Auto funds top 1-week returns chart

Automobile funds category showed a significant improvement, posting 1.06 per cent average return and topping the weekly returns charts across all scheme categories for the week ended Friday. It was one of the worst-hit category with 0.32 per cent negative return for the week ended February 2.

Information technology funds category continued to remain steady with 0.27 per cent average return, but failed to outperform BSE IT and CNX IT indices, which rose 1.61 per cent and 0.69 per cent, respectively.

Fast moving consumer goods funds category continued with its poor performance for yet another week, posting 1.40 per cent negative average return.

Index funds category, with 0.39 per cent average return for the week ended Friday, beat National Stock Exchange's Nifty that rose 0.09 per cent. However, it could not outperform Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex, which rose 0.94 per cent.

The top-performing index schemes last week were Banking BeES, Tata Index Sensex A, and HDFC Index Sensex, which gave 1.78 per cent, 0.94 per cent and 0.93 per cent returns,respectively.

Interestingly, Banking BeES gave the lowest return of 0.54 per cent among 22 index funds for the week ended February 2.

Nifty Junior BeES, with 0.69 per cent negative return, was at the bottom of the index funds chart last week.

Among tax planning funds, Reliance Tax Saver and Principal Tax Savings were the best performing schemes posting 1.31 per cent and 1.13 per cent returns, respectively.

ABN AMRO Tax Advantage Plan, with 2.44 per cent negative return, was the worst-hit among 29 equity-linked savings schemes.

The top performing diversified equity scheme last week was Prudential ICICI Services Industries, which gave 1.68 per cent return. It was followed by

CanGrowth Plus and Can D'Mat with 1.61 per cent and 1.19 per cent returns, respectively.

Sector funds: Automobile stocks were abuzz with activity last week. Bajaj Auto shares were in the limelight on talk of a de-merger of its automobile and financial services businesses and also robust sales growth outlook.

Bajaj Auto shares surged 10.2 per cent on National Stock Exchange last week. Sentiment for the stock has been firm also after the company announced that it will re-enter the scooter market after an eight-year gap, and also on a favourable ruling by a Sri Lankan court in a dispute over imitation of it.

Pulsar 180 bike model by a Sri Lankan company. Other automobile shares that were in focus included Hero Honda and Mahindra & Mahindra, which rose 1.5 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively, last week.

UTI Auto Sector Fund was the best performing fund with 2.11 per cent return. BSE Auto Index, in comparison, rose 2.72 per cent.

Banking funds, which gave the second highest return across all scheme categories with 0.84 per cent average return, failed to beat BSE Bankex that rose 1.80 per cent. UTI Banking Sector Fund registered the highest return of 1.22 per cent among the banking sector funds.

Information technology stocks witnessed mixed activity last week. Infosys Technologies and HCL Technologies gained, Satyam Computer Services and Tata Consultancy Services ended in the negative zone and Wipro ended flat.

In IT funds category, Franklin Infotech gave the highest return of 1.09 per cent followed by UTI Software Fund, which notched up 0.70 per cent return. Magnum IT Fund, with 0.36 per cent negative return, ended at the bottom of the seven-scheme-strong list.

Pharmaceutical funds, such as FMCG funds, also continued to remain in the negative zone. Although, all pharma funds gave negative returns last week, Magnum Pharma took the biggest hit with 0.85 per cent negative return.

FMCG funds also posted negative return and failed to outperform BSE FMCG Index, which fell 1.01 per cent. Prudential ICICI FMCG Fund, with 1.73 per cent negative return, was the worst-hit scheme.

Debt funds: Short-term floating rate funds and liquid schemes posted the best returns, showing a consistent performance among debt funds.

LICMF Floating Rate Fund emerged as the best performing scheme with 0.16 per cent return among short-term floaters, while long-term floater funds witnessed ING Vysya Floating Rate Fund topping the weekly returns chart with 0.17 per cent return.

The lowest returns in short-term and the long-term floating rate categories were by Magnum Floating Rate Fund (0.08 per cent) and DBS Chola Floating Rate Fund (0.07 per cent).

Templeton India Money Market Account posted the highest return of 0.16 per cent among liquid funds last week.

Among medium-term income schemes, Reliance NRI Income (0.17 per cent) and Tata Income Fund (0.15 per cent) were two best performing schemes. Prudential ICICI Income Fund (-0.38 per cent) and DWS Premier Bond (-0.45 per cent) posted the lowest return among 44 schemes.

Gilt schemes took a beating last week, with Magnum Gilt (0.12 per cent) and Sahara Gilt (0.13 per cent) being the best performing schemes in short-term gilts and medium and long-term gilts categories, respectively.

Hybrid schemes: All hybrid schemes registered negative return last week. Among equity oriented hybrid schemes, Birla Sun Life '95 with 1.20 per cent return topped the chart, followed by LICMF ULIS with 1.06 per cent return.

Templeton India Pension Fund and Templeton India Children's Asset Plan were best performers in debt-oriented hybrid funds with 0.27 per cent and 0.22 per cent returns, respectively.

In the asset allocation category, UTI Variable Investment was the best performer with 0.49 per cent return.