Portfolio managers' assets swell by 12% to Rs 14.8 lakh cr till August-end, SEBI data shows

New Delhi: The total assets handled by portfolio managers surged by 12 percent to Rs 14.8 lakh crore at the end of August, mainly on the back of increase in number of clients. A portfolio manager is a person or group that advises or directs or undertakes on behalf of a client, the management of a portfolio of securities or the funds of the client. [caption id=“attachment_4632741” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] According to data available with the market regulator SEBI, total assets under management (AUM) of portfolio managers were at Rs 14.79 lakh crore at the end of last month against Rs 13.24 lakh crore in August-end last year, registering a gain of Rs 1.55 lakh crore or 12 percent. In July this year, the asset base of portfolio managers stood at Rs 14.71 lakh crore. Besides, the number of clients rose to 1,34,068 from 95,946 during the period under review. Portfolio managers handled assets worth Rs 12.08 lakh crore for discretionary services, besides Rs 1.91 lakh crore for advisory services and over another Rs 97,000 crore for non-discretionary investments during the period under review. Within the discretionary services category, such managers handled debt to the tune of Rs 10.7 lakh crore, followed by listed as well as unlisted equity (Rs 1.1 lakh crore), mutual funds (Rs 12,500 crore) and equity derivatives (Rs 680 crore).