Debt mutual funds are considered to be ideal investments specifically for investors with a more conservative mindset. There are a huge variety of debt mutual funds in India, and often times it is difficult for the lay person to choose which one is best suited for their needs.
So let us look at the different types of debt mutual funds in India and when to invest in them. Some of the major factors of differentiation are duration, type of instrument, sector of investment, etc
Overnight Funds
- Invests in overnight securities having a maturity of 1 day
- Suitable for companies or individuals who want to park their idle funds for a day or two and earn interest on it
- Very safe due to negligible interest rate risk or credit risk
- Obviously the returns will also be on the lower side
Liquid Funds
- Invests in debt and money market instruments having a maturity of less than 91 days
- Suitable for companies and individuals who want to park their idle funds for a few months
- These funds are also good for those who want to set apart some money to create a fund for emergencies
- These funds return slightly more than bank deposits
Ultra Short Duration Funds
- These funds also invest in debt and money market instruments but the Macaulay duration of the portfolio is between 3 – 6 months
- As the duration of the portfolio increases, these funds will have slightly higher interest rate risk compared to overnight funds and liquid funds
Low Duration Funds
- These funds also invest in debt and money market instruments but the Macaulay Duration of the portfolio is between 6 – 12 months
- As the duration of the portfolio increases, these funds will have slightly higher interest rate risk compared to overnight funds and liquid funds
- Depending on the choices of the fund manager, these funds may also carry slightly higher credit risk and hence it is wise to check the portfolio before investing
Money Market Funds
- These funds, as the name specifies, invests in money market instruments having a maturity upto 1 year
- The major drivers of the money market are banks and large financial institutions through their participation in inter-bank lending for short term requirements
- Given the nature of participants and borrowings, money market funds offer lower credit risk
Short Duration Funds
- These funds also invest in debt and money market instruments but the Macaulay Duration of the portfolio is between 1 – 3 years
- These funds are ideally suited for those who want to invest in debt for a period upto 3 years
- However, it needs to be noted that as the duration of the portfolio increases, the interest rate risk also increases along with the potential of higher return
Medium Duration Funds
- These funds also invest in debt and money market instruments but the Macaulay Duration of the portfolio is between 3 – 4 years
Medium to Long Duration Funds
- These funds also invest in debt and money market instruments but the Macaulay Duration of the portfolio is between 4 – 7 years
Long Duration Funds
- These funds also invest in debt and money market instruments but the Macaulay Duration of the portfolio is greater than 7 years
- Medium to Long duration funds are highly affected by interest rate risk as well as credit risk depending on the securities in the portfolio
Dynamic Bond Funds
- These funds invest across duration both in short term securities as well as long term securities as per the decision of the fund manager
- Duration calls, that is, selling and buying of instruments with an intention to profit from changing interest rates, have a major impact on the returns generated by these funds
- So there is a higher risk associated with these funds and investors should invest in these funds only if they are comfortable with it
Corporate Bond Funds
- These funds invest 80% of their total assets in corporate bonds, that is, bonds issued by companies in the corporate sector
- They generate a higher return than other funds because the coupon rate on corporate bonds tend to be higher
- However, these funds are mandated to restrict their investments only in the highest rated instruments
Credit Risk Funds
- Credit risk funds also invest in corporate bonds, however, they are mandated to invest 65% of their total assets below the highest rated corporate bonds
- Lower rated bonds would mean that the yields would be higher
- On the other hand, the credit risk associated with them would also be higher – hence the name – credit risk funds
- Investor putting their money in these funds should understand what they are getting into and not just look at the returns in isolation
Banking and PSU funds
- These funds are mandated to invest 80% of their total assets in debt instruments put forth by banks, public sector undertakings and public financial institutions
- PSUs are considered to be quasi-sovereign and so the credit risk is relatively lower
- For those seeking a good balance between risk and return on debt instruments, this would be an ideal fund category
Gilt Funds
- Gilt-edged securities is a term that is usually used to refer debt instruments issued by the Government or similar high quality instruments
- Gilt funds are mandated to invest 80% of their total assets in Government securities of varying maturity
- Although the credit risk is virtually zero because of the sovereign guarantee, there is a fair amount of interest rate risk due to the presence of bonds of varying duration
- Government securities are some of most traded bonds on the secondary market and hence investors who want to invest in gilt funds need to be aware of the volatility associated with these funds
Gilt Funds with 10 year constant duration
- These are the same type of funds as above except that the instruments in its portfolio are not of varying maturity.
- They will be such that the Macaulay Duration of the portfolio is equal to 10 years
Floater Funds
- These funds invest a minimum of 65% of their total assets in floating rate instruments
- Floating rate instruments are those in which the interest rate is not fixed and keeps changing according to the market rates
To conclude, each type of fund comes with its risks and benefits. It’s essential to analyze the risks that come with the investment, as well as the potential returns, and the preferred investment horizon.
Different Types of Debt Mutual Funds in India and When to Invest in Them