DIIs pip FIIs in Indian stocks ownership, like BFSI: Motilal Oswal

Motilal Oswal on Ownership analysis, DIIs, FIIs: Motilal Oswal Financial Services’ (MOFSL) latest ownership report shows a structural shift in market control -- domestic institutional investors (DIIs) now own a larger share of India’s top companies than foreign institutional investors (FIIs), a trend that has been steadily gaining ground since 2021.

 

Indian investors outpacing foreign money

 

DIIs –  which include mutual funds, insurance companies, and pension funds -- poured $19.7 billion into Indian stocks last quarter, far ahead of the $5.4 billion invested by FIIs. This heavy buying, along with record monthly mutual fund SIP flows of over $3 billion and steady retail participation, pushed DII ownership in the Nifty 500 to a record 19.4 per cent, up 170 basis points (bps) from last year. FII ownership stayed flat at 18.8 per cent.

 

“The structural shift in institutional ownership continues to strengthen as DII holdings reach new peaks and surpass FII holdings in Nifty 500 companies,” the report said.

 

Promoters –  company founders or controlling shareholders – cut their stakes to a record low 49.3 per cent, with analysts noting that buoyant markets provided “an attractive opportunity for several promoters to liquidate their stakes.” Retail investors’ share held steady at 12.4 per cent, broadly unchanged for three years. 

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Same balance overall, different sector moves

 

When measured as a share of free-floating stock, FIIs now own 37.2 per cent of the Nifty 500, down 150 bps from last year, while DIIs own 38.3 per cent, up 210 bps. The overall FII-DII ratio stayed level at 1:1 quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) –  but beneath the surface, they are moving in different directions by sector.

 

DIIs increased stakes in 20 of 24 sectors, with the biggest gains in retail, public-sector banks, consumer goods, cement, utilities, private banks, technology, and engineering/manufacturing services (EMS). FIIs added to infrastructure, NBFC (non-lending), telecom, and media, but trimmed positions in utilities, retail, automobiles, oil & gas, and cement.

 

BFSI still the big foreign bet

 

The banking and financial services sector (BFSI) remains FIIs’ favourite, with allocation rising for the third straight quarter to 34.9 per cent –  a seven-quarter high. This is 420 bps higher than BFSI’s weight in the Nifty-500 index. Private banks alone accounted for $215 billion of total FII holdings, led by HDFC Bank ($99.9b) and ICICI Bank ($68.4b).

 

Other top FII allocations were technology (9.2 per cent), oil & gas (7.2 per cent), automobiles (7.1 per cent), and healthcare (6.2 per cent). On a quarter-on-quarter basis, FIIs also boosted telecom, oil & gas, NBFC non-lending, capital goods, and automobile holdings.

 

Domestic fund favourites

 

DIIs’ largest exposures were to BFSI (27.5 per cent), consumer goods (9.2 per cent), technology (9 per cent), oil & gas (8.7 per cent), and automobiles (7 per cent). They are overweight in consumer goods, oil & gas, PSU banks, and metals, but underweight in private banks, NBFCs, and real estate.

 

HDFC Bank is also the largest holding for DIIs at $55.8 billion, followed by Reliance ($46.6 billion), ICICI Bank ($43.3 billion), ITC ($42.5 billion), and Infosys ($27.5 billion).

 

By company size

 

Large-caps make up two-thirds of the Nifty 500’s market value. DII holdings in this segment hit a record 20.7 per cent, while FII and promoter stakes fell to record lows of 21.5 per cent and 47.3 per cent, respectively. Retail ownership in large-caps dropped to a record low of 10.5 per cent.

 

Mid-caps saw stronger retail participation at 14.2 per cent, while small-caps remained popular with retail investors at 21 per cent. Analysts noted that “higher retail participation” has been consistent in smaller companies.

 

PSU stakes ease

 

In public-sector units (PSUs), FIIs cut stakes by 30 bps to 17.7 per cent and DIIs by 20 bps to 18.6 per cent. Promoter stakes in PSUs – often held by the government – rose 60 bps to 54.7 per cent amid some consolidation.

 

That said, the report suggests that DIIs’ dominance in Indian markets is now firmly in place, supported by steady domestic inflows, while FIIs are selectively increasing exposure to high-visibility sectors like BFSI and telecom. 

 

“The net shift in holdings during the quarter was primarily marked by gains in DII ownership, accompanied by a reduction in promoter stakes,” MOFSL said.

 

With promoters selling and domestic funds stepping in, the ownership mix of Indian equities is evolving –  a change that could influence how the market reacts to both local and global events.