Slowdown in equity flows amid election result uncertainty hits MF industry

In April, the inflows into equity schemes dropped 60% compared to the previous month to Rs 4,608 crore, the lowest since Sept 2016

The Rs 24-trillion mutual fund (MF) industry, grappling with the issue of debt exposure, has been hit hard by a sharp slowdown in equity inflows. In April, the inflows into equity schemes, including tax-saving ones, dropped 60 per cent compared to the previous month to Rs 4,608 crore, the lowest since September 2016.

The slowdown came despite the Sensex and the Nifty50 climbing to record highs last month. The benchmark indices have declined about 5 per cent each since then.

Industry players attribute the drop in equity allocations to election result uncertainty coupled with a spike in market volatility.

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