The Economic Times

Kotak Flexicap Fund has turned a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP into Rs 75.58 lakh over 15 years with an XIRR of 14.80%, crossing Rs 50,000 crore AUM. The fund, managed by Harsha Upadhyaya, delivers strong long-term performance across market cycles, with diversified allocation in large, mid, and smallcap stocks across key sectors.

Gold and silver experienced significant price volatility due to global uncertainty and shifting market trends. Motilal Oswal Private Wealth advises gradual accumulation of precious metals during dips for moderate returns. The report also outlines equity and fixed income strategies for 2026, emphasizing a balanced and disciplined approach.

360 ONE Mutual Fund has announced the launch of DynaSIF Equity LongShort Fund, an open-ended equity investment strategy designed for investors seeking long-term capital appreciation through selective long and short positions in listed equities and equity derivatives.

Silver ETFs saw deep cuts, with some plunging as much as 21%. Axis Silver ETF dropped the most, hitting a low of Rs 216.86 versus the previous close of Rs 275. MCX has imposed additional margins on gold and silver futures across all variants after a periodic risk review. An extra margin of 4.5% on silver futures and 1% on gold futures took effect from February 5.

As per Sebi norms, the mid cap mutual funds are mandated to invest in companies that are between 101 and 250 in the market capitalisation. These companies can be leaders of tomorrow. Thats what makes them great bets. If these companies live up to the promise, the market will reward the investors handsomely.

SBI PSU Fund has emerged as the top performing equity mutual fund over three and five years, riding a strong rally in public sector stocks. Experts assess whether earnings momentum, sector re rating and government support can sustain returns amid post Budget 2026 volatility and rising valuation concerns.

DSP Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the DSP Multi Asset Omni Fund of Funds, an open-ended fund of funds scheme aimed at simplifying investing for individuals who find it difficult to track markets, time asset allocation decisions, or manage multiple investments across cycles.

The top-performing smallcap mutual funds have delivered strong returns over the past three years, with four schemes generating over 25% gains. Bandhan Small Cap Fund led the pack, followed by ITI, Invesco India and Mahindra Manulife funds, while other schemes posted moderate double-digit returns.

Budget 2026 clarifies that tax-free maturity benefits on Sovereign Gold Bonds will apply only to primary investors who bought directly from the government at issuance. Those purchasing SGBs from the secondary market will now face capital gains tax at redemption, altering post-tax returns and reducing the appeal of near-maturity secondary market bonds.

With diverse sectors such as consumer services, telecom, healthcare, logistics, financial services, IT, power and oil & gas scaling rapidly, Indias services economy continues to unlock multiple structural growth drivers for longterm investors, according to a press release.

Gold and silver futures opened higher for a second consecutive session on Wednesday, pushing commodity-based ETFs up by as much as 9% during the period.

The company reported an 8% year-on-year rise in Q3FY26 net profit to Rs 414 crore, while revenue grew 11.5% to Rs 3,567 crore, led by solid domestic growth and stronger export performance.

Shares of Bharat Coking Coal will be in focus after the Coal India arm reported a Rs 23 crore net loss in its first earnings since listing, against a profit a year ago. Revenue fell 25% YoY, though losses narrowed sequentially on higher sales and lower expenses. The stock still trades well above its IPO price.

According to the Sebi mandate, the large cap mutual funds are mandated to invest in top 100 companies by market capitalisation. Large companies fare better in a volatile market as these companies may be market leaders and resilient to downturns. That is why if you are looking for a relatively safer mutual fund category, you should consider investing in large cap funds.

Investors face a choice between systematic investment plans and lumpsum investments. Financial planners suggest the decision hinges on market valuations, momentum, and individual risk tolerance. For hybrid funds, lumpsum is preferred. Pure equity funds require careful consideration of time horizon and valuations. A mix of both methods can optimize long-term returns.

The schemes objective is to seek to generate long-term capital appreciation and/ or income from a portfolio constituted of equity and equity-related securities as well as fixed income securities (debt and money market securities).

Silver emerged as the top-performing asset over the last decade, beating gold, equities, bonds and real estate. Mid-cap stocks led equities, while debt and property lagged due to lower yields, liquidity issues and structural constraints across markets.

The government sticking to the debt-to-GDP anchor will prove to be helpful for bond markets, and tax projections for FY27BE also appear to be reasonable, on a slightly conservative GDP growth estimate of 10% in nominal terms.

Kotak Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the Kotak Services Fund, an open-ended equity scheme following the service theme. The fund enables investors to access Indias core growth engine-the services sector that contributes 55% to the countrys GVA (Gross Value Added) and employs 31.5% of the country's workforce.

Gold and silver rallied sharply in January 2026 amid global uncertainty, shifting currency trends, and rising demand for safe-haven assets, driving prices to elevated levels.

Jio BlackRock has launched a new digital platform for retail investors. This service offers personalized investment advice using advanced technology. It aims to make structured, data-driven guidance accessible to more people. Investors can start with a small amount and benefit from low advisory fees. The platform is available on JioFinance and MyJio apps, enhancing household investment outcomes.

Gold and silver ETFs experienced a significant rebound of up to 13% on Tuesday, recovering from a three-day sell-off. Fresh buying emerged at lower levels on the MCX, driving up futures prices for both precious metals. Experts suggest continued volatility but see key support levels holding.

We have chosen two schemes from five different equity mutual fund categories - aggressive hybrid, large cap, mid cap, small cap and flexi cap schemes which we believe should be enough for regular mutual fund investors.

Gold and silver ETFs have seen sharp pullbacks after strong rallies. Experts advise investors to stay disciplined and align decisions with long-term goals. Market corrections offer opportunities for systematic investment. The recent fall was triggered by global factors and news of potential monetary policy tightening. Investors should rebalance positions as per their asset allocation and avoid impulsive actions.

Arbitrage funds, popular with affluent investors, are set to see returns shrink by 25-35 basis points due to a proposed increase in securities transaction tax (STT) on equity derivative trades. The government's budget proposal raises STT on futures sales, impacting the price anomalies these funds exploit. Despite this, their tax efficiency is expected to maintain popularity.

Investors flocked to exchange-traded funds of gold, other precious metals and gold miners in January, seeking safety amid geopolitical uncertainty, expectations of further dollar weakness, and growing bets on U.S. interest rate cuts.

Radhika Gupta of Edelweiss Mutual Fund advocates equal allocation in gold and silver to reduce volatility and improve long term returns. Highlighting historical data, she notes that while silver offers sharp rallies, combining it with gold creates a more stable and resilient precious metals investment strategy.

Mirae Asset Mutual Fund has integrated with the ONDC Network in partnership with Cybrilla to simplify mutual fund investing across India. The move aims to improve accessibility, reduce transaction friction and enable investors to transact through an open, platform agnostic digital ecosystem backed by Indias digital public infrastructure.

With markets near record highs, experts urge investors to review mutual funds by portfolio role, goals and risk tolerance, not recent returns. Exit only on structural red flags like sustained underperformance, style drift or rising volatility that breaks discipline.

The STT hike on futures and options is set to marginally reduce returns for arbitrage and hybrid mutual funds, as higher transaction costs increase rollover and churn expenses. AMCs estimate an annualised impact of 0.030.33% depending on derivatives exposure, with arbitrage-heavy schemes facing the biggest compression in yields.

Gold and silver ETFs experienced a significant crash, losing up to 20%, before partially recovering by mid-trade. This sharp sell-off followed a steep correction in bullion prices from record highs, driven by profit-booking and unwinding of leveraged positions. Dollar strength and global cues also weighed on bullion prices.

Around 11 equity mutual funds have transformed a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP into over Rs 1.50 crore in the last two decades. ICICI Prudential Value Fund led the pack, growing a Rs 10,000 SIP to Rs 1.83 crore. Many mid-cap and small-cap funds also delivered substantial returns.

The Budget 2026 hike in Securities Transaction Tax is expected to reduce arbitrage fund returns by about 0.5% next year, according to Capitalminds Deepak Shenoy. While retail investors may see limited impact, arbitrage funds and foreign portfolio investors could face higher costs in futures trading.

The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget 2026 speech, announced to raise the STT on Futures to 0.05% from the present 0.02%. STT on options premium and exercise of options are both proposed to be raised to 0.15% from the present rate of 0.1% and 0.125%, respectively.

Equity mutual funds have shown strong performance since the last budget on February 1, 2025. Approximately 16 funds delivered over 20% returns. Sectoral and thematic funds, including international, energy, and banking sectors, led the gains. Nippon India Taiwan Equity Fund topped the list with a 61.40% return.

Gold and silver ETFs experienced a sharp decline following a significant selloff in precious metals, with spot gold falling 5.4% and silver dropping 10.7%. This correction was attributed to a strengthening US dollar and profit-booking after a strong January rally. Experts advise caution due to near-term volatility but maintain a bullish long-term outlook.

Top smallcap mutual funds delivered strong three-year returns of up to 27%, led by Bandhan Small Cap Fund. Passive small cap index funds and actively managed schemes dominated the top performers, while several established funds lagged with negative returns, highlighting wide divergence in small cap fund performance.

Five new mutual fund NFOs are opening for subscription this week across ETFs, index funds, sectoral funds, and funds of funds. Offerings include defence, consumption, services, and multi-asset strategies from Mirae Asset, HDFC, Kotak, and DSP, giving investors fresh options across themes and risk profiles.

Ahead of Budget 2026, the mutual fund industry has urged the government to restore debt fund indexation, offer ELSS tax relief under the new regime, and allow pension-oriented MF schemes. Experts also expect tax stability, fiscal discipline, and policy clarity to boost long-term investing and investor confidence.

Gold and silver based ETFs have delivered strong returns over a three year period amid global uncertainty. Data from MF Screener highlights the top five fund of fund options across gold and silver categories for medium term investors.