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| Sebi gives more time for new debt valuation norms |
| BS Reporter / Mumbai Jun 23, 2010, 00:54 IST |
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Fund houses get a month to implement mark-to-market rules.
 Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has postponed the deadline for implementing new norms for valuation of mutual fund houses’ debt and money market instruments by a month. The new rules call for these instruments to be valued on a mark-to-market basis. The norms, prescribed by the regulator in February this year, will now come into effect from August 1 instead of July 1 announced earlier.
The regulator, however, said fund houses that voluntarily propose to implement the valuation norms before August 1 can do so.
In its circular, Sebi had said that, with a view to ensure the value of money market and debt securities in the portfolio of mutual fund schemes reflect the current market scenario, such instruments should be valued at the weighted average price at which they are traded on that particular valuation day.
Market observers believe the new norms may have an impact on the fund market’s assets under management (AUMs) as debt schemes make up over 70 per cent of the total corpus on an average.
However, fund managers said the impact could be a short-term phenomenon even as clients need to adjust to the new norms. “With such norms, returns on investment will be less predictable as the volatility factor comes in. Companies need to get used to that. If they (the companies) will be bothered for returns in a day or two, there will be an impact on inflows. However, the overall impact will not be much on the industry,” the chief executive officer of a mid-sized mutual fund house said.
The head of fixed-income instruments at a foreign mutual fund house said: “Volatility will not be much. Moreover, it will be a function of rates. When money market rates come down, impact will be limited with these new norms. But yes, if a client has positioned itself for a longer duration, the impact could be higher.”
Short-term debt mutual funds are a staple investment of companies that park money with fund houses. Being a preferred asset class, these instruments get short-term cash from companies in order to generate safe and predictable returns. Fund managers expect companies to continue the practice.
“We do not see any major impact. I admit returns will be less predictable, but if corporate entities are looking for liquid plus or ultra short-term products, they will have to live with the volatile net asset value ,” the CEO of another fund house said. “Companies always build up cash in gradual stages. After the payment of advance taxes, corporate money should come to fund houses,” the CEO added.
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