Leading Diversified Equity Funds
| Equity Funds | NAV (Rs) | 1-Wk | 1-Mth | 6-Mth | 1-Yr | 3-Yr | Incep. | SD | SR |
| ALLIANCE EQUITY G | 61.95 | 5.99% | 15.32% | 39.59% | 149.80% | 41.06% | 37.49% | 7.51% | 0.41% |
| FRANKLIN PRIMA FUND G | 78.98 | 4.62% | 11.51% | 40.43% | 167.00% | 65.64% | 22.03% | 7.72% | 0.54% |
| MAGNUM GLOBAL | 11.84 | 4.50% | 10.76% | 33.99% | 136.56% | 32.78% | 6.35% | 7.41% | 0.36% |
| SUNDARAM SEL MIDCAP | 25.25 | 4.03% | 9.95% | 30.97% | 149.23% | NA | 72.76% | 7.59% | 0.57% |
| BIRLA DIV YIELD G | 23.95 | 3.95% | 14.16% | 41.38% | 138.78% | NA | 113.91% | 6.93% | 0.96% |
(Standard deviation indicates by how much the values have deviated from the mean of the values. It measures by how much the investor has diverged from the mean return either upwards or downwards. It highlights the element of risk associated with the fund.)
Equity fund investors had a modest week with top performing funds ranging from 3.95 per cent to 5.99 per cent. Funds like Franklin Prima and Sundaram Select Midcap which invest predominantly in mid-cap stocks made their presence felt. Alliance Equity (5.99 per cent) emerged as the weekly topper.
Investors have rarely had it so good in terms of choices available to them. Even objectives like planning for children's future needs can be fulfilled using the mutual funds route; children's plans/ schemes have been launched by various AMCs for the stated purpose.
These schemes are launched with the intention of offering capital appreciation to investors. A 3-yr lock-in period with a stiff exit load ensures that necessary degree of discipline is instilled in investors. Also the fund manager has more liberty with his choice of investments and can make investments over a long-term period vis-à-vis a fund managers who handle regular diversified equity schemes and are constantly hassled by redemption pressures and intense scrutiny by investors.
Leading Income Funds
| Income Funds | NAV (Rs) | 1-Wk | 1-Mth | 6-Mth | 1-Yr | Incep. | SD | SR |
| PRUICICI FLEXIBLE INC PLAN | 12.04 | 0.37% | 1.24% | 0.54% | 8.67% | 12.55% | 2.15% | 0.21% |
| SUNDARAM SELECT DEBT DYN A | 12.21 | 0.35% | 1.18% | 1.77% | 9.73% | 13.20% | NA | NA |
| DEUTSCHE DYN BOND G | 10.19 | 0.35% | 1.74% | 2.04% | NA | 2.04% | 1.29% | 0.00% |
| FIRST INDIA INC G | 11.81 | 0.34% | 1.17% | 1.72% | 9.12% | 8.21% | NA | NA |
| TATA INC PLUS A GR | 11.34 | 0.31% | 1.13% | 1.59% | 9.28% | 9.42% | NA | NA |
(The Sharpe Ratio is a measure of the returns offered by the fund vis-à-vis those offered by a risk-free instrument)
There was more cheer in store for income fund investors as yields continued to plunge. The 10-yr benchmark 7.37 per cent 2014 GOI yield closed at 5.06 per cent (April 17, 2004) 5 basis points below the previous weekly close. Yields and bond prices share an inverse relation, and higher bond prices translate into higher NAVs for investors.
PRUICICI Flexible Income Plan (0.37 per cent) topped the income funds category, while Sundaram Select Debt and Deutsche Dynamic Bond shared the second position with weekly return of 0.35 per cent.
A large section of investors (which is essentially risk-averse) has conventionally chosen assured return schemes like relief bonds for their investment needs. While there is always room for such instruments in every portfolio, asset allocation must not be ignored. If you can take moderate risk and are looking to invest for say 10 years, this bond is surely not the product for you.
Leading Balanced Funds
| Balanced Funds | NAV (Rs) | 1-Wk | 1-Mth | 6-Mth | 1-Yr | 3-Yr | Incep. | SD | SR |
| MAGNUM BAL | 14.56 | 4.07% | 12.17% | 31.70% | 105.57% | 29.17% | 15.58% | NA | NA |
| KOTAK BALANCE | 14.35 | 3.77% | 10.11% | 23.13% | 69.70% | 27.08% | 14.10% | 4.09% | 0.46% |
| ALLIANCE 1995 G | 87.29 | 3.20% | 8.34% | 24.49% | 88.29% | 30.51% | 27.79% | 5.17% | 0.40% |
| HDFC PRUDENCE G | 48.24 | 2.86% | 8.15% | 22.99% | 89.98% | 42.27% | 20.72% | 4.88% | 0.57% |
| PRINCIPAL BAL G | 16.95 | 2.79% | 7.35% | 14.14% | 68.82% | 24.72% | 16.77% | 4.18% | 0.45% |
Balanced funds had a reasonably good week; Magnum Balanced (4.07 per cent) surfaced as the top performer in the balanced funds category. Category leader HDFC Prudence (2.86 per cent) made it to the top performers list as well.
Global investing has thrown open a huge number of opportunities for Indian investors. Apart from market linked instruments like stocks and mutual funds, conventional fixed deposits from the global arena are available to investors as well. Will such investments make sense? The answer lies in the investor's profile. If you are likely to incur any expenses in foreign denomination, especially a currency like the pound sterling vis-à-vis which the Indian rupee has been consistently losing value, then a pound sterling based fixed deposit can be of great use.
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