Specific Sectoral & Thematic funds /schemes

These are the funds/schemes which invest in the securities of only those sectors or industries as specified in the offer documents. e.g. Pharmaceuticals, Software, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Petroleum stocks, etc. Thematic funds are those fund which invest in a stocks which will benefit from a particular theme like Outsourcing, Infrastructure etc. The returns in these funds are dependent on the performance of the respective sectors/industries. While these funds may give higher returns, they are more risky compared to diversified funds. Restrain the urge to invest in sector/thematic funds no matter how compelling an argument your agent or the fund house makes. Over the long-term, there is little value that a restrictive and narrow theme can bring to the table. It is best to opt for a broad investment mandate that is best championed by well-diversified equity funds.