First year premium of life insurers down 7% in April-Dec of FY24
The first year premium of life insurers declined 7 per cent at ₹2,50,274 crore up to December 2023 in the current financial year compared with ₹2,69,190 crore in the same period last year mainly on account of decrease in group premium, according to data of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

EaseMyTrip ventures into insurance sector with new subsidiary
EaseMyTrip expands reach, takes flight in insurance sector with new subsidiary
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https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/easemytrip-expands-reach-takes-flight-in-insurance-sector-with-new-subsidiary-11704869247548.html

SEBI moots new rules to issue subordinate REIT, InvIT units
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has made additional proposals for the issuance of subordinate units for REITs and InvITs. The regulator has said that the amount of subordinate units that can be issued at the time of acquisition of an asset will not exceed 10 per cent of the asset’s acquisition price. At any point of time, the total number of such outstanding units shall not exceed 10 per cent of the outstanding ordinary units.

SEBI puts Manappuram Finance's arm Asirvad Micro Finance IPO on hold
Capital markets regulator SEBI has kept in "abeyance" the proposed ₹1,500 crore initial public offering (IPO) of Asirvad Micro Finance, a subsidiary of listed NBFC Manappuram Finance. However, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) did not clarify further. Reacting to the development, shares of Manappuram Finance plunged as much as 7.45 per cent to a low of ₹163.40 apiece on the BSE on Wednesday.

Managing flows: Investment trend on track to breach Rs 100 lakh crore AUM in MFs over next few years say experts
The Mutual fund Industry has been seeing robust inflows and crossed the Rs 50 lakh crore mark in December 2023 and it marks 34 months of positive equity inflows, starting from March 2021. Backed by strong macroeconomic fundamentals and resilient earnings growth, the tempo and pace of investment is expected to remain buoyant going forward. With Mutual Fund folios reaching an all-time high of 16,48,90,272 in December and SIP contribution at an all-time high of ₹ 17,610.16 crores, the number of SIP accounts stood at highest ever 7,63,65,924 in December 2023.

Mirae Asset Mutual Fund launches Mirae Asset Multi Asset Allocation Fund; all you need to know
Mirae Asset Mutual Fund announced the launch of the Mirae Asset Multi Asset Allocation Fund. The scheme opened for public subscription on January 10, 2024, and will close on January 24, 2024.

Bandhan Mutual Fund launches Bandhan Multi Asset Allocation Fund; all you need to know
Bandhan Mutual Fund announced the launch of the Bandhan Multi Asset Allocation Fund. The scheme opened for public subscription on January 10, 2024, and will close on January 24, 2024. The scheme re-opens for continuous sale and repurchase within five business days from the date of allotment of units on or before October 03, 2024.

Trail-based commissions a game changer: Ashish Gupta, chief investment officer, Axis AMC

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Cushman & Wakefield, Nuvama to launch Rs 3000-cr office platform
Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) and Nuvama Asset Management have formed an equal joint venture to set up a ₹3000-crore platform that will invest in office projects. The Prime Offices Fund, slated as a six-year close-ended fund, is anticipated to launch in approximately six months, pending approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Valuation comfort of Nifty50 wanes amid soaring premium
The valuation comfort of Indian equities is turning from stretched to distended which may weigh on the near-term performance after delivering 20% return in 2023. The current one-year forward price-earnings (P/E) multiple of the benchmark Nifty50 is at a two-year high of 22, which is at 40% premium to the long-term average valuation of 15.7 according to the Bloomberg data. A year ago, the valuation premium was 19%.

From key dates to risks, all you need to know about Old Bridge Focused Equity Fund
Old Bridge Mutual Fund announced the launch of the Old Bridge Focused Equity Fund, an open-ended scheme, investing in a maximum of 30 stocks (Multi Cap).

Sa-Dhan urges setting up of ₹500 crore guarantee fund for small MFIs
The upcoming interim budget must set up a dedicated fund to provide equity support to small microfinance institutions (MFIs), Sa Dhan has suggested. Sa-Dhan is an industry association for microfinance sector and a self regulatory body approved by the Reserve Bank of India. 

SBI raises $600 million via 5-year dollar bond sale
State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday raised $600 million through issuances of five-year US dollar-denominated bonds at a coupon rate of 5.1%. The bond sale, conducted by the London branch of SBI, evoked strong response with global investors putting in bids worth $3.5 billion.

Moody's downgrades rating on senior unsecured bonds issues by Vedanta Resources
Ratings agency Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday said it has downgraded its rating on the senior unsecured bonds issued by Vedanta Resources to Ca from Caa3. The rating for the Corporate Family Rating (CFR) of Vedanta Resources was also downgraded to Caa3 from Caa2, Moody's said. "We view the debt restructuring as default avoidance and assess that the creditors have incurred an economic loss with respect to the original promise. We consider the transaction to be a distressed exchange under our criteria, which underpins our downgrade of VRL's ratings," Moody's Senior Vice President Kaustubh Chaubal said.

India bond yields little changed as traders await key inflation prints
Indian government bond yields ended largely unchanged on Wednesday as traders refrained from placing big bets ahead of crucial domestic and U.S. inflation data, which will give more clarity on the interest rate path in both countries.

ICICI Bank ends Axis’ 16-year run as king of rupee bond market
ICICI Bank Ltd. ended Axis Bank Ltd.’s 16-year reign as the largest arranger of rupee-denominated corporate bonds as sales climbed to a record last year. India’s second-largest lender by market value managed ₹980.3 billion ($11.8 billion) offerings in 2023, including self-led transactions. That’s 17 per cent of the total, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. HDFC Bank Ltd. stood second, with deals worth ₹797.4 billion.

BlackRock to cut 3% of workforce, aims for larger employee strength by end of 2024
Financial giant BlackRock has announced plans to lay off about 3 per cent of its current workforce, citing a need to streamline operations and adapt to changing market conditions, as reported by Reuters.