What are Alternative Investments


Equity, bonds, and mutual funds are the best-known investment instruments. But there are several other instruments that you can invest in. They are collectively known as alternative investments.
In this section, we will discuss what are alternative investments and how to invest in some of the common alternative investments, namely exchange traded funds (ETFs), derivatives, commodities and private equity.
Exchange traded funds (ETFs)
An ETF is a special kind of mutual fund that trades like a stock and tracks the movement of an index, such as the Nifty or Sensex. ETFs only invest in stocks that make up the index they are tracking. For example, an ETF tracking the Nifty will only invest in the stocks that make up this index. You can buy and sell ETF units on the market, just like stocks. Since the ETF invests only in Nifty stocks, the price of its units will move according to the Nifty.
By knowing what are alternative investments and investing in ETFs, you can buy into the growth of an index as a whole, without individually investing in its stocks. Invest in ETFs if you have a hard time picking individual stocks or if you want to cut your trading costs. Some ETFs also track overseas indices, which gives you exposure to say US or European stocks. Like equity indices, there are also ETFs that invest in debt and gold. You can invest in gold ETFs if you want to invest in gold without buying physical gold.
Derivatives
One of the types of alternative investments are derivatives. These are contracts whose price depends upon (i.e. is derived from) the price of other assets, such as stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies. You can buy and sell them on a derivatives exchange. They were traditionally used to mitigate (i.e. hedge) the risk of a sharp movement in the price of the underlying asset. But they are also popular as profit-making instruments.
There are major types of derivatives:
1. Futures – This is an agreement to buy or sell an underlying asset at a pre-decided price on a future date. Assume that you just bought a stock for Rs.100. You would make a profit if you sold it at a higher price later. But you would incur a loss if its price fell. You can mitigate this risk by buying a futures contract at say Rs.110. This would obligate you to sell the stock at Rs.110, irrespective of how its price changes. But it will ensure that you make a profit of Rs.10.
2. Options – These are similar to futures contracts, except that they give you an option instead of an obligation to buy or sell at a pre-decided price. The option to buy is called a Call option and the option to sell is called a Put option.
In the previous example, had you bought a Put option, you could have decided whether to sell your shares or not on the future date. If their price rose above Rs.110, you could have opted out of the contract and sold your shares in the open market at a higher price.
Commodities
Any basic good that is used as raw material or input in the production of other goods or services is a commodity. Commodities can categorised into:
1. Metals – They are further categorized into base metals (like copper, tin, and zinc) and precious metals (like gold, silver, and platinum).
2. Energy – Crude oil, natural gas etc.
3. Agricultural commodities – corn, sugar, cotton, wheat etc.
4. Meat and Livestock – live cattle, lean hog, feeder cattle etc.
Commodity trades usually happen through the futures market. Commodity futures are contracts where the underlying asset is a commodity. They are mostly used for hedging by entities that deal in these commodities. For example, a cotton farmer may protect himself from a fall in the price of cotton by buying a cotton futures contract. However, you too can trade in commodity futures to profit from commodity price movements.
Private Equity (PE)
These are funds that invest in unlisted companies with strong growth potential. They have a high minimum investment threshold, which makes them viable only for high net worth individuals (HNIs). The manager of a PE fund is called general partner (GP). He also invests in the fund along with the other investors, who are called limited partners (LPs). In addition to investing the fund’s corpus and handling its administrative duties, the GP is responsible for defining how profits will be distributed among the LPs.
The aim of a PE fund is to build a portfolio of companies, just as you would build a portfolio of stocks. However, instead of buying a few shares, PE funds buy major stakes in these companies. At times, they also acquire whole companies. The idea is to bring together companies that can strategically benefit from each other by sharing their capabilities. Some of these funds are sector-specific. They only invest in one sector, such as IT or financial technology.
To sum up
The above-mentioned are some of the alternative investments in India. Including secure alternative investments and assets in your investment strategy is a good way to diversify. The price dynamics of commodities are very different from equity, bonds, and mutual funds. They are a high risk-high return asset class. Adding a small proportion of these can boost your portfolio returns, even if you are a low-risk investor.
Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
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All about Equity
What is equity fund?Equity or shares are instruments companies issue to raise funds for their growth. Investors buy these kinds of equity investment such as shares because they expect the value of these shares to increase as the company grows with the help of their funds.Equity shares give you ownership rights in the company. In other words, if you buy a company’s shares, you become one of its owners. However, your ownership interest is extremely small because you own a very small percentage of shares. Nonetheless, your shares give you the right to vote in all important matters of the company. They also entitle you to a share in the company’s profits. How to buy shares?There are two markets where you can buy shares – primary and secondary. The Primary market comprises all transactions in which the company directly (i.e. through an agent) offers its shares to general investors. The first time a company does so is called its initial public offer (IPO). All subsequent offers are called follow-on public offers (FPOs). You can bid for IPO and FPO shares through your demat account.A company’s shares get listed on a stock exchange soon after its IPO. From here on, you can buy and sell them on the stock market. All buy and sell transactions on the stock market are called secondary market transactions. Exchanges act as an intermediary between the buyer and the seller for these transactions. Equity mutual fundsActive stock trading is a skilled full-time job. If you don’t have the time to master it, invest in top equity mutual funds and let the experts do it for you. There are many good fund houses that have plans for every investment objective. They are managed by highly trained investment professionals with years of stock picking experience. Types of equity returnsShares generate returns in two ways – price returns and dividends. Price return is the profit you make when your stock’s price increases. Share prices increase when a company performs well. So, when buying shares, you are essentially betting on the company’s performance.As discussed earlier, shares give you ownership rights in the business and entitle you to a share in its profits. Companies retain most of their profits and spend them on future growth. But they also distribute a part of them to shareholders. This is known as dividend. Dividends are typically announced on a per share bases. So, if you have 100 shares of a company that has announced a dividend of Rs.5 per share, your total dividend will be Rs.500.It is not compulsory for companies to pay a dividend. They can pay a different amount each year or not pay anything at all. Analysing equity returnsPrice appreciation and dividend returns vary from company to company. For a better analysis, you should look at their sum, i.e. total return. Young companies generally don’t pay high dividends because they need to invest in growth. However, they generate great price returns because of their strong growth potential. Mature companies generate moderate price returns because they have limited investment opportunities. However, they can pay higher dividends because they are cash rich. Equity riskEquity investments are highly susceptible to market developments. Also, they don’t guarantee a fixed return like bonds. This makes them high-risk investments.A proportion of this risk is stock-specific or unsystematic. For example, internal labor issues will only affect the shares of the company that is facing them. You can easily mitigate this risk by investing in other companies. Other risks affect most companies and are hard to mitigate. For example, if a country is at war, stocks of most companies in it will be affected. You cannot mitigate this risk by investing in other stocks. Such risks are called systematic or non-diversifiable risks. Don’t let systematic risks bother you because you cannot do much about them. Try to reduce your unsystematic risk as far as possible by building a portfolio that has shares of several companies from different sectors. In ConclusionNow that you have a firm grip on the basics of investment in equities, you are all set to start trading. Remember, stock trading is risky, but risk and return go hand in hand. So, pick your stocks wisely and leverage the expertise of professional investors by including equity mutual funds in your portfolio.Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
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Real Estate Investment in India
What is real estate investment? Real estate is an alternative investment instrument, like the ones we discussed in the previous section. But it merits a separate mention because it is tangible. You can physically own a property and decide to use, rent, sell, or modify it. Other alternative investments are purely financial instruments. They pay returns in a predefined manner during their life and cannot be put to any other use.This piece will tell you all need to know about real estate investing and property investment in India.Types of real estate There are five major types of real estate investing in India:1. Residential – This is the most straightforward real estate investment in India. It includes houses and individual apartments that can be occupied by an individual or a family. It also includes apartment buildings where each unit is occupied by a separate tenant. Tenants pay you a pre-decided rent, usually each month. the duration of their stay depends on the lease agreement. These are generally made for eleven months and renewed on you and your tenant’s mutual consent.2. Commercial – This includes individual office locations, office buildings, and business parks. They usually require a significantly larger investment than residential real estate. But they also attract higher rents. Commercial properties frequently have multi-year leases, which stabilizes your cash flows and increases their predictability. The only challenge is that their rents are highly volatile. They fall more than residential real estate during downturns as businesses downsize or shut down. They increase considerably during upswings as companies hire more people. So, multi-year contracts keep you from taking in new tenants and earning more rent during upswings.3. Industrial – This includes any property that the tenant can use to produce, manufacture, assemble, store, or distribute tangible goods. Common examples are factory locations, industrial warehouses, garages, service stations, and cold storage facilities. Industrial real estate generally generates a large fee and creates opportunities to earn incremental revenue from additional services. For example, if you have rented out a car service station, you may set up a café or a convenience store on it for waiting customers. You may even offer the property on a revenue sharing basis and earn a share of the occupant’s revenues.4. Retail – This includes shopping malls and retail stores. These properties too can be let out on rent basis as wells as revenue sharing basis. In many cases, the landlord asks for a share in the tenant’s revenue, over and above a base rent.5. Mixed-use – This combines many of the above categories on a single piece of land. It is fit for investors who can invest in a large piece of land and develop its separate sections for different uses. it offers built-in diversification because your revenues are not tied to fundamentals that affect one type of real estate. This reduces risk.Income from real estate investments Most real estate investments generate income in two forms:1. Price appreciation: This refers to an increase in a property’s value when it becomes more desirable. This mostly happens because of developments in its surroundings. For example, when a new source of employment comes up in its neighbourhood or when its metro connectivity improves. Its price may also increase because of the upgrades and improvements you make to it. Price appreciation allows you to sell the property for more than you bought it, generating a profit in the process.2. Periodic cash flows: This is the rent you generate when you lease your property. To generate this, you must hold the property for some length of time after buying it.Benefits of investing in real estate 1. Convenience – real estate is not as technical as stocks, bonds, and other financial assets. Many aspects of real estate investing are intuitive.2. Tangibility – Property provides psychological comfort because it stays with you even when its price collapse. You can use it yourself or generate some bare minimum revenue by leasing it.3. Stability – Real estate does not always generate supernormal returns like stocks. But it pays stable rent that can be increased when you renew the lease.4. Insurance – Unlike financial instruments, property can be insured against damage and loss.5. Inflation hedge – Property prices and rents increase with the price level. So, inflation has a limited effect on your financial position when you invest in real estate.In conclusion Real estate is regarded as the simplest investment instrument because investing in a property is less complicated than financial assets. Knowing how to invest in real estate involves a straightforward exchange between the property owner and the tenant. However, properties are of different kinds and each kind has its unique characteristics. This makes real estate investment a skill that needs to be done with expertise in order to get the benefits of investing in real estate. Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
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Stock Charts – Importance of Stock Charts in Share Market
Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 15 Nov 2019Often when people begin their investment journey in the stock market, they are swamped with multiple questions in their mind. The very first basic question that comes to the mind is how to determine which stock to purchase and which to avoid. Well, the answer to this question is - stock charts. The stock charts help you in evaluating and gathering all the important information that you must consider before purchasing a stock. By learning stock pattern analysis you can not only become a successful investor but also a successful trader. In this article, you will be learning the different aspects of stock chart reading. Let us first understand what are stock charts? What are Stock Charts? Stock chart is a sequence of prices plotted on a graph over a different timeframe. The y-axis i.e. the vertical axis of the chart represents the price and the x-axis i.e. horizontal axis of the chart represents the time period. Learning and understanding stock chart reading may look like a tough task initially but with little practice, you can master the art. All you need is the correct understanding of the basics of chart reading. They can help you predict the future price movement correctly. Let us now understand the various aspects of stock charts. What are the aspects of Stock Charts? Price and Volume The charts are generally divided into two parts; the price of the stock and the volume of the stock. For correct stock chart analysis and reading of stock chart patterns, it is important to read both price and volume together. This is because if you look only at the movement of the price you would not know how genuine the buying or selling is. For example, a stock has fallen over 5%. Initially, it may look very bad but if the fall is with lower volumes than the average, you may continue to hold the stock because the selling is not done by large retailers who drive the market. The same is the case when the stock is rising but with lower volumes. This rise in the stock price could be fake because when the big players enter the stock there would be a huge rise in the volumes. Moving Average Lines Moving average lines are very important to understand the performance of a stock. They represent the movement of the share price over a period of time. With the help of moving average lines, you can understand whether the stock is overbought or oversold by large retail participants. The mutual funds and big institutions follow the stock chart patterns and change their positions in stocks when the price rises or moves below the moving average point on the graph. The key moving average points can be a 50-day line, 15-week line, etc. When the stock falls below the benchmark moving average line, the big players often sell their holding and exit the stock. Similarly, when the price moves above the benchmark moving average line, the big players enter and the stock price can rise sharply. Relative Strength Line Relative strength line helps to identify if the stock is a market leader or laggard. This is done by comparing the performance of a stock with the index i.e. Nifty or Sensex. A sharp line rising upwards on the graph indicates that the stock is outperforming the market while a sharp line downwards is an indication that the stock is a laggard and underperforming the overall market. The stock comes in the leadership territory when the Relative Strength line is rising for a breakout and set for a new high in the market. After learning about the various aspects of stock charts, let us learn about some of the basic stock chart patterns. Stock Chart Patterns Daily Stock Chart A daily stock chart on a graph represents the movement of the stock price on a specific day of trading. The day traders use daily stock chart patterns to take intraday positions. The chart has multiple moving day averages like 50 days, 100 days, etc. which the traders monitor continuously to take positions. When the stock rises sharply it is represented by a sharp line rising upwards and when the stock falls, the graph shows a sharp fall in the line. Weekly Stock Chart Just like a daily stock chart represents the stock price movement on a single day, similarly, the weekly stock chart represents the price summary of stock for a single week. This chart is generally used to forecast the price of stocks for the long-term. The weekly charts can display longer-term data on the screen which makes it easy for the analysts and investors to determine the long term trend of a stock. The new investors often get confused between the weekly and daily charts. The confusion is mainly regarding which charts are suitable for them. This section of the article will try to resolve that dilemma. Daily Vs. Weekly Charts The daily charts are said to be good for the traders who are looking for volume and price action on an intraday basis. The stocks on daily charts are said to be giving a breakout when it breaches the 50-day line on either side. On the other hand, for long term investors, weekly charts are ideal. These charts forecast the long term price of a stock along with its trend. It also keeps the investor's emotions under control as they can take wrong decisions looking at the volatile daily chart movements. The Bottom Line There is no doubt about the importance of stock charts in the share market. You can decode the price movement on charts and take advantage of it by making profits. If you want to learn more about stock chart reading and indulge in trading or investing based on it, you can contact IndiaNivesh Ltd. We are one of the most trusted and value-enhancing financial group with new technologies in India. Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."
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Share Market Investment – Can I Invest all my Money in Stocks
Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Nov 2019Very often, you hear people making a fortune by making investments in the share markets and get lured to invest all our savings in it. Without a doubt, share market investments have helped investors grow their wealth and achieve financial goals. Investing in the stock market is essential for long-term wealth creation, as the returns generated by equities in the long-run have consistently outperformed the returns generated by any other asset classes, but investing all your money in share market is neither wise nor advisable. Shares are extremely volatile and carry a high degree of risk. If you are a beginner in the share market and the success stories of others have made you consider shares as an investment option, it is important to understand that there is no quick and easy way to make money in the share market overnight. Investing in the share market wisely requires you to have patience and also an understanding of how the stock market works. Why should you invest in the share market?1. Potentially higher returns which help beat inflation Equity investments have the potential to generate higher returns as compared to other investments in the long-run. One of the biggest challenges in the investment world today is finding investments where returns beat inflation.2. Dividend Income At the end of each financial year, a company declares dividends to be distributed to shareholders in proportion to their holdings, from the profits earned in that year. Thus, apart from long-term capital appreciation, investing in shares entitles you to the dividend income.3. Liquidity The shares are listed on the stock exchange and can be bought and sold through the exchange platform seamlessly. Share market tips for beginners If you are a beginner in the share market, here are few important stock market investment tips for you to help you guide with your investments1. Define your investment objectives Before considering investing in shares, or for that matter any instrument, it is important that you clearly define your investment objective along with the time frame for it. Investments in the stock market have the potential of higher growth in the long-term but are the extreme volatility in the short-run. If you are looking at investing your money for a fairly long time, you will benefit tremendously by investing in shares as compared to other less volatile assets. As stock markets are volatile in nature, investing for short-term investment needs is not advisable. 2. Assess your risk tolerance When it comes to investment decisions, assessing your tolerance to risk is extremely important as it is individual for each investor. Share markets are volatile and your ability to withstand the fluctuations in the market is crucial. If your tolerance to risk is low, you are likely to get anxious about your investments; you are more likely to make emotional decisions about investments rather than logical decisions. However, once you start gaining more knowledge about stock market investments and also understand volatility, your perception will evolve considerably and allow you to take more analytical decisions. 3. Understand the basics of Share Market Before you start investing in the stock market, it is important for you to have basic understanding of the stock market and the individual securities in the stock market. Getting familiar with financial terms such as P/E ratio, EPS, CAGR, etc. stock selection strategies and stock order type will help in the research and selection process of stocks.4. Pick the right stocks Investing the shares is easy, but being successful with your investments requires effort. Whether you are seasoned investors or a beginner, stock selection plays an important role in determining the success of your investments. You should do proper research and analysis of the stocks that you are looking to invest in. Various aspects such as financial soundness, quality of management, competitor’s performance, the competitive advantage of the company will help you understand the strength of the company. You should invest in fundamentally strong companies for potentially higher returns. 5. Do not let emotions drive your decision The performance of stocks to some extent is driven by market sentiments. If the market sentiment is bearish, it tends to influence the stock price negatively even if the fundamentals of the company are strong. In such situations, long-term investors should not sell their investments just because the market sentiment is negative. Once you invest in the stock market you should not get influenced by short-term price changes of the securities on the account of speculation, rumours and in general the market sentiments. 6. Keep your expectations real All of us want to achieve the best possible returns from our investments. But at the same time, it is equally important to be realistic about the return potential. Even though some stocks have generated over 100% returns for investors in the past, it does not mean that every investment in stocks will fetch you similar returns. The idea of investing in the stock market is to have positive returns on your savings which can beat inflation in the long-run and help you achieve your financial goals with ease. 7. Diversify your portfolio Diversification is extremely important to optimise the returns on your investments. The basic tenet of financial planning is to have a diversified portfolio in different asset classes to achieve your investment objective by not relying on the performance of a single asset class. Even in the case of shares, you should diversify your portfolio in shares of different companies, sectors, and industries to avoid relying on the performance of one sector. 8. Invest only your surplusYour investments in the stock markets can fetch you high returns in the future. However, unlike fixed-income investments such as bonds and FDs, returns from the stock market are not guaranteed. The higher the chances of returns, the higher are the risk involved. Hence, you should only invest the surplus funds you have into the stock market without compromising on the other investments such as your life insurance, health insurance, emergency funds etc. The final word Shares should be a part of your investments, as they offer huge growth potential, but they can’t be your only form of investment. You need to diversify your portfolio in various asset classes to get maximise your returns and minimise risk for your investments. Your investment objective, risk profile, time horizon all play an important role in ascertaining how much can you and should you invest shares. If you are wondering where to start, then just get in touch with our financial experts from IndiaNivesh to guide you with your investments.Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.
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Mutual Fund Performance - Five ways to measure Mutual Fund Performance
Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 18 Sep 2019Mutual fund investment plans have emerged as a preferred investment choice for a large number of investors in the last few years. Earlier, most of the households invested their savings in traditional investments like FDs, PPFs, and gold. However, the need for better returns from their savings and growing awareness of other investment options, have led investors to move away from traditional investments and explore other options such as mutual funds.What are mutual funds? In simple words, mutual funds are pooled investments from a large number of investors. They collect money from various individuals and entities that have a common investment objective and subsequently invest this pool of money in various stocks, bonds, and other securities. Thus, mutual fund investment plans allow you to distribute your invested money in a large number of securities than you could put in your portfolio. As a mutual fund investor, you hold units that represent a portion of your holdings in the scheme. Why is it advantageous to invest in mutual funds? Mutual fund investment no doubt is one of the smartest investments for almost any investor. Here are a few of its advantages:1. Simple A mutual fund is the simplest way to invest in capital markets for higher returns. If you are a novice but wish to invest in the capital markets, then mutual funds provide you with the simplest platform to invest in a healthy mix of stocks, bonds, and other securities.2. Easily accessible Mutual funds’ investments are easily accessible for all investors and as an investor, you can start investing in mutual funds for an amount as low as Rs. 500. 3. Diverse Mutual funds allow you to diversify your portfolio as you can gain access to different segments of the market through various mutual fund investment plans. Thus, you can invest in a variety of assets, sectors, securities, etc. 4. Professionally managed Mutual fund schemes are professionally managed by fund managers who have the expertise, time and resources and make sound investment decisions based upon the objective of the scheme.As the number of mutual fund schemes available in the markets has increased dramatically, evaluating the performance of mutual funds is of utmost importance to make wise investment choices. If you are wondering which is the best mutual fund to invest right now and how to evaluate the performance of mutual funds, then here is a simple guide for you. Top 5 measures to evaluate the performance of a mutual fund1. Compare performance with an appropriate benchmarkFor every mutual fund, there is a benchmark index to which you can compare the mutual fund performance. If your mutual fund investment is consistently generating higher than the benchmark, then it reflects the ability of the fund manager to manage the portfolio better. The important aspect here is to compare the mutual fund performance with an appropriate benchmark.Even when you are comparing it with different mutual fund schemes always look at the returns of other funds from the same category with a similar investment objective. Comparing the performance of a midcap fund with that of a large-cap fund would be like comparing apples to oranges. Hence, be careful and make relevant comparisons to see the performance of mutual funds. 2. Alpha Alpha of the fund helps measure the performance of the mutual fund on a risk-adjusted basis. Alpha takes into account the volatility of the mutual fund and compares the risk-adjusted performance of the fund to the benchmark. A positive alpha indicates that the fund manager has managed to outperform your mutual fund investments as compared to the benchmark. Similarly, a lower alpha indicates an underperformance of the fund as compared to the benchmark. Thus, the more positive the alpha of a fund, the better it is. 3. BetaApart from the risk associated with the security due to the nature of the asset class, every investment is exposed to a systematic risk which is due to the state of the economy or market in general and is unavoidable.The beta ratio captures this market risk of your investment. A higher beta indicates that the fund will be more volatile than the market. So, if a fund has a beta of 1.15 then it is 15% more volatile than the market. Note: Alpha & Beta both are risk ratios and are crucial means to find out the performance of mutual funds. The two ratios help you to determine the returns generated as compared to the risks undertaken. As an investor, you should look at funds that have a higher alpha and lower beta. 4. Portfolio diversification The advantage of investing through mutual funds is that they help you diversify your portfolio. A well-diversified portfolio helps you to mitigate the risks associated with investing in funds focussed on too few stocks or sectors or asset classes. So, to ensure that you achieve the desired results, you should review the holdings in your mutual fund. You can check the portfolio of your mutual fund by looking at the fund fact sheet. 5. Expense RatioOne of the biggest challenges for mutual funds is the high fees associated with it. Running any mutual fund involves costs that need to be borne by the investor. The expense ratio is the percentage of money spent to pay the salary of the fund manager, his team and other expenses. So, if the expense ratio of a mutual fund is high then it will reduce the overall returns generated by your mutual fund investments. So, while choosing a fund you should also see that the expense ratio is not very high. Here is a list of best mutual funds for 2019 across popular categories you may consider for investing now: The Bottom LineChoosing to invest in mutual fund investment plans is just the start of your journey as an investor. The important aspect of any investment decision is that it helps you achieve your goals within the desired time frame and considers your tolerance to risk. Mutual fund portfolios are tailor-made to meet your unique goals and are one of the best ways to achieve your investment objectives.So, if you want help with your mutual fund investment portfolio or you want to find the best mutual funds to invest now or simply want guidance, you can always seek assistance from a platform like IndiaNivesh. Their experts will help you build a portfolio that’s best suited for you.Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.
PREVIOUS STORY

All about Equity
What is equity fund?Equity or shares are instruments companies issue to raise funds for their growth. Investors buy these kinds of equity investment such as shares because they expect the value of these shares to increase as the company grows with the help of their funds.Equity shares give you ownership rights in the company. In other words, if you buy a company’s shares, you become one of its owners. However, your ownership interest is extremely small because you own a very small percentage of shares. Nonetheless, your shares give you the right to vote in all important matters of the company. They also entitle you to a share in the company’s profits. How to buy shares?There are two markets where you can buy shares – primary and secondary. The Primary market comprises all transactions in which the company directly (i.e. through an agent) offers its shares to general investors. The first time a company does so is called its initial public offer (IPO). All subsequent offers are called follow-on public offers (FPOs). You can bid for IPO and FPO shares through your demat account.A company’s shares get listed on a stock exchange soon after its IPO. From here on, you can buy and sell them on the stock market. All buy and sell transactions on the stock market are called secondary market transactions. Exchanges act as an intermediary between the buyer and the seller for these transactions. Equity mutual fundsActive stock trading is a skilled full-time job. If you don’t have the time to master it, invest in top equity mutual funds and let the experts do it for you. There are many good fund houses that have plans for every investment objective. They are managed by highly trained investment professionals with years of stock picking experience. Types of equity returnsShares generate returns in two ways – price returns and dividends. Price return is the profit you make when your stock’s price increases. Share prices increase when a company performs well. So, when buying shares, you are essentially betting on the company’s performance.As discussed earlier, shares give you ownership rights in the business and entitle you to a share in its profits. Companies retain most of their profits and spend them on future growth. But they also distribute a part of them to shareholders. This is known as dividend. Dividends are typically announced on a per share bases. So, if you have 100 shares of a company that has announced a dividend of Rs.5 per share, your total dividend will be Rs.500.It is not compulsory for companies to pay a dividend. They can pay a different amount each year or not pay anything at all. Analysing equity returnsPrice appreciation and dividend returns vary from company to company. For a better analysis, you should look at their sum, i.e. total return. Young companies generally don’t pay high dividends because they need to invest in growth. However, they generate great price returns because of their strong growth potential. Mature companies generate moderate price returns because they have limited investment opportunities. However, they can pay higher dividends because they are cash rich. Equity riskEquity investments are highly susceptible to market developments. Also, they don’t guarantee a fixed return like bonds. This makes them high-risk investments.A proportion of this risk is stock-specific or unsystematic. For example, internal labor issues will only affect the shares of the company that is facing them. You can easily mitigate this risk by investing in other companies. Other risks affect most companies and are hard to mitigate. For example, if a country is at war, stocks of most companies in it will be affected. You cannot mitigate this risk by investing in other stocks. Such risks are called systematic or non-diversifiable risks. Don’t let systematic risks bother you because you cannot do much about them. Try to reduce your unsystematic risk as far as possible by building a portfolio that has shares of several companies from different sectors. In ConclusionNow that you have a firm grip on the basics of investment in equities, you are all set to start trading. Remember, stock trading is risky, but risk and return go hand in hand. So, pick your stocks wisely and leverage the expertise of professional investors by including equity mutual funds in your portfolio.Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
NEXT STORY

Real Estate Investment in India
What is real estate investment? Real estate is an alternative investment instrument, like the ones we discussed in the previous section. But it merits a separate mention because it is tangible. You can physically own a property and decide to use, rent, sell, or modify it. Other alternative investments are purely financial instruments. They pay returns in a predefined manner during their life and cannot be put to any other use.This piece will tell you all need to know about real estate investing and property investment in India.Types of real estate There are five major types of real estate investing in India:1. Residential – This is the most straightforward real estate investment in India. It includes houses and individual apartments that can be occupied by an individual or a family. It also includes apartment buildings where each unit is occupied by a separate tenant. Tenants pay you a pre-decided rent, usually each month. the duration of their stay depends on the lease agreement. These are generally made for eleven months and renewed on you and your tenant’s mutual consent.2. Commercial – This includes individual office locations, office buildings, and business parks. They usually require a significantly larger investment than residential real estate. But they also attract higher rents. Commercial properties frequently have multi-year leases, which stabilizes your cash flows and increases their predictability. The only challenge is that their rents are highly volatile. They fall more than residential real estate during downturns as businesses downsize or shut down. They increase considerably during upswings as companies hire more people. So, multi-year contracts keep you from taking in new tenants and earning more rent during upswings.3. Industrial – This includes any property that the tenant can use to produce, manufacture, assemble, store, or distribute tangible goods. Common examples are factory locations, industrial warehouses, garages, service stations, and cold storage facilities. Industrial real estate generally generates a large fee and creates opportunities to earn incremental revenue from additional services. For example, if you have rented out a car service station, you may set up a café or a convenience store on it for waiting customers. You may even offer the property on a revenue sharing basis and earn a share of the occupant’s revenues.4. Retail – This includes shopping malls and retail stores. These properties too can be let out on rent basis as wells as revenue sharing basis. In many cases, the landlord asks for a share in the tenant’s revenue, over and above a base rent.5. Mixed-use – This combines many of the above categories on a single piece of land. It is fit for investors who can invest in a large piece of land and develop its separate sections for different uses. it offers built-in diversification because your revenues are not tied to fundamentals that affect one type of real estate. This reduces risk.Income from real estate investments Most real estate investments generate income in two forms:1. Price appreciation: This refers to an increase in a property’s value when it becomes more desirable. This mostly happens because of developments in its surroundings. For example, when a new source of employment comes up in its neighbourhood or when its metro connectivity improves. Its price may also increase because of the upgrades and improvements you make to it. Price appreciation allows you to sell the property for more than you bought it, generating a profit in the process.2. Periodic cash flows: This is the rent you generate when you lease your property. To generate this, you must hold the property for some length of time after buying it.Benefits of investing in real estate 1. Convenience – real estate is not as technical as stocks, bonds, and other financial assets. Many aspects of real estate investing are intuitive.2. Tangibility – Property provides psychological comfort because it stays with you even when its price collapse. You can use it yourself or generate some bare minimum revenue by leasing it.3. Stability – Real estate does not always generate supernormal returns like stocks. But it pays stable rent that can be increased when you renew the lease.4. Insurance – Unlike financial instruments, property can be insured against damage and loss.5. Inflation hedge – Property prices and rents increase with the price level. So, inflation has a limited effect on your financial position when you invest in real estate.In conclusion Real estate is regarded as the simplest investment instrument because investing in a property is less complicated than financial assets. Knowing how to invest in real estate involves a straightforward exchange between the property owner and the tenant. However, properties are of different kinds and each kind has its unique characteristics. This makes real estate investment a skill that needs to be done with expertise in order to get the benefits of investing in real estate. Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.