Hybrid mutual fund schemes have once again piqued the interest of investors as they attracted more than Rs 14,000 crore for three months ended June 2023, following a recent amendment in taxation for debt funds.
This development has been undertaken after experiencing consistent outflow for three consecutive quarters.
Comparatively, the numbers are higher than the Rs 10,084 crore inflow witnessed in hybrid schemes in the April-June quarter of 2022, as per the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) data.
Additionally, the asset base of hybrid funds and folio numbers of these mutual fund schemes rose in the quarter under review.
Typically, hybrid funds are mutual fund schemes, which are known to invest in equity as well debt securities, besides at times in other asset categories also, like gold.
Investors with a low-risk profile can opt for hybrid funds, which are known to take care of the volatility related to stock markets considering they provide stability in the fixed-income market as well.
Hybrid funds recorded an inflow of about Rs 14,021 crore in the June quarter of 2023 after registering an outflow of Rs 7,420 crore in the March quarter, along with Rs 7,041 crore and Rs 14,436 crore in the December quarter and September quarter, respectively.
The current inflow also underscores the highest fund infusion by investors after the quarter ended in December 2021; during that time, hybrid funds witnessed a Rs 20,422 crore inflow.
As per the new rules introduced on April 1, 2023, debt mutual funds held for over three years will no longer gain from indexation benefits, which is known to take into account the inflation during the holding period of a mutual fund unit and as a result raises the purchase price of the asset, which leads to a reduction in the tax.
Out of the total Rs 14,000 crore inflow, about 98% (Rs 13,721 crore) was collected from arbitrage funds during the quarter under review.
Institutional investors are known to dominate the arbitrage category, and significant inflows and outflows are a trend in this particular category of mutual funds.
Rajiv is an independent editorial consultant for the last decade. Prior to this, he worked as a full-time journalist associated with various prominent print media houses. In his spare time, he loves to paint on canvas.
