Mr. Nikhil Rungta
Co - Chief Investment Officer - Equity, LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management Ltd.

Mr. Nikhil Rungta is a seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in managing diverse investment portfolios. He has a track record of developing and implementing successful investment strategies and also has demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive market analysis and identify investment opportunities. Mr.Rungta is a Rank holder Chartered Accountant, MBA (Finance)-NMIMS, FRM (GARP) and also has ESG certification issued by CFA UK Society.

Q1. We're aware of the adjustments to LTCG and STCG announced in the Budget. How do you think these changes will affect mutual fund investments?

The recent adjustments in LTCG and STCG may slightly reduce post-tax returns for equity mutual fund investors. However, Equities and Mutual funds being long term instrument for wealth creation, the impact may be miniscule. Despite the hike in capital gains taxes, India's rates remain among the lowest globally. The modest increase, particularly in long-term capital gains, still positions equity mutual funds as the most favorable asset class for long-term investors.. Overall, the impact of these tax changes on equity mutual fund investments is expected to be minimal.

Q2. We know that tax changes shouldn't necessarily drive investment strategy adjustments. However, to optimize benefits, is there a specific category that has become more appealing following these changes?

As noted earlier, the recent tax changes will have a minimal impact in individuals investment strategy and Equities may continue to be a preferred asset class.

Q3. What's your view on SEBI's measures to regulate the surge in retail activity in F&O trades? Do you think these measures will be effective?

Globally, institutional investors dominate the F&O markets due to their expertise in strategy and risk management. In contrast, India has a significant retail investor presence in these markets. SEBI's studies indicate that most retail investors incur losses in F&O trades, likely due to inadequate strategy and risk management. While Indian equities may offer strong risk-adjusted returns for long-term investors, the same cannot be said for short-term F&O trades. Therefore, SEBI's measures are a step in the right direction. The proposed increase in securities transaction tax and short-term capital gains tax could reduce retail participation in F&O to some extent. To further curb speculative trading, SEBI might consider reducing the number of single-stock options and increasing lot sizes to make speculative positions more challenging for small investors.

Q4. Given the current global economic headwinds, how resilient do you believe the Indian market will be for the remainder of the year? To what extent will domestic factors outweigh global influences?

The Indian equity market is influenced by global factors such as growth, cross-border portfolio flows, and investor sentiment. While global macroeconomic headwinds will inevitably affect India, the country is better positioned than most peers. Strong macroeconomic performance, robust corporate earnings growth, increasing household equity allocations, and reasonable valuations suggest that the Indian market may l demonstrate greater resilience.

Q5. Given the recent appreciation of the yen, could the unwinding of yen carry trades impact Indian equity markets? Are there potential risks of capital outflows from India due to this shift in global currency dynamics?

The global carry trade exposure since 2021, is relatively modest compared to the size of the global financial system. India’s exposure, is also not significant. According to market analysis, globally major part of yen carry trade has already seen significant unwinding. Therefore, yen carry trade poses no major challenge to Indian or global equity markets at this stage. Given strong macroeconomic and corporate fundamentals, along with reasonable equity market valuations, India is unlikely to face significant cross-border portfolio equity outflows in the near term.

Q6. Reduction in the corporate tax rate for foreign companies from 40% to 35%. Is it a move in the right direction?

Yes, this reduction will likely encourage more foreign direct investment in India.

Mr. Marzban Irani
Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management Ltd.

Mr. Marzban Irani is our debt market expert having rich experience of 22 years in Fixed Income. He has played a pivotal role in building LICMF’s image of Mutual Fund of investor’s choice for Debt funds. Mr Irani is a PGDBM - Chetana’s Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai. B.Com – Mumbai University

Q1. Do you think the Fed will adopt a measured approach, or will the slowdown in growth prompt them to implement rapid, consecutive rate cuts? If the pace of cuts accelerates, where do you anticipate interest rates in the US will eventually settle?

Recent jobs data has indicated a slowdown in the U.S. economy, which may influence the Federal Reserve's policy decisions. The Fed Fund Implied Probability is currently suggesting a strong likelihood of a rate cut in the September policy meeting and also a chance of an additional cut in the December policy meeting. In total, this implies a potential reduction of around 50 to 100 basis points by the end of 2024. Given the proximity to the upcoming elections, it is likely that the Federal Reserve will initially take a measured approach to rate cuts. However, if economic growth continues to weaken, the Fed has the option to accelerate the pace of rate cuts to provide additional support to the economy.

Q2. Will the Fed's decision to maintain, cut, or raise interest rates significantly influence India's economic and market trajectory?

India is currently positioned with strong macroeconomic fundamentals. The fiscal deficit is on a declining trend, inflation is decelerating with core inflation around 3% according to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, and growth numbers remain robust. These positive indicators suggest that India may not be heavily impacted by the Fed's decisions on interest rates. However, it is important to note that a hard landing in the U.S. could cause a knee-jerk reaction in Indian markets in the short term. Despite this potential short-term volatility, India's long-term economic prospects are expected to remain strong and resilient.

Q3. On budget day, the rupee experienced a sharp drop to a record low, likely influenced by reactions in the US markets and recession concerns. What’s your perspective on this movement?

The reduction in import duties on gold and other products during the budget is likely to impact the Current Account Deficit which may contribute to the rupee's decline. Given the ongoing geopolitical concerns, the rupee is expected to remain under pressure. However, the RBI's proactive approach in building up record reserves may offer a degree of protection, providing some immunity in the event of a global recession.

Q4. What factors contributed to the decline in the 10-year Indian government bond yield from 7.19% in March 2024 to 6.92% in July?

The decline in the 10-year Indian government bond yield can be attributed to several key factors. The demand-supply dynamics have favored demand, particularly from domestic investors such as insurance companies and pension funds. Additionally, policy continuity post-elections has provided stability, while the anticipation of JP Morgan bond flows has bolstered investor confidence. Furthermore, declining core inflation and the government's commitment to reducing the fiscal deficit have also played significant roles in lowering yields.

Q5. Experts believe Bond yields are likely to drift lower. In such a case, what should be your fixed income portfolio strategy?

For medium to long-term investors, it is advisable to consider medium to long-duration funds, tailored to your risk appetite. The three to five-year segment appears particularly attractive on a risk-adjusted basis, as a bull steepening is anticipated with the RBI potentially adopting a more dovish tone in the near future.

Q6. Can AMFI's 'Mutual Fund Mein Fixed-Income Wali Baat' campaign effectively broaden the appeal of mutual funds to include debt-focused investors, thereby driving long-term industry growth?

The campaign has the potential to significantly raise awareness about debt as an asset class, highlighting its importance for portfolio stability. By educating investors about the role of debt in a balanced investment strategy, the campaign can broaden the appeal of mutual funds to include debt-focused investors. This increased awareness and understanding could drive long-term growth for the industry by encouraging more investors to incorporate debt funds into their portfolios.

Mr. Prashant Pimple
Chief Investment Officer (CIO) - Fixed Income, Baroda BNP Paribas

Mr. Prashant Pimple has an overall experience of 24 years. He is esignated as Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income of Baroda BNP Paribas Asset Management India Private Limited. His previous stint was with JM Financials AMC as CIO – Fixed Income. Prior to that, he has also worked with Nippon AMC, Reliance Mutual Fund. Mr. Prashant Pimple has done his B.Com, MMS (Finance), ACTM.
Academically, prashant is a Commerce Graduate from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics and has completed his MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) and he has done ACTM, Chartered Treasury Manager course specializing in Treasury and Forex Management from The Institute of Chartered Financial Analyst of India.

Q1. Do you believe there's a chance that expectations for a rate cut could be delayed until calendar year 2025 due to the possibility that inflation might remain persistently higher than current estimates?

Headline inflation picked up above 5% in June-24 led by a sharp pickup in food prices. Whereas core inflation remained closer to historical lows. In Q2 FY25 inflation is expected to see a dip led by favourable base and post that inflation is expected to rise as support from base-effect wanes. RBI’s monetary policy focus is expected to remain on ensuring sustained moderation in inflation towards the 4%-target. Solely based on domestic inflation expectations the earliest RBI can cut interest rates is in Q4 FY25. By this period there will be greater clarity on food inflation risks and Fed policy.

Q2. What impact could the inclusion of Indian bonds in the JP Morgan Global Bond Index have on the money market and capital flows? How significant might this be for the interest rate landscape in India?

JP Morgan bond inclusion is expected to bring in approximately USD $20-$22 BN over next year or so in Indian G-secs. This inflow will certainly improve India’s forex inflows in addition to improving liquidity over a period. Positive flows will impact the interest rate sentiment and improvement in liquidity is expected to steepen the current flat yield curve thereby resulting in shorter end yields with downward bias. Both these factors are expected to have a positive impact on interest rate landscape in India.

Q3. Do you view the recent upward guidance from the RBI governor predicting 8% GDP growth for India as optimistic or realistic?

India’s growth story has been outlined with incorporation of structural shifts starting from adoption of GST regime, government’s thrust on capital expenditure, strong financial system driven by healthy corporate balance sheets. Impact of external headwinds on India’s growth has been limited as the government has taken proactive and balanced approach. One of the key highlights of India growth story is reflected in the robust services economy which has been supporting India GDP growth. Weak rural sentiment remains a risk for RBI’s growth projection of 8% but given India’s potential output growth 8% is achievable. Having said that we expect the divide between the GVA and GDP to continue for some time.

Q4. How do you anticipate foreign institutional investors (FIIs) will allocate funds into the Indian debt market?

In addition to JP Morgan inclusion led flows we are also witnessing flows in general from FPIs especially into Government securities market. We expect these flows to continue as expectations of global as well as local markets gets stronger.

Q5. Despite inflation easing, the US Federal Reserve has signaled that it will cut its key interest rate just once this year. What are your views on this?

The US economy has been facing one of the trickiest monetary policy dynamics. Inflation has eased but is still above its target range. Core inflation continues to remain sticky. The labour market has also started showing signs of normalization. But still cannot be termed as weak when compared to pre pandemic levels. In such a scenario the best bet that FED could possibly play out is to wait and watch. By Sep-2024 FED will have two more inflation prints and will have a better clarity on inflation trajectory. FED is cautious of early loosening.

Q6. What allocation strategy would you recommend for a conservative investor, with different time horizons: short-term (6 months to 1 year), medium-term (1 to 3 years), and long-term (5 years and beyond)?

Investor with short term investment horizon can positively consider investment in Money market and short duration category in light of our interest rate and liquidity outlook.

Investor with medium to long horizon can consider duration funds with varying ranges depending on the investors risk appetite.

Mr. Sanjay Chawla
Chief Investment Officer (CIO) - Equities, Baroda BNP Paribas

Mr. Chawla has over 33 years of experience in fund management, equity research, and management consultancy. He was designated as Chief Investment Officer with Baroda Asset Management India Limited. In his previous assignment, he has worked with Birla SunLife AMC as Sr. Fund Manager-Equity, managing various schemes with different strategies. Mr. Chawla has also worked as Head of Research with SBI Capital Markets and in various capacities in the equity research space in Motilal Oswal Securities, IDBI Capital Markets, SMIFS Securities, IIT Invest Trust, and Lloyds Securities.

Q1. The market has shown nearly continuous upward momentum after the June 4 crash. What factors are driving this optimism?

In our view, two things have contributed to the momentum in markets after the post-election crash. First was the realization that the coalition is strong with the major party accounting for over 75% of the seats. This was reinforced by the fact that the ruling party did not have to part with any major portfolios during the government formation. The second factor has been the flow into equities. Not only have the retail inflows maintained their momentum, even the FII flows have turned marginally positive post elections. This could be a result of the anticipation of rate cuts by the western central banks with the ECB already taking 1 cut and the likelihood of a Fed rate cut by Q4 of 2024 rising.

Q2. We have reached the halfway mark of 2024 – what are the prospects for the second half of the year? What are the important trigger points that investors should keep a close watch on?

Near term (the balance of 2024) we expect markets to track earnings. We are currently in the 1Q earnings season and with markets expected to deliver 14-15% growth we would expect markets to be broadly in that ballpark. We think investors should keep a close watch on the following factors:

1. The Union Budget scheduled for next week. This will be the first Budget for NDA 3.0 and as a result it becomes a kind of policy document to identify the focus areas for the government in this innings. The other would be any kind of tinkering on equity taxation which could involve redefining the tenure for long term, the rate for long term or the definition of “equity” to see whether it will continue to encompass arbitrage funds as a product.

1. The US presidential polls: Globally we have an important event towards the year end by way of elections in the US. Typically, the focus areas of Republicans and Democrats has tended to be different and any switch in government could result in different priorities.

2. China: Stimulus - The Chinese economy appears to be slowing faster than expected. With the government there contemplating an investment package, we will need to keep a close watch on crude/commodity markets. Relatedly China activities relating to Taiwan would be the other area to watch out for.

3. Any incremental regulations relating to F&O: The market regulator has been voicing concerns over the rising share of retail exposures in the F&O segments. Any tightening of regulations on this segment either by way of higher ticket/lot size, higher margins or pruning the F&O list could cause some hiccups.

Q3. Given the multitude of stocks trading at all-time highs, how challenging is it to identify stocks with reasonable valuations? Additionally, do you see a risk to the bullish trend due to the over-exuberance observed in SME stocks, many of which double in value on their listing day?

It is always interesting to talk about stocks hitting all-time highs as it brings about a mixed feeling of rejoice and fear. The former because of the returns on investment and the latter for the possibility of a bubble. We, however, always like to look from the lens of fundamentals. Consequently, we are not surprised or un-nerved with markets and stocks hitting all time as it comes in tandem with the underlying economy and corporate earnings doing the same.

While there are pockets where the up move has got exaggerated and stock prices may have run ahead of fundamentals, this can’t be said on a market wide basis. When we look at the investment canvas, we are still able to identify opportunities which look exciting to us and are available at valuations which are reasonable. Our message to investors is that “Do not be afraid of market making new highs as returns would get generated only when markets hit new high”.

As far as the SME stocks are a concern, these are typically out of our purview of investment consideration set. Having said that it is true that this segment has seen a lot of activity in the last couple of years. Investors should realise that this is a high-risk segment as most of the companies are in the fledgeling stage and mortality rates of companies at this stage can be very high. Nevertheless, this space will also see some of the companies emerge as future champions. Overall, we believe that this space is still evolving, and investors would also mature over time making it far more interesting space than it is presently.

Q4. While we maintain a positive outlook on India in the long term, what factors could potentially disrupt this bull market over the next year?

The Indian Economy has demonstrated resilience and maintained healthy macroeconomic fundamental despite global uncertainties. Macroeconomic stability, Robust domestic demand and Increasing per capita GDP indicates positive long-term outlook for Indian markets. However, in the near term there may be some disruption driven global as well as domestic factors. Any rise in commodity prices due to ongoing geopolitical tensions and delay in rate cuts by Fed could disrupt the bull market. On the domestic side, any kind of political instability arising from upcoming state elections can also impact the sentiments. Spatial dispersion on rainfall is key to ensure inflation in under check.

Q5. How are earnings likely to pan out in the next 6 months? A recent trend suggests that prices have run up ahead of earnings upgrades.

We are amid first quarter earnings seasons. Expectations are for Nifty earnings to increase by low single digits in 1Q. Sectors such as Automobiles, healthcare, financials, telecom and capital goods likely to contribute to growth, while Oil & Gas, cement, chemicals are likely to drag earnings growth. Over the next six months we do expect earnings growth to improve led by contributions from consumer staples and IT sector. India is one of the fastest growing economies and continued political stability is leading to positive investor sentiments. While markets have rallied, it largely reflects the earnings potential of companies as seen over the last four years, wherein Index appreciation is largely in line with earnings growth

Q6. What is your interpretation of the continued surge in PSU stocks following the elections? For investors considering a 5-year horizon, is it advisable to consider investing in PSU funds?

The government has been on a drive to improve efficiency of PSU and boost corporate governance practices. Post the elections a stable government with continuity in policy framework, has given confidence on PSU execution. The government’s emphasis on localization, increased capex, and ‘Make-in-India’ has improved revenue and earnings visibility for many PSU companies. The continued focus on PSU has yielded results and reflects in higher valuation multiples to many PSUs now compared to few years earlier. Also, PSUs have seen improved efficiencies and competitiveness leading to higher value creation. Market continues to expect that PSUs will continue to deliver on improved profitability, increased dividend flows leading to value creation in PSUs.