Equity funds

About Equity funds

• An equity fund is a mutual fund that invests principally in stocks.
• It can be actively or passively (index fund) managed. Equity funds are also known as stock funds.
• Stock mutual funds are principally categorized according to company size, the investment style of the holdings in the portfolio and geography.

What are Active equity funds?

• In this fund the fund manager is ‘Active’ in deciding whether to buy, hold, or sell the underlying securities and in stock selection.
• This fund relies on professional fund managers who manage investments.
• Active funds adopt different strategies and styles to create and manage the portfolio.
• They are expected to generate better returns (alpha) than the benchmark index.
• The risk and return in the fund will depend upon the strategy adopted.

What are Passive equity funds?

• These funds hold a portfolio that replicates a stated index or benchmark.
• In a passive fund, the fund manager has a passive role in the stock selection.
• Buy, hold or sell decisions are driven by the benchmark index and the fund manager/dealer merely needs to replicate the same with minimal tracking error.

Q1) What are Mutual funds?

Mutual funds are investment vehicles that pool money from multiple investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities. They're managed by professional fund managers or management teams who make investment decisions based on the fund's objectives.

Source: What are active and passive equity funds — and how much inflows did they receive in the July-Sept quarter?