FPIs inject Rs 7,900 Cr in equities in the first week of Jul; investment surpasses Rs 1 lakh Cr in 2024

Foreign investors infused over Rs 7,900 crore in Indian equities in the first week of the month amid a healthy economic and earnings growth momentum. With this, total FPI investment in equities reached Rs 1.16 lakh crore so far this year, data with the depositories showed. Going forward, the Union Budget and Q1 FY25 earnings could determine the sustainability of FPI flows, experts said.

According to the data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have made a net inflow of Rs 7,962 crore in equities so far this month (till July 5). This came following an inflow of Rs 26,565 crore in equities in June, driven by political stability and a sharp rebound in markets.

Before that, FPIs withdrew Rs 25,586 crore in May on poll jitters and over Rs 8,700 crore in April on concerns over a tweak in India's tax treaty with Mauritius and a sustained rise in US bond yields. "Some funds were probably waiting on the sidelines for the election event to be over," Milind Muchhala, Executive Director, Julius Baer India, said.

"We believe that India remains an attractive investment destination amid a healthy economic and earnings growth momentum, and the FPIs cannot afford to ignore the markets for too long," he added.

Geojit Financial Services Chief Investment Strategist VK Vijayakumar said a significant feature of FPI flows is that their selling in India has been triggered by external factors like rising bond yields in the US and low valuations in other emerging markets. When that situation changes, they again become buyers in India.

In the fortnight ended June 30, FPIs bought heavily in telecom and financial services. Additionally, they were buyers in autos, capital goods, healthcare and IT. On the other hand, selling was seen in metals, mining and power, which had run up too fast in recent months.

Apart from equities, FPIs invested Rs 6,304 crore in the debt market during the period under review. This has pushed the debt tally to Rs 74,928 crore this year so far.

"The inclusion of Indian government bonds in the JP Morgan EM Govt Bond Index and the front running by investors have contributed to this divergence in equity and debt inflows," Vijayakumar said.