Mutual funds get funds from small investors

Mumbai: Growing retail participation for the fifth straight quarter has helped mutual funds to close 2015 with their highest-ever folio count of 4.59 crore, which is a growth of 13.84 per cent (or 55.76 lakh folios) over 2014.

Of this, the retail count was 4.37 crore, which is an increase of 13 per cent or 50.69 lakh folios.

According to Crisil Research, equity oriented funds got the lion’s share of retail folios despite market volatility.

Retail folios in the segment were up 13.33 per cent (39.53 lakh folios) at 3.36 crore despite the fact that the market as represented by the  Nifty 50 closed the year down four per cent. The latest quarter saw a rise of 2.45 per cent (8.04 lakh folios), also marking the fifth consecutive quarter of gains.  

A similar growth was also seen in high net-worth individuals participation in equity markets through the mutual fund route in 2015.