A mutual fund is classified into two categories: open-ended mutual fund and close-ended mutual fund. The open-ended and closed-ended mutual fund is differentiated based on investment adaptability and the ease of purchase or sale. Open-ended funds could be bought and sold at any time, while a close-ended mutual fund is only purchased at the time of its launch and redeemed when the fund’s investment tenure expires. While open-ended funds are more popular with stockholders, close-ended mutual funds are gaining traction in India.
What is a closed-end fund?
We often come across the question about what is a closed-end fund? Close-ended funds are mutual funds with a set maturity period, according to The Securities and Exchange Board of India. At the time of the scheme’s launch, such mutual money is available for subscription for a limited time. Investors invest in such mutual fund schemes during the New Fund Offer period, after which the units can be listed on stock exchanges.
A close-ended mutual fund meaning is a type of collective investment vehicle that issues a fixed number of shares that are not refundable from the fund. Managers do not create new shareholdings in closed-ended funds to meet investor demand, as they do in open-ended funds. Rather, the shares can only be bought and sold on the open market, as was the original model of the mutual fund, that predates open-ended mutual funds but provides the same actively defined and controlled pooled investments. This answers the questions related to close-ended mutual fund meaning and its importance in banking.
Working of a close-ended Mutual Fund
Investors purchase units of a scheme at a set price after an equity management firm establishes a new fund offer. After the NFO period expires, no new investors can join the scheme. Furthermore, investors are not permitted to withdraw from the fund well before the scheme matures. When the scheme reaches maturity, the money returns to these investors at the current NAV. Investors who want to get out of the scheme even before the maturity period terminates can do so by trading their units on stock exchanges.
Benefits of close-ended mutual fund
Stability
Closed-ended funds are more stable in terms of asset valuation than open-ended schemes because investors cannot claim back their units before maturity. This stability enables fund managers to build a consistent capital base and devise the best investment strategy. They are also unconcerned about liquidity since there aren’t any redemptions.
Freedom from large inflows and outflows
Except for open-ended funds, close-ended schemes are not affected by large inflows or outflows. A sudden flow of funds from a mutual funds scheme could perhaps force a fund company to make rash investment choices and sell securities at a loss. Closed-ended schemes lock in the investor’s money until maturity, allowing the financial adviser to make good decisions.
Trading on stock exchanges
Shareholders can trade in a closed-ended scheme on stock exchanges like equity shares. This opportunity to purchase fund units is related to real prices. The trading volume can be above or below. Investors can also employ stock exchange strategies such as limited orders and profitability trading.
Unique Portfolio
Closed-ended funds enable the fund manager to create a portfolio that has the capacity to generate returns. Due to the hold period of closed-ended schemes, investment managers can investigate undervalued equity and debt securities that would not otherwise be included in the portfolio.
Closed-ended funds are suitable for investors with a long investment horizon due to the mandatory lock-in period. On the other hand, closed-ended mutual funds require a lump sum incentive to invest and do not allow redemption until maturity. As a result, investors with a long investment horizon and an investible corpus that coincides with the maturity date should think about investing in such mutual funds.
Conclusion
Like many other mutual funds, a close-ended mutual fund has a business consultant who oversees the portfolio that actively buys, sells, and holds assets. Like any other stock or ETF, its shares vary in price all through the trading day. However, the parent company of the closed-end fund will not issue additional shareholdings, and the fund will not buy back shares. A closed-end fund’s initial capital can be raised by offering a constrained amount of shares. The shares can then be purchased and traded on a public stock exchange, but no new shares can be issued. A close-ended mutual fund has a fixed time and is typically actively managed and focuses on a particular industry, sector, or area.