The Economic Times

Silver ETFs have surged up to 188% over the past year on strong industrial demand and supply constraints. While experts remain constructive on the long term outlook, they advise profit booking, portfolio rebalancing and staggered investments amid elevated volatility.

If you are bothered about the uncertainties and volatility in the market, you can consider investing in aggressive hybrid mutual funds. Mutual fund advisors typically recommend aggressive hybrid fund schemes to conservative equity investors to create wealth to achieve their long-term financial goals.

Infosys secured significant large deals in the December quarter, exceeding revenue expectations. A one-time impact from labor code changes affected profits. The company also increased its FY26 revenue growth forecast. This follows positive results from peers like TCS and HCL Tech. Clients are adopting new AI technology platforms. Infosys saw its headcount rise and attrition rates fall.

German development finance institution DEG has approved its first-ever investment in an Indian debt fund, committing capital to Vivriti Asset Management's asset-backed securitisation fund based in GIFT City, two people familiar with the matter said.

ICICI Prudential AMC reappointed Sankaran Naren as executive director for two years starting July 2026, subject to shareholder approval. The board also reappointed Antony Jacob as independent director, reinforcing leadership continuity at one of Indias largest asset managers.

Specialised Investment Funds saw inflows double to Rs 1,933 crore in December, led by hybrid strategies. Passive funds, SIPs, and equity schemes also posted strong inflows, highlighting sustained investor confidence despite market volatility, according to AMFI data.

Quant Mid Cap Fund exited IRCTC in December, sold GMR Airports shares, and added stakes in Anthem Biosciences, PB Fintech, SBI Cards, Premier Energies and Godrej Properties. Biocon entered the portfolio. AUM stood at Rs 8,057 crore, with exposure largely unchanged elsewhere amid cautious positioning by the fund management team.

As a fiduciary managing investors money, liquidity should be an important element of the investment strategy.

Five mutual funds fully exited eight smallcap stocks in December, according to Nuvama Institutional Equities. HDFC, SBI, Kotak, Quant and ICICI Prudential Mutual Funds exited names including HUDCO, Nazara Technologies, EPL, Bharat Dynamics and Pricol as part of portfolio realignment.

Mutual funds injected Rs 38,900 crore into Indian equities in December, actively managing portfolios by adding and exiting stocks across large, mid, and small-cap segments. Key additions included ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, while Infosys and State Bank of India saw significant sales. The report highlights consistent buying in certain large-cap stocks and specific mid and small-cap companies.

Investor interest in sectoral and thematic mutual funds saw a significant drop in December. Monthly inflows fell by 49% as many funds failed to beat their benchmarks. Experts attribute this to the cyclical nature of these funds and investors reacting to underperformance. This trend reflects a cautious approach to concentrated strategies, with a shift towards alternative assets like precious metals.

Seven mutual fund houses including HDFC MF, SBI MF, PPFAS MF, ICICI Prudential MF, Motilal Oswal MF, Quant MF and Axis MF each held over 10,000 crore in cash in their portfolios as of Decembers month end, reflecting cautious liquidity positioning by fund managers.

Tata Elxsi shares fell over 3% after the company reported a sharp 45.3% year-on-year drop in Q3 net profit, hit by a one-time exceptional charge linked to changes in Indias labour laws. Revenue grew marginally, while adjusted profit declined 5.4%, reflecting continued pressure on margins despite steady demand in software services.

Value investors buy such stocks and wait for the market to discover these stocks. When the discovery happens, the stock prices will go up, and value investors make money. It may sound simple. But it is not very easy to execute. The market may take very long to discover these stocks and it may test your patience. The discovery may not happen at all. That is why value mutual funds are recommended to only sophisticated investors.

Indian bond yields climbed unexpectedly despite a recent Reserve Bank of India rate cut. This surge was driven by a record borrowing plan from Indian states and foreign investor selling. Long-term debt funds experienced a negative impact as bond prices fell. Investors are now advised to adopt a barbell strategy to optimize returns in the current market.

Abakkus Mutual Fund has disclosed the first portfolio of its flexi cap fund since its NFO, with HDFC Bank as the top holding. The fund follows the MEETS framework and holds 16 stocks across market capitalisations.

Mutual funds heavily favoured large-cap leaders in December, with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, SBI, Reliance Industries and Infosys owned by over 600 schemes, highlighting institutional confidence in banking, telecom, energy and IT despite market volatility and growth outlook.

5 equity funds saw a decline in their AUM by over Rs 600 crore in December.

Mutual funds raised their cash holdings by 5,913 crore in December to 2.07 lakh crore, increasing cash levels to 4.81% of AUM from 4.68% in November. Meanwhile, total equity AUM rose modestly by 11,000 crore month-on-month to 43.25 lakh crore.

The HDFC Defence Fund made significant moves in December. It boosted holdings in Bharat Dynamics, Centum Electronics, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders. Hindustan Aeronautics and Astra Microwave Products also saw increased investment. Bosch and Aequs joined the fund's portfolio. The fund exited Dee Development Engineers completely. Its assets under management reached Rs 7,390 crore by December 31, 2025.

A senior citizen with Rs 1.5 crore in bank fixed deposits may consider a systematic withdrawal plan for steady income. Experts suggest SWP, combined with stable instruments and a bucket strategy, can provide sustainable cash flows while preserving capital over the long term.

Multi-asset allocation funds, heavily weighted towards gold and silver, witnessed a significant 40% surge in December inflows. This rise suggests a growing investor preference for diversified, defensive strategies, driven by recent performance and a potential increase in risk aversion.

According to Sebi norms, focused equity mutual fund schemes must invest in a portfolio of maximum 30 stocks. These schemes have no other restrictions when it comes to investing- like flexi cap schemes they can invest in any market capitalisations and sectors. If that investment strategy appeals to you, you can get to know more about focused equity schemes.

Investors are turning to fund managers for stock market decisions. Flexicap funds saw the biggest inflows in 2025. This shows less confidence in specific stock categories like small or mid-caps. Thematic and sectoral funds are less popular now. Investors prefer flexible mandates in uncertain times. Small and mid-cap funds still attract money due to past high returns.

Bandhan Mutual Fund has launched Bandhan Gold ETF FoF and Bandhan Silver ETF FoF, offering investors a simple, transparent, and cost-efficient way to invest in precious metals. The NFOs are open until January 20, with minimum investments of Rs 1,000 and SIPs starting at Rs 100.

An expert warns that retiring at 27 with a Rs 1.6 crore corpus and Rs 65,000 monthly expenses may be risky, as inflation, taxes, longevity, and emergencies could exhaust savings well before age 75.

Several NPS equity fund managers delivered strong one-year returns, with Tata Pension Management leading the pack. While select funds crossed 12%, others posted moderate gains, offering investors insight into comparative pension fund performance against the BSE 200 TRI.

Nippon India ETF Gold BeES ranked among the world's top 15 gold ETFs in 2025, attracting USD 1.17 billion in inflows. This performance contributed to India's position as the third-largest market for gold ETF inflows globally, highlighting gold's continued role as a key portfolio diversifier amidst macroeconomic uncertainty.

JioBlackRock Flexi Cap Fund raised exposure to Adani Energy, HAL and several largecap stocks in December while trimming holdings in IndiGo and others. The fund also exited multiple stocks, added new names and saw a rise in assets under management.

Shriram Mutual Fund has launched the Shriram Money Market Fund, an open-ended debt scheme focused on high-quality money market instruments with maturities of up to one year. The fund aims to offer regular income, high liquidity, and controlled risk, with its NFO open for subscription from January 19 to January 21.

ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund has turned a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP into over Rs 20 lakh in seven years. Strong returns across SIP and lumpsum investments highlight the funds special situations strategy and long-term wealth creation potential.

Flexicap mutual funds saw record inflows of over Rs 10,000 crore in December. This surge highlights investor confidence in the category's flexibility and consistent performance. Experts advise sticking to long-term asset allocation rather than chasing trends. Flexicap funds are recommended as core holdings for investors, especially first-time equity investors, best accessed through SIPs.

Flexi cap schemes are typically recommended to moderate investors to create wealth over a long period of time. Ideally, one should invest in these schemes with an investment horizon of five to seven years.

Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, said the true inheritance from previous generations lies in the values they instilledhard work, responsibility, family respect, and financial prudencerather than material assets like gold or property. She emphasized that these principles guide life and financial choices across generations.

The Wealth Company Mutual Fund has launched a Gold ETF Fund of Fund, offering investors a cost-efficient and transparent way to gain gold exposure without physical ownership. The NFO is open until January 23, 2026, with low minimum investment and SIP options.

Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund has discontinued subscriptions in its Nifty Microcap 250 Index Fund following consultations with SEBI, citing the absence of a defined microcap category. The move impacts fresh investments, SIPs, and STPs, while existing terms remain unchanged.

Quant Small Cap Fund made selective portfolio changes in December, adding Adani Green Energy and exiting LIC completely. The fund increased exposure to select stocks while maintaining a defensive stance, focusing on liquidity and calibrated smallcap exposure amid market volatility.

Eight mutual fund NFOs and one SIF are currently open for subscription across categories such as small cap, duration, sectoral, thematic and FoFs. Here is a list of the latest launches with closing dates and key details.