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Illustration: Binay Sinha
The Indian mutual fund industry is on a roll! August 2024 was another blockbuster month, with investors pouring a whopping Rs 38,239 crore into equity-oriented funds. That’s the second-highest monthly inflow ever, and it marks the 42nd consecutive month of positive inflows.
Sectoral and thematic funds continue to be the darlings of investors. These funds, which focus on specific sectors or themes, attracted a massive Rs 18,117 crore in August alone. That’s over 73% of all new fund offers (NFOs) launched during the month! Investors are clearly excited about the potential returns these funds can offer, from technology and healthcare to infrastructure and renewable energy.
Sector wise weightage: MoM increase seen in Technology, Healthcare, and Retail
Data analyzed by Motilal Oswal shows that in August, mutual funds showed interests in Technology, Healthcare, Retail, Consumer, NBFCs, and Telecom, leading to a month-on-month rise in their weights. Conversely, Capital Goods, Private Banks, Utilities, PSU Banks, Automobiles, Chemicals, and Infrastructure saw a MoM moderation in weights.
Private Banks (15.9%) was the top sector holding for MFs in August 2024, followed by Technology (9.2%), Automobiles (8.6%), and Capital Goods (7.6%). Retail, Healthcare, Technology, Insurance, and Telecom sectors witnessed the maximum increase in value MoM.
Sectoral allocation of funds: Oil & Gas, Consumer, and Technology under-owned
The top sectors where MF ownership vis-à-vis the BSE 200 is at least 1% lower: Oil & Gas (17 funds under-owned), Consumer (16 funds underowned), Technology (14 funds under-owned), Utilities ( 14 funds under-owned), and Private Banks (13 funds under-owned). The top sectors where MF ownership vis-à-vis the BSE 200 is at least 1% higher: Healthcare (15 funds over-owned), Capital Goods (14 funds overowned), Consumer Durables (11 funds over-owned), NBFCs ( 9 funds over-owned), and Automobiles (9 funds over-owned).
Top schemes and NAV change: 88% of the top 25 schemes close higher MoM
Among the top 25 schemes by AUM, the following reported the highest MoM increase: Axis Bluechip Fund (+2.2% MoM change in NAV), ICICI Pru Value Discovery Fund (+2.1% MoM), HDFC Small Cap Fund (+1.9% MoM) ), Axis Midcap Fund (+1.8% MoM), and HDFC Flexi Cap Fund (+1.7% MoM).
Other key highlights
- Record-Breaking Inflows: Equity funds witnessed net inflows of Rs 38,239 crore, the second-highest monthly figure ever recorded.
- Growing Investor Base: The number of mutual fund folios reached a new high of 20.45 crore, indicating increased investor confidence.
- Sectoral/Thematic Fund Popularity: These funds continued to dominate inflows, with thematic NFOs accounting for 73.8% of total NFO flows.
- Strong Performance: Large, mid, and small-cap funds all witnessed robust inflows.
- Passive Fund Growth: Index ETFs and index funds received Rs 14,599 crore, indicating a growing preference for passive investment strategies.
Factors Driving Inflows:
Market Sentiment: Positive market sentiment and investor confidence contributed to the strong inflows.
Sectoral Opportunities: Thematic funds focusing on sectors with growth potential attracted significant interest.
Shift Towards Large Caps: Investors may have shifted towards large-cap funds for stability and valuation considerations.
SIPs and NFOs:
- SIP Growth: Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) reached a new peak of Rs 235.5 billion in August, showcasing the increasing popularity of disciplined investing.
- NFO Success: New fund offers (NFOs) garnered Rs 13,815 crore, indicating strong investor interest.
First Published: Sep 13, 2024 | 2:03 PM IST
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Kanishk Singh has always had a keen interest in fast-paced cars. For the past three years, he has been writing about automobiles, but his fascination with cars dates back even further. He thoroughly enjoys learning about their features and expressing his thoughts through his writing. Kanishk also has a profound interest in the stock market, shares, and business strategies. He possesses a wealth of knowledge on these subjects and consistently writes articles on them. Currently, he is working as a writer for Lattestnews24, specifically focusing on the Automobile, Finance, and Business categories. His well-crafted words are highly appreciated by the readers, as they find them both informative and creative.