As market volatility rises, experts say first-time investors are shifting toward REITs and fractional ownership for affordable, low-risk real estate exposure, with recommended allocations of 1020% and growing appeal across metros and tier-2 cities.
Indias largest mutual funds by AUM highlight strong investor preference for flexi-cap, balanced advantage, mid-cap and hybrid categories, with Parag Parikh Flexi Cap, HDFC BAF and HDFC Flexi Cap leading the pack, followed by major offerings from SBI, ICICI Prudential, Kotak and Nippon India.
Mutual funds slightly increased IT sector exposure to 7.6% in October, reversing a multi-year low. The Motilal Oswal report shows rising interest in Technology, NBFCs, PSU banks and telecom, while autos, utilities and cement saw reduced weightings. Several fund houses now hold over 8.4% IT allocation, with Mirae Asset schemes topping recent performance charts.
Bitcoin plunged to a six-month low as fading Federal Reserve rate cut hopes and a broader sell-off in risk assets impacted cryptocurrencies. Investors are wary of upcoming economic data following a government shutdown. Experts note Bitcoin's correlation with equities, suggesting a lack of risk appetite is dampening enthusiasm for digital assets. Long-term holders are also accelerating profit-taking.
The US dollar saw gains against the euro and remained steady against the yen. Stock markets rebounded after a sharp decline. Traders are closely watching for clues on whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December. A significant amount of economic data, delayed by the government shutdown, is set to be released soon.
Friday saw an unexpected rise in oil prices, triggered by a Ukrainian drone strike that targeted Russia's Novorossiisk port, stopping oil exports in their tracks. With this surprising turn of events, global concerns about oil supply intensified, leading to notable increases in Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures.
Gold prices experienced a significant 3% drop on Friday, influenced by hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve remarks that dampened expectations for a December interest rate cut. Despite the dip, gold remains up for the week. This market movement reflects broader equity sell-offs and investor caution amid economic uncertainty and a lack of clear data.
New data the Agriculture Department released Friday created serious doubts about whether China will really buy millions of bushels of American soybeans like the Trump administration touted last month.
