RURAL Electrification Corporation, the state-run lender for utilities, plans to raise 50 crore from sale of bonds that carry tax-benefits under the program to promote infrastructure building. The company follows many such as Infrastructure Development Finance Co and IFCI that have been raising funds using the tax benefit status. REC bonds are rated triple A. REC, which began the private placement from Thursday, is offering an interest rate of 8% per annum where bonds have a buyback option after five years. And 8.1% a year without the buyback option that will be redeemed after 10 years.
Tax Plan is one of the better performing schemes from Religare Asset Management. Existing investors can redeem their investment after three years. But given the scheme's performance, they can continue to stay invested Given the mandated lock-in period of three years, tax saving schemes give the fund manager the leeway to invest in ideas that may take time to nurture. Religare Tax Plan's investment ideas revolve around 'High Growth', which the fund manager has aimed to achieve by digging out promising stories/businesses in the mid-cap segment. Within the space, consumer staples has been the centre of attention for the last couple of years and can be seen as one of the key reasons for the scheme's outperformance as compared to the broader market. It has, however, tweaked its focus and reduced exposure in midcaps as they were commanding a high premium. The strategy seems to have worked as it returned a 22% gain last year. Religare Tax Plan has outperformed BSE 100...
