Core Insights - Many mutual fund investors have missed opportunities in international markets due to regulatory restrictions on new investments into such funds, while those who remained invested have benefited from overseas market rallies [1][5]. Group 1: Fund Performance - The asset under fund of funds (FoF) investing in global markets increased by 28% to ₹35,965 crore in November from ₹28,065 crore in January, driven by mark-to-market gains [2]. - The HSBC Brazil Fund and Edelweiss Europe Dynamic Equity Offshore Fund achieved the highest returns of 56% and 51%, respectively, over the last year [2]. - The DSP World Gold Mining Overseas Equity Omni FoF and DSP World Mining Overseas Equity Omni FoF delivered exceptional returns of 169% and 80%, respectively, in the past year [3]. Group 2: Regulatory Environment - The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restricted mutual funds from accepting fresh inflows into overseas funds since 2022, capping the mutual fund industry's overseas investment at $7 billion, with a separate limit of $1 billion for exchange-traded funds [4]. Group 3: Investor Behavior - High net worth and ultra-high net worth investors have utilized the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) to invest in overseas markets, while retail investors who maintained their investments in overseas funds benefited from mark-to-market gains [5]. Group 4: International Market Performance - The Nifty 50 index returned approximately 9% in 2025, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq Composite, and S&P 500 indices returned 13%, 20%, and 17%, respectively [6]. - The MSCI All Country World Index rose over 21% last year, reaching a record high, with European stocks benefiting from bank-heavy gains [6]. - South Korea's KOSPI index saw a remarkable increase of nearly 76%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose nearly 31%, and Japan's Nikkei 225 increased by about 28% [7].

Core Insights - International funds outperformed domestic funds in September, driven by a strong performance in the US tech sector and NASDAQ 100 [16][19] - Overall, equity mutual funds showed stable but subdued performance amid global challenges such as tariff concerns and geopolitical tensions [16][19] Fund Performance - The top-performing fund was DSP World Mining Overseas Equity Omni FoF, which delivered a return of 13.15% in September, followed by Mirae Asset Global Electric & Autonomous Vehicles Equity Passive FOF with 11.88% [1][19] - Other notable performers included Invesco Global Consumer Trends FoF at 11.27%, Mirae Asset Hang Seng TECH ETF FoF at 11.22%, and Mirae Asset Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF FoF at 10.68% [19] - A total of 577 funds were analyzed, with 268 providing positive returns and 305 yielding negative returns [19] Negative Performers - The worst-performing funds included Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund (-5.59%), Motilal Oswal Multi Cap Fund (-4.88%), and Motilal Oswal Business Cycle Fund (-4.79%) [10][19] - Technology sector funds also faced losses, with Kotak Technology Fund and others losing between 3.20% to 4.41% [11][19] Market Outlook - The market outlook remains positive entering the final quarter of CY25, supported by strong GDP growth of 7.8% in Q1 FY26 and revised inflation forecasts of 3.1% for FY26 [17][19] - Rate cuts from the RBI and recent GST cuts are expected to enhance corporate profitability and consumption [17][19] Investment Strategy - For SIP investors, it is advised to continue existing investments and consider using festive bonuses to enhance contributions [17][19] - New lump-sum investors are recommended to adopt a staggered approach over 3-4 weeks, transitioning from debt to equity to manage volatility [17][19]