There are certain rights enjoyed by the investors with respect to service standards that they can expect from mutual funds: Investors are entitled to receive dividends declared in a scheme, within 30 days. Redemption proceeds have to be sent to the investor within 10 business days from the date receipt of such request by the AMC. Delays in this respect will lead to the AMC paying a penal interest on the proceeds at a rate specified by SEBI from time to time. (The current rate is 15% and is to be borne by the AMC or sponsor and not the fund). If an investor fails to claim the dividend or redemption proceeds he has the right to claim it up to a period of 3 years from the due date at the then prevailing NAV. After the expiry of this period, investors will be eligible to receive the NAV prevailing Continue reading
Investment Management
Clearing and Settlement of Futures and Options
National Securities Clearing Corporation Limited (NSCCL) undertakes clearing and settlement of all trades executed on the futures and options (F&O) segment of the NSE. It also acts as legal counterparty to all trades on the F&O segment and guarantees their financial settlement. Clearing Entities Clearing and settlement activities in the F&O segment are undertaken by NSCCL with the help of the following entities: Clearing members: In the F&O segment, some members, called self clearing members, clear and settle their trades executed by them only either on their own account or on account of their clients. Some others called trading member–cum–clearing member, clear and settle their own trades as well as trades of other trading members (TMs). Besides, there is a special category of members, called professional clearing members (PCM) who clear and settle trades executed by TMs. The members clearing their own trades and trades of others, and the PCMs Continue reading
Hedging with Foreign Currency Futures
Exchange rates are quite volatile and unpredictable, it is possible that anticipated profit in foreign investment may be eliminated, rather even may incur loss. Thus, in order to hedge this foreign currency risk, the traders’ often use the currency futures. For example, a long hedge (i.e., buying currency futures contracts) will protect against a rise in a foreign currency value whereas a short hedge (i.e., selling currency futures contracts) will protect against a decline in a foreign currency’s value. It is noted that corporate profits are exposed to exchange rate risk in many situation. For example, if a trader is exporting or importing any particular product from other countries then he is exposed to foreign exchange risk. Similarly, if the firm is borrowing or lending or investing for short or long period from foreign countries, in all these situations, the firm’s profit will be affected by change in foreign exchange Continue reading
Possible Courses of Exchange Control
Exchange control is one of the important means of achieving certain national objectives like an improvement in the balance of payments position, restriction of inessential imports and conspicuous consumption, facilitation of import of priority items, control of outflow of capital and maintenance of the external value of the currency. Under the exchange control, the whole foreign exchange resources of the nation, including those currently occurring to it, are usually brought directly under the control of the exchange control authority (the Central Bank, treasury or a specially constituted agency). Dealings and transactions in foreign exchange are regulated by the exchange control authority. Exporters have to surrender the foreign exchange earnings in exchange for home currency and the permission of the exchange control authority have to be obtained for making payments in foreign exchange. It is generally necessary to implement the overall regulations with a host of detailed provisions designed to eliminate Continue reading
What are Circuit Breakers?
Volatility in stock prices is a cause of concern for both the policy makers and the investors. To curb excessive volatility, SEBI has prescribed a system of circuit breakers. The circuit breakers bring about a nation-wide coordinated halt in trading on all the equity and equity derivatives markets. An index based market-wide circuit breaker system applies at three stages of the index movement either way at 10%, 15% and 20%. The breakers are triggered by movement of either S&P CNX Nifty or Sensex, whichever is breached earlier. Further, the NSE views entries of non-genuine orders with utmost seriousness as this has market-wide repercussion. It may suo-moto cancel the orders in the absence of any immediate confirmation from the members that these orders are genuine or for any other reason as it may deem fit. As an additional measure of safety, individual scrip-wise price bands have been fixed as below: Daily Continue reading
Foreign Currency Futures Contract
Market Background In 1972 the International Monetary Market (IMM), a division of the CME, was formed to offer futures contracts in foreign currencies: British pound, Canadian dollar, West German mark, Japanese yen, Mexican peso, and Swiss franc. In 1973 Western economies allowed currency exchange rates to float free. Trading in foreign currency futures contracts became even more attractive. Currency Future markets developed at Philadelphia (Philadelphia Board of Trade), London (London International Financial Futures Exchange (LIFFE)), Tokyo (Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange), Sydney (Sydney Futures Exchange), and Singapore International Monetary Exchange (SIMEX). Definition of Foreign Currency Futures Contract Foreign Currency Futures Contract refers to standardized and easily transferable obligation between two parties to exchange currencies at a specified rate during a specified delivery month; standardized contract on specified underlying currencies, in multiples of standard amounts. Purchased and traded on a regulated exchange on which margins are posted. Foreign Currency Futures Contract Continue reading