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FPIs Turn Net Buyers In October; Invest Rs 3,000 Crore In Equities

The latest inflow followed a net pullout of Rs 24,000 crore in the past two months.

A man carrying a briefcase walks in front of the Bombay Stock Exchange. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)
A man carrying a briefcase walks in front of the Bombay Stock Exchange. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)

After two months of intense selling, foreign portfolio investors turned net buyers in October to invest over Rs 3,000 crore in stocks, enthused by the government’s Rs 2.11 lakh crore bank recapitalisation plan.

The latest inflow followed a net pullout of Rs 24,000 crore from stock markets in the past two months (August and September). Prior to that, FPIs had invested over Rs 59,000 crore in equities between February and July.

According to depository data, FPIs infused a net sum of Rs 3,055 crore in equities last month.

FPIs continued their net selling streak in October until the government’s announcement of recapitalisation of public sector banks and over Rs 6 lakh crore outlay for road development, FundsIndia.com Head-Mutual Fund Research Vidya Bala said .

The trend reversed as they pumped money immediately after the announcement. Recapitalisation of banks and infrastructure spending are viewed by FPIs as providing a fresh lease of life for economy and markets.
Vidya Bala, Head of Mutual Fund Research, FundsIndia.com

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on October 24 announced PSU banks recapitalisation programme of Rs 2.11 lakh crore, out of which Rs 1.35 lakh crore will come from recap bonds, and rest from markets and budgetary support.

Further, India moving up in the World Bank ranking of 'ease of doing business' also buttressed positive sentiments, said Himanshu Srivastava, senior analyst manager (research) at Morningstar India.

Additionally, slight improvement in global sentiments and stable currency could have also turned the tide in India's favour, he added.

Going forward, FPI flows may sustain as second quarter earnings are progressing well, Sharekhan Head (Advisory) Hemang Jani said.

Apart from equities, overseas investors have infused a staggering Rs 16,000 crore in the debt segments last month due to “high nominal and real yields.”

“Indian bonds remain attractive on high nominal and real yields as well with the backdrop of macroeconomic stability and hence it continues to attract FPIs,” Quantum Advisors Head Fixed Income and Alternatives Arvind Chari said.