Should you invest in Mutual Funds when share markets are down? (2024)

FAQs

Should you invest in Mutual Funds when share markets are down? ›

Nobody can predict the market movements. Hence, instead of focusing on timing the market, one should be disciplined and should keep on investing in equity mutual funds irrespective of the market fluctuations. In the long term, these short term fluctuations do not affect your investments.

If you're asking, "Is now a good time to buy a stock?" consider that it's always a good time to invest when you find a security you've determined is undervalued by the rest of the market. On the other hand, you'll likely find more opportunities to buy shares of undervalued companies during a broad market decline.

However, during a market crash, stock prices come down. This, in turn, pulls down the performance of mutual funds holding these stocks. Companies, too, face a tough time with their operations taking a hit, and it takes time for stocks to recover. Performance improves only when stocks recover lost ground.

There is no better time to start investing. It is very difficult to time the markets and although the markets are due for a correction, it would not be wise to wait further. Also, when it comes to SIPs, there is not much merit in timing the markets. We would suggest you invest in different mutual fund categories.

A far better strategy is to build a diversified mutual fund portfolio. A properly constructed portfolio, including a mix of both stock and bonds funds, provides an opportunity to participate in stock market growth and cushions your portfolio when the stock market is in decline.

Nobody can predict the market movements. Hence, instead of focusing on timing the market, one should be disciplined and should keep on investing in equity mutual funds irrespective of the market fluctuations. In the long term, these short term fluctuations do not affect your investments.

If you are a long-term investor (meaning a time horizon of 10+ years), one option is to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging (DCA). By purchasing shares regardless of price, you end up buying shares at a low price when the market is down.

By selling off mutual funds, you lose their potential for significant growth over time, especially if you have been reinvesting dividends to automatically buy more shares. In addition, you're only allowed to contribute so much to an IRA each year, so you won't be able to make up for your withdrawals later.

Withdrawing your mutual funds without investing them for long is not advisable. Moreover, the general thumb rule is to stay invested for four to five years to generate better returns in the case of equity funds.

In the category of market-linked securities, mutual funds are a relatively safe investment. There are risks involved but those can be ascertained by conducting proper due diligence.

When should you not invest in mutual funds? ›

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.

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.

However, if you have noticed significantly poor performance over the last two or more years, it may be time to cut your losses and move on. To help your decision, compare the fund's performance to a suitable benchmark or to similar funds. Exceptionally poor comparative performance should be a signal to sell the fund.

Where is your money safe if the stock market crashes? Money held in an interest bearing account like a money market account, a savings account or others is generally safe from losses stemming from a stock market decline. Bonds, including various Treasury securities can also be a safe haven.

What businesses are profitable in a recession? Many investors turn to stocks in companies that sell consumer staples like health care, food and beverages, and personal hygiene products. These businesses typically remain profitable during recessions and their share prices tend to better resist stock market sell-offs.

Risks of Buying Stocks When They're Down

While we may anticipate a rebound, there is always the possibility that a stock may continue to fall. Market conditions, corporate mismanagement, or unfavorable shifts in industry trends can cause a stock's price to drop further, which could lead to significant losses.

When the price of shares are low, you must buy the shares. Of course, there's a chance that prices will dip further. However, this is a safer bet than buying at high prices when the stock seems unlikely to climb further in value.

The low-priced stocks are cheaper, and hence they are considered highly volatile. Naturally, they have higher to fall rapidly in price because they rise and fall in a short span and frequently. Hence, investors looking for security and stable stocks don't prefer low-priced stocks.