
Quarterly review: changes to Prime Funds, our fund recommendations
When a small-cap fund served up 1-year returns in excess of 100% while another stayed far below at 77%, when a multi-asset allocation fund had

When a small-cap fund served up 1-year returns in excess of 100% while another stayed far below at 77%, when a multi-asset allocation fund had

It is with mixed feelings that we write this first annual review of our Prime Stocks performance. When we flagged off stock recommendations as a new addition to our platform on January 14 2021, it was after a lot of internal debate on whether it was the right time to do this.

In our stock recommendations for 2021, our focus was on identifying companies that had the ability to steadily compound earnings over the medium to long term. Valuations were the other key factor against which we balanced earnings.

Prime Funds performance in 2021
Stock markets did not disappoint you in 2021. The various market cap segments delivered textbook-like bull market returns with small caps outperforming midcaps and midcaps outperforming large caps.

We’ll explain the Prime Portfolios where we have made changes in this review cycle and the reasons for the same. We’ll also tell you what to do with existing investments in the portfolios.

If you have noticed the portfolios of dynamic asset allocation funds with a fundamental-only driven model, you will see them sporting net equity holdings of under 40% now. In a market where over 40% of the stocks have a price earnings ratio of over 50 times or no PE at all (i.e., the company is loss-making), dynamic asset allocation funds can draw little comfort in holding higher allocation to equity.

Indian investors looking for a high yielding InvIT option for income seekers with relative safety have very limited choices today. Infrastructure Investment Trusts or InvITs, which are a halfway house between stocks and bonds, offer such investors a shot at earning higher yields without high risk to their capital.

Sugar stocks have been fired up lately on expectations that the industry is set to turn a corner. While the sector has seen many false dawns on reform hopes in the past, the changes we are seeing this time around could turn out to be the real deal.
When a stock recomendation we give runs up sharply, what should be your course of action? Should you exit or should you hold or should

In the first of our updates in this review cycle, we explained the changes we have made to Prime Funds, our recommended fund list. In this second update, we thought to cover two different aspects: one, changes we made to our MF Review Tool, in the way we call out our recommendations. Two, trends we have observed unfolding over the past couple of quarters that we’re keeping a watch on.

We are living in strange times. No, I am not talking of Covid-19. Your one-year returns of equity funds (across categories), at an average 31% between January to March 22, 2021, zoomed to an average 69% since March 23, 2021. In other words, 1-year returns suddenly doubled from March 23, 2021. If you recall, March 23 2020 was a market low. So, 1-year returns from March 23, 2021, have started looking abnormally high.

SEBI has come out with its order regarding l’affaire Franklin Templeton debt funds. The 100-page document is categorical in its indictment of the AMC and the ways in which these debt funds were managed. 2 messages are clear from the order: One, investor protection is paramount to the regulator. Two, fund managers and AMCs cannot take their fund management responsibility lightly.
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