Investors have steered clear of the Indian market due to problems with political issues, poor infrastructure and an increasing fiscal deficit.
However, there are some who believe all this could be about to change, following the Indian government’s recent measures to address the levels of national debt and encourage foreign investment.
With valuations close to historic lows and sentiment on the up, it may be the perfect time to buy an Indian-focused fund. Here are five that investors may wish to consider for their portfolio:
Aberdeen Global Indian Equity
The recent soft-closure of First State Indian Subcontinent
means Aberdeen Global Indian Equity is the standout choice for investors looking for full exposure to the country.
The five crown-rated fund has 98 per cent of its total assets in Indian equities, with the remaining 2 per cent in cash.
According to
FE Analytics data, the $4.1bn fund has delivered strong returns compared with its MSCI India benchmark.
It has outperformed its benchmark over one and three years, as well as over six months. It has been most successful over a five-year period however, returning 49.86 per cent compared with 6.37 per cent from its MSCI India benchmark.
Performance of fund vs index over 5-yrs
| |
6-mth
returns (%) |
1-yr returns (%) |
3-yr returns (%) |
5-yr returns (%) |
| Aberdeen Global Indian Equity |
4.99 |
6.91 |
29.34 |
49.86 |
| Index: MSCI India |
3.87 |
4.26 |
1.36 |
6.37 |
Source: FE Analytics
The fund, which was launched in March 2006, has a minimum investment of $1,500 and a total expense ratio (TER) of 2.14 per cent.
Aberdeen Global Indian Equity is headed up by Hugh Young’s Aberdeen Asian equities team.
It has just 30 holdings, with a high exposure to consumer products, financials and technology.
Franklin India
Another open-ended option is Franklin India, which is headed up by Stephen Dover. It has $1.14bn assets under management (AUM), and like its Aberdeen rival is fully invested in the Indian market.
Franklin India is underweight financials compared with its MSCI India benchmark but is slightly overweight in consumer products.
Although the fund falls short of Aberdeen Global Indian Equity in the performance tables, it has produced strong returns relative to its benchmark.
According to FE data, over five years it has delivered 24.65 per cent compared with 6.37 per cent
from MSCI India.
Performance of fund vs index over 5-yrs
Source: FE Analytics
Franklin India has also been less volatile than the index, losing less in the down markets of both 2008 and 2011. Last year, MSCI India fell 36.7 per cent, compared with 31.32 per cent from the fund. However, Aberdeen Global Indian Equity was even better protected, losing only 26.02 per cent.
Dover has headed up Franklin India since its launch in 2005. The fund has a TER of 1.9 per cent, making it significantly cheaper than its Aberdeen rival.
iShares MSCI India
The iShares MSCI India ETF is a cheap and cheerful option for investors who are satisfied with tracking the MSCI India index. With a TER of just 0.65 per cent, it is a fraction of the cost of the average actively managed India fund.
The ETF was launched earlier this year and so has little record to speak of; however, in the first six months or so it has tracked MSCI India very closely, falling short by just 0.51 percentage points.
Performance of fund and index since Feb 2012
Source: FE Analytics
It has a tracking error of just 0.05 per cent since launch – far lower than all of the other ETFs that track MSCI India, including Lyxor MSCI India and Source MSCI India.
iShares MSCI India is domiciled in the US and has $17.9m AUM.
Aberdeen New India IT
In the closed-ended universe, the Aberdeen New India fund is a good bet for those who are bullish on India – particularly given that it is currently trading on a discount to NAV of 11.5 per cent.
According to FE data, it is one of the best-performing investment trusts of the last decade, returning a massive 451 per cent.
While this is slightly short of its MSCI India benchmark, it has achieved these returns with significantly less volatility, and has outperformed the index significantly over three and five years.
The £135.9m portfolio's biggest overweight is in energy, and it also has an above-benchmark position in financials and industrials.
The five crown-rated portfolio has a TER of 1.5 per cent. It is headed up by Young’s Asia team.
Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies IT
This is an option for those investors who want exposure to India, but are not comfortable holding a pure-India growth portfolio.
The five crown-rated Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies has 11 per cent invested in the region.
Godrej Consumer Products – which specialises in cleaning and hygiene – is in its top-10 holdings.
Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies has a stellar record against its benchmark, and tops its IT Asia Pacific ex Japan Equities sector over one, three, five and 10 years.
Over the last decade it has returned more than 831 per cent – a figure only beaten by the Aberdeen New Thai IT in the entire investment trust universe over this period.
The trust has a TER of 1.3 per cent.