FPIs offload Rs 325 cr in April so far

New Delhi: FPIs have turned cautious as they pulled out Rs325 crore from Indian equities in the first week of this month owing to relatively high valuations and the upcoming general elections.

The net outflow came after a staggering investment of Rs35,000 crore in March and Rs1,539 crore in February, data with the depositories showed. Going ahead, Geojit Financial Services Chief Investment Strategist VK Vijayakumar said the US 10-year yield has spiked to 4.4 per cent, which will impact FPI (foreign portfolio investor) investment flows into India in the near term. However, FPI selling will be limited despite the high US bond yields since the Indian stock market is bullish and has been setting new records consistently, he added.

Smallcase Manager and Senior Research Analyst at Capitalmind Krishna Appala believes that FPIs might return post-elections or upon early signs of a US Fed rate reduction. According to the data with the depositories, FPIs withdrew Rs 325 crore from Indian equities this month (till April 5).

“Relatively high valuations and the looming general elections have made FPIs cautious, leading them to hold back from aggressive investments in the equity markets at this juncture,” Appala said.

On the other hand, FPIs have made a net investment of Rs1,215 crore in the debt market during the period under review. Indian government securities (G-Sec) 10-year yield standing at 7.1 per cent and the US 10-year at 4.3 per cent present a compelling case for FPIs. The risk-reward ratio is prompting them to shift their focus from equities to the higher yields offered by bond instruments in the US and India.

Moreover, FPIs have been pumping money into the debt markets for the past few months, driven by the upcoming inclusion of Indian government bonds in the JP Morgan Index.