{"id":52385,"date":"2025-06-13T18:04:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/2025\/06\/13\/good-news-or-good-price-why-its-time-to-move-beyond-debt-funds-and-embrace-equities\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T18:04:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:34:50","slug":"good-news-or-good-price-why-its-time-to-move-beyond-debt-funds-and-embrace-equities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/2025\/06\/13\/good-news-or-good-price-why-its-time-to-move-beyond-debt-funds-and-embrace-equities\/","title":{"rendered":"Good News or Good Price? Why It\u2019s Time to Move Beyond Debt Funds and Embrace Equities"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><b>Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 13:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The debt markets are buzzing. As inflation was steadily going down from 6% to RBI\u2019s tolerance band of around 3%-4%, the central bank made a rate cut in the month of April to boost growth. In the June policy RBI surprised the markets by cutting the policy rates by 50 basis points and reducing CRR by 100 basis points. Naturally, investors flocked to debt funds, anticipating continued returns as yields softened. But here\u2019s the reality: the best of this cycle may already be behind us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a market that is a future discounting machine, the real winners aren\u2019t those who chase recent gains, but the ones who look ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t confuse good news with good price,\u201d says Raj Shah, Founder of Soul Finspire,\u00a0 a leading financial advisory firm. \u201cYes, inflation is cooling and liquidity is high, but the RBI has clearly stated they\u2019ve front-loaded all the rate cuts.The chances of another round of easing in the near term are slim. This isn\u2019t the time to chase debt funds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>The Illusion of Safety: Debt Fund Euphoria May Be Short-Lived<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the RBI cutting the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 100 basis points, \u00a0 injecting \u20b92.5 lakh crore into the banking system,\u00a0 returns on debt instruments looked promising\u2026in the near term. . But with no further rate cuts expected unless inflation drops below 3% (an unlikely scenario), the debt party might already be over.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInvestors who enter debt funds now are locking in at 6% yields \u2014 that\u2019s it. The spike in returns over the past few weeks \u2013 That\u2019s rear-view mirror investing. Going forward, we believe you won\u2019t see those returns repeat unless another rate-cutting cycle begins,\u201d Raj Shah cautions. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t think that\u2019s on the cards anytime soon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Founder\u2019s Note: The Real Opportunity Lies in Equity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn our view, when rates come down, the right place to be is in mid and small-cap equity funds,\u201d adds Raj Shah. \u201cThese companies are the real borrowers in the economy, their cost of capital comes down drastically, as a result the rate of change in profits is disproportionately large.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raj Shah explains, \u201cWe\u2019ve been telling our clients: debt returns are done. Equity returns are still in play. Add to this the general post -cut-rate and tax-cut optimism in consumer demand (homes, cars, durables), and you have a recipe for potential double-digit returns in the medium to long term. Especially in mid and small caps, the upside \u2014 or delta \u2014 is far greater. This is where investors should be allocating now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s put it in perspective: if debt yields are 6% and equity can reasonably deliver 12-13% CAGR over a 4-5 year period, the risk-reward ratio clearly favors equity. Historically, every four years, the NIFTY\/Sensex has transitioned to new highs despite temporary \u201cjerks\u201d like COVID or global political shocks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Volatility, when approached with patience, becomes an investor\u2019s friend. As seasoned investors know, bad news often creates the best entry points. Investing isn\u2019t about reacting to headlines, it\u2019s about understanding the cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A Fresh Perspective:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Backing this viewpoint is Shriya Shah, daughter of Raj Shah and a young voice in the world of investing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKeeping money in the bank or in your cupboard stopped making sense yesterday. . I think now people realize that equity investing isn\u2019t risky when you\u2019re thinking long-term, it\u2019s smart. But what\u2019s missed by most people is that they try to follow trends at the fag end of the cycle. I think that\u2019s where advisors step in to plan investments suitable for them instead of just following trends\u201d she shares.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her advice: \u201cStart small, stay invested, and don\u2019t let market noise shake your confidence. The real risk is in not investing at all, but also in semi-blindingly following the crowd.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Lessons for Investors<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Debt funds are not the opportunity they once were. Interest rates have likely bottomed out for this financial year.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mid and small-cap equity funds stand to benefit the most from the current rate environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equity offers better risk-reward ratios than debt at this stage of the cycle.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t let emotion cloud judgment. Stay disciplined and think long-term.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Raj Shah puts it: \u201cGood news is already priced in. What you want is to find an opportunity at a good price.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Final Word<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the time to look forward, not backward. This is the time to think independently, assess risk-reward ratios, and look beyond the data. With rate cuts largely behind us and equity markets still gearing up, the smart money knows where to go next.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So ask yourself \u2013 are you buying into good news, or a good price?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Raj Shah:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raj Shah is the Founder of Soul Finspire, a financial advisory company known for its insight-led investment strategies and client-centric philosophy. With decades of market experience, his commentary is regularly sought by investors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Disclaimer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read the scheme information and other related documents before investing. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Please consider your specific investment requirements before choosing a fund, or designing a portfolio that suits your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The information herein is based on information obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but the Company does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correctness for any particular purpose. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 13: The debt markets are buzzing. As inflation was steadily going down from 6% to RBI\u2019s tolerance band of around 3%-4%, the central bank made a rate cut in the month of April to boost growth. In the June policy RBI surprised the markets by cutting the policy rates by 50&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[294],"class_list":["post-52385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeveningpost.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}