Best Union Equity Mutual Funds

Established in 2009, Union Mutual Fund is a part of the Union Bank of India, which is responsible for its sponsorship. Setting up a potential asset management system in India through the massive brand value and extensive network of Union Bank of India is one of the major aims of this organisation. As of May 2021, this AMC had AUM or assets under management valued at Rs.5842.12 crore.

This AMC currently offers more than 15 mutual fund schemes distributed over debt, equity and hybrid fund categories. This includes the best Union equity mutual funds.

Equity mutual funds or stock funds are specific schemes of mutual funds that predominantly make investments in the stocks or shares of firms across all market capitalisations.  These funds come with a high risk factor but also possess the capability to generate high returns. A minimum of 65% corpus is invested in shares and stocks by these funds, while the remaining 35% might be invested in money-market or debt securities. 

The best Union Equity mutual funds can be categorised as either passive or active funds. A fund manager structures a portfolio that reflects a popular market index such as Nifty Fifty or Sensex in a passive equity fund. In an active fund, a fund manager conducts researches on companies, scans the market, examines performance and seeks the best stocks for making investments.

Furthermore, these funds can also be classified according to market capitalisation, which denotes how much the capital market values the equity of an entire company. These funds can be categorised as mid-cap, large-cap, micro or small-cap funds in terms of this classification. 

There can be an additional categorisation of these funds as diversified or thematic/sectoral. A diversified equity fund makes investments in stocks spread across the whole market. In contrast, a thematic or sectoral fund keeps its investments restricted to a specific theme or sector such as Infrastructure or Infotech.

Taxability

Presently, there are more than 5 schemes under the best Union equity mutual fund offerings. Nonetheless, investors must know about the taxability involved in these funds prior to making any decision.

Long-term Capital Gains Tax: The long-term capital gains earned by the investor from selling equity fund units after a holding period of 12 months or more are exempted from taxation, provided this earning is limited to Rs.1 lakh in a financial year. On exceeding this limit, an LTCG tax or long-term capital gains tax is levied at a 10 % rate without any indexation benefits.

Short-term Capital Gains Tax: The short-term capital gains earned by the investor on redeeming the equity fund within a 12 months holding period are levied with an STCG tax or short-term capital gains tax at a 15 % rate irrespective of the income tax category.

TDS: Investors must note that if their dividend income lies within Rs.5000 for a given financial year, then according to section 194K, TDS at a 10% rate will not be deducted. 

Factors to Consider Before Investing

Besides being familiar with the taxability applicable to the top Union equity mutual funds, investors must consider the below-mentioned parameters.

Risk appetite: Investors must keep in mind that a substantial amount of risk is associated with an equity mutual fund. In order to select the best Union equity mutual funds 2023, one must consider their risk appetite. The risk tolerance differs for different individuals for the same mutual fund and is a highly subjective matter. Several things are accountable for it, including the investor’s financial situation and psychological characteristics.

Investment objective:  The investment objective indicates an investor’s purpose behind investing in a particular asset. One should evaluate this objective as it helps in selecting an apt scheme from the best Union equity mutual funds 2023.

Expense ratio: The expense ratio defines the fees, which the mutual fund houses and fund manager charges an investor for managing the portfolio. The record-keeping fees are included here as well. Investors must keep in mind that an equity mutual fund scheme with a low expense ratio would generate greater returns in the long run.

Past performance of the fund: It is a healthy habit to look into a fund’s past performance. Though they do not give an indication of probable future returns, they can prove to be helpful for depicting the market conditions and the bearish and bullish trends over a certain period.

Holding analysis: The holding analysis is a crucial parameter when it comes to investments in mutual funds. An investor becomes aware of the expected returns and the accountable scale of losses through a holding analysis. It also shows where resources are invested. 

Investors venturing into the investment domain for the first time might find it difficult to select an ideal fund from the best Union equity mutual funds. However, using this article as a reference along with having an elementary understanding of mutual funds would prove to be of great help to them.