LIC gets nod from RBI to raise HDFC Bank stake to 9.99%
HDFC Bank  announced on Thursday that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval for the Life Insurance Corp. of India (LIC) to acquire an additional 4.8% stake in the country’s largest private sector lender. LIC currently holds a 5.19% stake in HDFC Bank.

Red Sea crisis: Why insurers find pricing in marine risk a hard row to hoe
As the Red Sea crisis continues, bringing back the memories of 2021 when the Suez Canal was blocked for days after a container vessel ran aground, shipping companies across the globe are once again grappling with soaring costs.

Insurance firms must adhere to best practices for customers: Regulator
Source Credit: Aathira Varier, Business Standard

Mumbai: The insurance regulator has asked companies to adhere to ethical practices when selling products and ensure customers’ interests are protected.

SBI Life Insurance posts weaker new business margin for April-Dec
India’s SBI Life Insurance reported a decline in new business margin for nine months ending Dec. 31 on Thursday, hit by a rise in sales of low-margin products. The value for new business (VNB) – the expected profit from new policies – rose 11% to 40.40 billion rupees ($486 million), the company said, although margins contracted to 28.1% from 29.6% a year earlier.

'Cashless everywhere' may cut claims cost, say insurance companies

The General Insurance Council on Wednesday launched the ‘Cashless Everywhere’ initiative aimed at making cashless treatment available for policyholders even in non-empanelled hospitals registered under the Clinical Establishment Act.

Health insurance companies to offer 100% ‘cashless’ treatment in hospitals: All you need to know
Taking the health insurance segment to a new level, general and health insurance companies have decided to offer 100 per cent cashless treatment across the country from January 25. The step, initiated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), is expected to boost insurance penetration in the country and ease the claim process of policyholders and hospitals, thus avoiding delays and disputes normally seen in the reimbursement mode.

Niva Bupa´s CEO sees premium growth slowing on higher base
Mumbai: Niva Bupa Health Insurance, formerly known as Max Bupa Health Insurance, is expecting its premium growth to slow down to around 30 per cent over the next 3 to 5 years due to a higher base, said Krishnan Ramachandran, managing director and chief executive officer, Niva Bupa Health Insurance.

Health Insurance: Feeling the heat of high premiums? Do this
Health insurance is vital to safeguard your financial well-being. However, an unexpected rise in the premium at the time of renewal can strain your budget. Healthcare inflation has been consistently above consumer price index (CPI) inflation since FY18. Insurers have hiked prices across both retail and group schemes because of the adverse loss ratios in the past couple of years. Here are some practical steps to prevent your health insurance premium escalating beyond your comfort zone.

Four companies get Sebi’s nod to launch IPOs
Entero Healthcare Solutions, JNK India, Exicom Tele-Systems and Akme Fintrade (India) have received markets regulator Sebi’s approval to raise funds through initial public offerings.However, the Securities and Exchange Board of India has returned the IPO papers of Stallion India Fluorochemicals.As per the processing status of draft offer documents till January 19, the watchdog has approved the initial public offering (IPO) of the four companies.

Verification of market rumours: SEBI extends deadline for listed entities
 

Five changes to add appeal to the NPS
The Indian stock market is having a purple patch, with the 10-year returns on the Sensex now nudging 14 per cent. This is an opportune time for the government to make a renewed pitch to woo Indian households, who are already sold on stocks and mutual funds, to the market-linked National Pension System (NPS). While the NPS has been delivering good returns, some of its archaic features are holding back young employees from committing more of their savings to it. Here are five changes that can make the NPS more appealing.

Now retail investors own 60% of total assets, shows AMFI data
Upon observing the recently-released AMFI data, one can promptly infer that the spike in mutual fund investment is an outcome of growing investment by retail investors, most of whom opt for equity schemes. It appears quite evidently when the data shows that equity-oriented schemes derive 89 percent of their assets from individual investors.

Should you invest in the SBI NIFTY50 Equal Weight Index Fund?
SBI Mutual Fund has launched the SBI Nifty 50 Equal Weight Index Fund, an open-ended scheme replicating the Nifty 50 Equal Weight Total Return Index (TRI). An equal-weighted (EW) index is where an equal amount of money is invested in the stock of each company that makes up the index. Thus, the performance of each company’s stock carries equal importance in determining the total value of the index. Currently, five Asset Management Companies (AMCs) — DSP, HDFC, Aditya Birla, UTI, and ICICI Prudential — offer this product.

Budget 2024: Mutual fund industry players expect these reforms from FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Mutual fund industry has been on a roll for quite some time. Mutual fund inflows have been on a rise with SIPs growing month after month. The latest data released by the mutual fund body (i.e., AMFI) is upbeat, to say the least. 

Mutual fund exposure to corporate bonds nearly flat in five years
Actively-managed debt funds, which have the flexibility to invest larger portions of their corpus in corporate paper, were managing Rs 6.73 trillion at the end of April 2019. Fast forward to last month, their assets had barely grown by 9 per cent to Rs 7.3 trillion. This is despite the overall industry assets under management (AUM) doubling during this period, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). The AUM includes the assets of fixed-term plans and Bharat Bond ETFs, and excludes overnight, liquid, money market and gilt funds.
 

‘Active managers like to find stocks that may get into the indices’
Many star mutual fund managers have left the industry to strike out on their own with Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). Kenneth Andrade, after a stint with these vehicles, recently returned as Founder Director and Chief Investment Officer of OldBridge Asset Management. We spoke to him to understand the fund’s plans.

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Investors can lock into current high yields with target maturity funds
Interest rates, which are currently at or near peak levels, are expected to head south in the second half of 2024. Investors can use target maturity funds (TMFs) to lock into current attractive yields or make capital gains.

Equities log worst week since late Oct as financials extend losses