Can a mutual fund be closed end?
A closed-end fund is a type of mutual fund that issues a fixed number of shares through one initial public offering (IPO) to raise capital for its initial investments. Its shares can then be bought and sold on a stock exchange, but no new shares will be created, and no new money will flow into the fund.
Most mutual funds are open-end funds. When you buy a mutual fund, new fund shares are issued to you, and are then retired when you sell the shares. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also tend to be open-end funds, but they can also be structured as unit investment trusts (UITs).
In the case of a Mutual Fund company shutting down, either the trustees of the fund have to approach SEBI for approval to close or SEBI by itself can direct a fund to shut. In such cases, all investors are returned their funds based on the last available net asset value, before winding up.
In case of closed-end mutual funds, shares of the mutual fund may not be sold and bought at the NAV price. As the closed-end fund is traded in a stock exchange (e.g. NEPSE), the traded value of the mutual fund usually differs from the NAV calculated by the mutual fund company.
Typically, market risk results in greater fluctuations in the net asset value (NAV) when the remaining maturity of a portfolio security is longer. Equity Closed-End Funds: The vulnerability of seeing a decline in their NAV and market price is a shared risk among all equity closed-end funds.
A closed-end fund has a fixed number of shares offered by an investment company through an initial public offering. Open-end funds (which most of us think of when we think mutual funds) are offered through a fund company that sells shares directly to investors.
Factors Leading to a Closed Fund
Sometimes, a fund may need to close because of asset bloat, which can occur from excessive inflows to a fund. This is most common when a fund invests in small-cap stocks or a small number of securities.
Valuation Risk: The market price of a CEF at any point in time is likely to vary from the fund's NAV. The size of any price premium and/or discount could have a significant impact on an investor's return over time.
Cons of closed-end funds
A closed-end fund's liquidity depends on investor supply and demand, so it can be less liquid than an open-end fund. These funds are also subject to increased volatility because shares can trade above or below their NAV. Another potential drawback is that many closed-end funds use leverage.
Mutual fund liquidations, also referred to as "full closures," are never good news. Liquidation involves the sale of all of a fund's assets and the distribution of the proceeds to the fund shareholders. At best, it means shareholders are forced to sell at a time, not of their choosing.
What happens when close ended mutual fund matures?
At maturity, the scheme is dissolved, and the money is returned to the investors at the prevailing NAV (net asset value) on that date.
Unlike closed-end funds, mutual funds continually issue new shares, which are priced daily on their NAV. Mutual funds typically have different share classes with different fees and expense structures. Total shares are determined by initial demand during the initial public offering(“IPO”).
Buying and Selling Closed-End Funds
Investors often place their trade instructions with the assistance of a securities broker, or financial advisor, who transmits instructions to the exchange on which the closed-end fund trades. The broker also may offer guidance on how the fund fits into your overall planning.
There's no real consensus among investors about why discounts or premiums to the underlying assets in these funds exist. Part of the reason may be that closed-end funds are smaller, and thus less liquid, than more widely used products like ETFs and mutual funds. They are also less transparent.
Because closed-end funds are often actively managed by an investment manager who is trying to beat the market, they may charge higher fees, making them less attractive to investors. Closed-end funds frequently use leverage — borrowing money to fund their asset purchases — to increase returns.
You may cancel your mutual fund SIPs offline by notifying your bank and the respective AMCs. You can also have your mutual fund agent do it for you. Request a SIP cancellation form from your asset management firm or through online Mutual Fund Registrar and Transfer websites such as CAMS and KFin Technologies Limited.
If a fund consistently underperforms over multiple periods and fails to deliver satisfactory returns, consider exiting the investment. Research and select funds with a similar investment objective but better track records and performance history to redirect your investments.
When it comes to equity, it is very important that, especially when you are thinking about long-term goals, you want to exit as soon as you have 2-3 years left approaching your goal and there are just 2-3 years to get there. That is number one.
For many years, all closed-end funds (CEFs) were structured as perpetual funds, meaning they have no “maturity” or termination date.
Unlike stocks and ETFs, mutual funds trade only once per day, after the markets close at 4 p.m. ET. If you enter a trade to buy or sell shares of a mutual fund, your trade will be executed at the next available net asset value, which is calculated after the market closes and typically posted by 6 p.m. ET.
What happens if mutual fund goes to zero?
For a mutual fund to lose its value and become zero means that all the holdings in the portfolio must become zero or worthless. The probability of all the assets becoming zero is extremely low. It is quite possible that your investments are giving negative returns.
However, mutual funds are considered a bad investment when investors consider certain negative factors to be important, such as high expense ratios charged by the fund, various hidden front-end, and back-end load charges, lack of control over investment decisions, and diluted returns.
The Bottom Line
CEFs, while costing more because they are mainly actively managed, can trade at a discount to their NAV. Investors looking for standard, safer investment strategies would do well choosing an ETF, whereas investors looking for alpha returns may do better with a CEF. Fidelity. "Closed-end Funds vs.
Who should invest in a Closed Ended Mutual Fund? Closed ended funds require lumpsum investment and do not offer a redemption option until maturity. Hence, investors with an investible corpus and an investment horizon in sync with the maturity date of the scheme can opt for closed ended mutual funds.
A closed-end fund generally does not continuously offer its shares for sale but instead sells a fixed number of shares at one time. After its initial public offering, the fund typically trades on a market, such as the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market.
