- These funds result in higher tax-efficient gains.
- Dividend Yield Funds invest in companies that provide protection during market volatility. When markets are bearish, these funds perform better than small cap, mid cap and growth-oriented funds, so the investors benefit. In an underperforming equities market, high dividend yielding companies experience lower volatility, and once the market stabilises, they return gains that are in line with the market.
- Fund managers also invest in companies that are less risky. These companies don’t depend heavily on debt financing. Companies with high-interest coverage ratios are attractive for fund managers since such companies are generally not risky. The interest coverage ratio of a company determines whether it can pay off its debts. The ratio is calculated by dividing the earnings before income and tax by the company’s interest expense.
Since Dividend Yield Funds invest in several sectors, including IT, pharmaceutical, metals, consumer goods, construction, oil and gas, power, financial materials, chemicals and automobiles, you get good exposure to all the sectors. Moreover, some of these funds even have exposure to overseas stocks.
People who favour investing a small part of their portfolio in thematic dividend yield funds whose success depends on a theme playing out as expected should be aware that these funds delivered 23.14% returns in 2021. Their 3 year and 5-year returns were 17.9% and 14.07% per annum.