NFO Introduction
New Fund Offer (NFO)
- Definition: A New Fund Offer (NFO) is the first-time launch of a mutual fund scheme by an Asset Management Company (AMC) to raise capital from investors. It is similar to an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the stock market, but instead of shares, investors get mutual fund units.
- Purpose: To raise funds for a new mutual fund scheme.
- Pricing: During the NFO period, the fund units are offered at a fixed price, usually ₹10 per unit in India, for a specific period.
- NAV Post NFO: After the NFO closes, the units are available at the prevailing Net Asset Value (NAV).
Launch of the NFO (Process):
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AMC Announcement: The AMC announces a new fund scheme with details such as:
- Investment objective
- Asset Allocation
- Category (e.g., Equity, Debt, Hybrid)
- And other specifics
- SEBI Filing: The AMC files an offer document with SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) for approval.
- Offer Document Contents: This document contains detailed information about the scheme structure, fees, risks, and more.
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Subscription Period:
- The AMC opens the NFO to the public for subscription during a fixed period (e.g., 15-30 days).
- Investors can subscribe to the units by filling out an application form either offline or online and making payments via cheque, net banking, UPI, or other channels.
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Closure of the NFO:
- After the subscription window closes, no further applications are accepted.
- The collected funds are pooled into the scheme.
- The AMC starts allocating them to securities based on the scheme's investment mandate.
Classification of Mutual Fund Schemes:
Mutual fund schemes are broadly categorized based on:
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Asset Class:
- Equity Funds: Invest primarily in stocks. Further categorized by market capitalization (large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap), sector (banking, technology), or investment style (value, growth).
- Debt Funds: Invest in fixed-income securities like bonds, government securities, and corporate debt. Categorized by maturity (short-term, long-term), credit risk (high-quality, low-quality), etc.
- Hybrid Funds: Invest in a mix of equity and debt. Categorized by the proportion of equity and debt (aggressive hybrid, balanced hybrid, conservative hybrid).
- Solution-Oriented Funds: Designed to meet specific financial goals like retirement or children's education.
- Other Schemes: Includes index funds, gold funds, international funds, etc.
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Structure:
- Open-ended Funds: Investors can buy and sell units continuously.
- Close-ended Funds: Units are available for subscription only during the NFO period and are generally listed on stock exchanges for trading afterward.
- Interval Funds: Combine features of open-ended and close-ended funds.
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