March sell-off by DIIs is poised to be the highest in three years

Experts say the high MF selling tally might be because of redemptions in arbitrage schemes

The March sell-off by domestic institutional investors (DIIs), which include mutual funds (MFs), is poised to be the highest in three years. So far this month, DIIs have sold shares worth Rs 12,825 crore, the highest since April 2016. MFs alone have pulled out Rs 6,913 crore. This is their first monthly sell-off after 31 months.

Meanwhile, this is a fifth straight month of selling by insurers and other domestic institutions. Since November, they have pulled out over Rs 20,000 crore from equities.  

While the sustained selling by other DIIs could be due to profit-taking, experts say the high MF selling tally