Time to bring Long-Term Investing Back!
All investors today must be very boggled by
the fact that the stock markets are down. Some would have an issue looking at
losses in their portfolio and would be worried when the markets will be back to
higher levels. Some would be booking losses in the anticipation that markets
will correct more. So for them it is better to book losses than waiting for the
market. And finally, some will look at their portfolio in losses and start
adding companies which they seem to be confident in.
Overall, Nifty has corrected 10% from its
ATH of 18900. Stocks would also have corrected in the same period. This
definitely brings back the opportunity of Long-Term Investing in the Equity
Markets. This can be done through the Direct Equity Route or the Mutual Fund
Route.
Direct Equity would be investing in one
single company where the risk would be high. If there is some negative news in
the company, the price will go down. This also requires having in-depth
knowledge of the company along with knowledge on their Fundamentals in order to
decide which company to invest in. My blog posts on The Equity Checklist
will be of huge help here. A novice investor make take a substantial amount of
time to go through this process by themselves. If your investments are
particularly in Small cap/Mid-cap companies, my old post on A
Young Perspective Towards "Fear and Greed Index" will
help.
The Mutual Fund Route is a simpler way for
a Novice Investor. First of all the risk is reduced as by even investing in one
mutual fund, you will be exposed to a number of companies. This will help
reduce risk due to diversification. You need to look at the following while
comparing Mutual Funds:
1.
Investment Objective: First,
you need to understand in which type of Mutual Fund you wish to invest. For
example, if you wish to go for a fund which invests in the top companies of the
Indian Stock Market, then you should look for funds that either invest in Nifty
50 or Sensex 30 or Top 100 companies. Usually, you will get many options from
different AMCs (Asset Management Companies).
2.
AUM (Assets under Management):
The Higher, the Better. This means that more investors trust their money with
this particular fund/AMC. You can also see the id the AUM has an
increasing/decreasing trend which suggests which fund has a better track
record.
3.
Expense Ratio: Funds that are
active will have a higher expense ratio as it involves AMC’s decisions on which
stocks to invest/divest in. A comparison of funds from different AMC’s with a
similar investment objective will help you decide. The lower the expense ratio,
the better.
4.
Inception Date: The older the
fund, the better. An investor can trust these funds as they have been present
for a longer period of time.
5.
Past Performance: Looking at
returns given in the past can help you find a better mutual fund, but past
returns are not indicative of future performance.
6.
Holdings: You can definitely
get a look at their holdings that is which companies that they invest in. Some
funds have a ceiling on the number of companies they invest in.
7.
Fund Managers: A 2 minute
google search on the fund managers will help you in understanding their track
record as fund managers and might increase your confidence in the fund.
You can always get help from a Mutual Fund
Distributor to guide you better in this regard. They will also help you with
implementation of your mutual fund investments.
Currently, I think it is the right time to
start your Long-Term Investing Journey via any route you choose. Mutual Funds
would always be a better route to start with for a Novice Investor.
Hope this helps in your Journey of
Investing!!!
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