After occupying the top slot in the sex ratio among the states in the country for years, Kerala is now showing the way ahead in investment as well with significant increase in women investors in mutual funds and other financial services.
Kerala has witnessed a 3.7 times growth in assets under management (AUM) of women investors in the five years from March 31, 2019 to Dec 31, 2023, according to data from a nationwide survey of its one crore investors by Axis Mutual Fund. The AUM of women investors in Kochi alone has grown 3.6 times in the same period.
The findings of the study titled “Women Investment Behaviour Report 2024” reveal that nearly 72 per cent of women investors now make independent investment decisions thus achieving financial autonomy and growth, underscoring their commitment to long-term investing. The trend is more pronounced in the younger generation.
B Gopkumar, MD&CEO, Axis AMC “our research into the investment patterns of Axis MF investors reveal that women constitute 30 per cent of Axis Mutual Fund customer base and hold ~35 per cent of the total AUM.
Women investors are emerging as strong proponents of long-term investing showing a strategic approach, demonstrated by both higher amounts invested (25 per cent) per woman investor and higher corpus on an average by a female investor (37 per cent) compared to men. This translates to a long-term vision, with women showing 22 per cent higher persistency in their mutual fund investments over a five-year period.
In just five years, the proportion of Axis MF women investors using fintech channels has leapt from 14 to 55 per cent. The pandemic further accelerated this shift, demonstrating the versatility of women in adapting to market fluctuations.
Interestingly, women in B30 cities (beyond the top 30) show a preference for traditional investments such as fixed deposits and gold, apart from MFs. Conversely, their counterparts in T30 cities (beyond the top 30) are embracing newer investment avenues like mutual funds, stocks, and even startups.