NFOs face the heat of stock market meltdown

A majority of these funds' NAV (net asset value) are trading below par, meaning, they are trading below their listing NAVs. While it has shattered the hopes of investors who put in money with much enthusiasm in NFOs, it has also led to a waning response for some of the NFOs that closed recently.

Some examples of such funds are - Morgan Stanley ACE fund, AIG Infrastructure and Economic reform fund and Reliance Natural resources fund. Morgan Stanley's ACE fund, which got listed at a NAV of Rs 10.13, is currently trading at Rs 9.82 per unit and has given 1.80 per cent negative returns since its inception.

Even Reliance Natural Resources fund which received stellar collections to the tune of Rs 5,500 crore, is trading at an NAV of Rs 9.70 as compared to Rs 10.15 at the time of its listing. The fund has given negative returns of 2.92 per cent since its inception.

These are not the only ones; there is a whole host of others, which has shaken the confidence of "NFO-crazy" investors. The main reason for the shock is that almost every sector has been knocked down in the current market crash - be it oil and gas pertaining to natural resources or mid and small-cap stocks.

However, what is most surprising here is that infrastructure funds, which were the best-performing funds in 2007 have given most negative returns so far this year. LIC's Infrastructure fund has returned -13.12 per cent since inception and HDFC's infrastructure fund has returned -12.87 per cent since its inception.

"The definition for infrastructure has now become quite broad. It encompasses most sectors. So, at a time when almost every sector is in red, it is almost impossible for a fund to deliver", said the CEO of a prominent distribution house.

For those who invest during the NFO period to get units cheaply, it is probably the worst time. They would have to wait for the NAVs to turn northbound again before disposing of their holdings. Alternatively, they would have to invest further and bring down their average cost.

Says Jaideep Bhattacharya, chief marketing officer, UTI mutual fund, "While free-fall in markets is clearly the reason, a lot of these funds would be holding cash as well. NFOs are getting weak response because no fresh money is coming in. Though investors have not redeemed their assets, but they have not come in a big way either purely because sentiment in market is still gloomy."