Investors pull out ₹6,526 crore from debt funds in February

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Debt mutual funds witnessed net outflows of ₹6,525.56 crore in February 2025, reversing from strong inflows of ₹1,28,652.58 crore in January. Short-duration funds saw the highest redemptions, while liquid funds recorded the most inflows.

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Category-wise performance

Outflows:

  • Ultra-short duration funds: ₹4,281.02 crore
  • Overnight funds and low-duration funds: ₹2,263.94 crore
  • Money market funds: ₹275.96 crore

Inflows:

  • Liquid funds: ₹4,976.97 crore
  • Corporate bond funds: ₹1,064.83 crore
  • Short-duration funds: ₹473.53 crore

Reasons behind the outflows

Nehal Meshram, Senior Analyst – Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India, attributed the redemptions to investors rebalancing portfolios.

“10 out of 16 debt fund categories saw outflows, primarily in short-duration funds. These accounted for 90% of total redemptions,” Meshram said.

She noted that some investors may be shifting to longer-duration bonds in anticipation of interest rate cuts by the RBI.

“Medium to long duration and gilt funds saw marginal inflows, reflecting investor positioning for potential capital appreciation. Gilt funds remain attractive due to their low credit risk and sovereign backing,” she added.

Market outlook

Debt fund flows may stabilize as market conditions evolve. Interest rate movements and inflation trends will be key factors influencing investor sentiment in the coming months.

Other category performance

On the other hand, New fund offers (NFOs) collected ₹4,029 crore, compared to ₹4,544 crore in the previous month. Gold ETFs recorded inflows of ₹1,980 crore, down from ₹3,751.4 crore.

Sectoral and thematic funds saw inflows of ₹5,711.6 crore, lower than ₹9,016.6 crore in January.

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