Equity mutual fund inflows hit 4-month low of Rs 6,108 cr in April as stock market witnesses extreme volatility

New Delhi: Inflows into equity mutual funds dropped to a four-month low of Rs 6,108 crore in April as the broader market witnessed extreme volatility on concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Overall, the mutual fund industry witnessed net inflows of Rs 45,999 crore across all segments, data by the Association of Mutual Funds in India showed on Friday. In comparison, an outflow of Rs 2.13 lakh crore was seen in March.

April #MFData | Equity inflows in the month of April come in 47% lower at Rs 6,108 cr, lowest in 2020 pic.twitter.com/iwSlvOsG09

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As per the data, inflows into equity and equity-linked open-ended schemes stood at Rs 6,213 crore, while an outflow of Rs 105 crore was seen from close-ended funds, taking the net inflow to Rs 6,108 crore. In March, such schemes attracted a net infusion of Rs 11,485 crore, which was the highest level in a year. Prior to this, equity schemes saw an investment of Rs 10,760 crore in February, Rs 7,547 crore in January and Rs 4,432 crore in December. Fears of deepening global slowdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns have spooked the markets globally, including in India. Almost all the equity-oriented mutual fund categories registered net inflows last month. Large-cap, multi-cap and ELSS (equity-linked savings schemes) saw inflows of Rs 1,691 crore, Rs 1,240 crore and Rs 752 crore respectively during the month under review. In addition, mutual funds investing in fixed-income securities saw a net inflow of Rs 43,431 crore in April. Among fixed-income securities, credit risk funds witnessed a pullout of Rs 19,239 crore. Besides, gold ETFs too saw an inflow of Rs 731 crore last month, after withdrawals of Rs 195 crore in March. The assets under management of the 44-player mutual fund industry stood at Rs 23.93 lakh crore in April-end, from Rs 22.26 lakh crore in March-end.