual funds and stock markets. Recent data from CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) highlights that India’s net direct tax collection surged by around 22%, driven exclusively by the significant uptick in the collection of Securities Transaction Tax (STT), which doubled to Rs 26,154 crore, from Rs 13,352 crore in the year-ago period. Why does this matter? STT is levied when you buy or sell equity shares on stock exchanges, sell <keyword id="6361918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-mutual-funds" source="Orion">equity mutual funds</keyword>, and trade in futures and options in the equity segment. Such taxes, including the multiple other taxes in equity market investments, are considered as leakages as the money moves out of the economy into government coffers. Data from a ValueQuest report explains that over the last 20 years, the markets have handsomely rewarded the investors, generating over $900 billion in incremental value for them. This is the major driver behind the dramatic rise in investment flowing towards the equity markets. There’s further proof of this budding romance, if you check the demat pudding. The number of demat accounts, which are a primary requisite for participating in the stock markets, also burgeoned by 42.3 lakh in August 2024, taking India’s total tally of demat accounts beyond 17 crore. To put this in perspective, this is almost equivalent to the population of just 8 nations in the world, including China, the US, Brazil and more. Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat thinks it's rather important, as well. “Financialisation of household savings in India is an indication of deepening capital markets in the market, especially from a retail investor standpoint. Bank deposits with a modest rate of return are no longer the only option for savings for investors. Investors today have more avenues for wealth creation in the form of public capital markets, which have democratized wealth creation and provided equality of opportunity to retail investors”, he says. Yes, Indians are investing more and more in the markets, and in mutual funds. But is it a sin to look out for inflation-beating returns, which the stock markets offer, and vanilla bank deposits don't? After all, the allure of 12-13% annual returns offered by <keyword id="45369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equities" source="Orion">equities</keyword> can certainly pale the stability offered by good old deposits, which generally do not go beyond 9% when it comes to annual returns. But all of this is not what is behind the slowdown. India is still a toddler in the school of savings financialization, with less than 10% of the population holding a demat account, and less than 5% of us saving in equities. That's a drop in the ocean of deposits, far inadequate to trigger a tsunami. <h2>Tell me why lagging deposits have nothing to do with Indians investing more in mutual funds!</h2>Says Shweta Rajani, Head - Mutual Funds, Anand Rathi Wealth Limited, “Households' equity holdings composition grew from 11.1% in FY 23 to 14.7% in FY 24. This trend reflects a growing awareness of investment options, empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures. Despite this transition towards equities, banks still hold a significant share of household financial savings—33.5% in FY24 compared to 34.9% in FY23”. Also, household savings and their subsequent financialization do not have much to do with deposit creation, which is entirely made by banks. What actually drives increased deposits is credit growth or increased lending. When interest rates are eased, people tend to borrow more and spend more, which circulates more money in the economy. For the past 4 years, RBI has been tightening the screws on interest rates, which raises the cost of borrowings, and makes it more expensive to take loans, putting a dampener on credit growth, but effectively curbing inflationary pressures. The last time RBI cut the repo rate by 40 basis points was back in May 2020, 4 years ago. The lag in <keyword id="19998084" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="deposit-growth" source="keywords">deposit growth</keyword> we’re witnessing is almost 3 years old. Coincidence much, or just good old economics at work? But with the Fed recently setting a rate cut precedent by slashing 50 bps off its interest rate, RBI is expected to follow suit in the next MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting, scheduled for November 2024. A rate cut would ease the aforementioned high cost of borrowing, and increase loan-taking for corporates and institutional investors, thereby stoking consumption in the economy. And then, deposit creation in banks is likely to return to its former glory. If not, then that would be a curious case to unravel! But that worry is for another day. Do you have insights or personal experience to share on your personal finances or money? Contact us at <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="mailto:businessinsider@timesinternet.in">businessinsider@timesinternet.in</a>.

Simply Put: A Deposit Dilemma — What's the fuss about a crisis in Indian bank deposits? Are mutual fund investments to blame?

The <keyword id="19949639" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rupee" source="keywords">rupee</keyword> recovered from its <keyword id="22025417" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="all-time-low" source="keywords">all-time low</keyword> level and opened 25 paise higher at 83.84 against the <keyword id="19949640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-dollar" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="US dollar" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="US dollar">US dollar</keyword> in morning trade on Tuesday, mirroring the rebound in the domestic equity market, even as aggressive dollar bids from foreign banks exerted pressure on the local unit. <keyword id="20024982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="forex-traders" source="keywords">Forex traders</keyword> said risk aversion in the <keyword id="19908188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-markets" source="keywords">global markets</keyword>, escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and outflows by foreign investors further dented investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 83.92 and then touched an early high of 83.84, registering a 25 paise gain from its all-time closing low of 84.09 against the American currency. On Monday, the rupee slumped 37 paise to settle at an all-time low of 84.09 against the US dollar. "The rupee is being sold off in good times and bad times indicating the demand for US dollar as foreign portfolio investors exit the Indian equity market on high valuation concerns," said Anil Kumar Bhansali Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, gained 0.16 per cent to 102.85 points. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading at USD 77.15 per barrel in futures trade, on fears of spreading Middle East conflict that could hit supplies outweighing fears of a possible US recession that could hurt demand in the world's biggest oil consumer. Moreover, Israel and US are bracing for a significant escalation after Iran and Hamas pledged to retaliate against Israel for killings last week of a Hamas Leader, traders said. In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex rebounded 903.63 points, or 1.15 per cent, to 79,663.03 points, while the Nifty increased by 270.50 points, or 1.12 per cent, to 24,326.10 points. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Monday, as they offloaded shares worth Rs 10,073.75 crore, according to exchange data.

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