Foreign Portfolio investment: - Overview 

An investor who purchases foreign financial assets is known as a foreign portfolio investor (FPI). Fixed deposits, equities, and mutual funds are among the financial assets involved. The investors hold all of the investments in a passive manner. Overseas Portfolio Investors are investors who invest in foreign portfolios.

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The volatility of a foreign portfolio is increased. As a result, there is a higher danger. The goal of investing in overseas markets is to diversify one's portfolio while still generating a good return. Due to the risk, they are willing to take, investors expect significant returns. Nowadays, foreign portfolio investment is a popular investment option. Foreign portfolios are held by individuals, businesses, and even governments.

Outline

• Foreign portfolio investments, in general, are securities and alternative foreign financial assets that a foreign investor holds passively. It entails the purchase of foreign financial assets by an investor.
• Foreign portfolio investors are typically subject to more share price volatility, which increases their risk, and investors want to be compensated for taking on this risk.
• Equities, bonds, derivatives, mutual funds, and guaranteed investment certificates, among other securities, are available to foreign portfolio investors.

Who Can Invest in Foreign Portfolios?

Investing in foreign portfolios is popular among a variety of investors. The following are some of the most common international portfolio investment transactors:

• Companies
• Foreign governments
• Individuals

The Advantages of Investing in a Foreign Portfolio

Diverse Investments:

FPI allows investors to diversify their investment portfolio. You can diversify your portfolio as an investor to generate great profits. Assume you suffer significant losses in investment assets of Country X but make significant gains in investment assets of Country Y. As a result, your investments will be less volatile, and your chances of profit will be higher.

International Credit:

Investors can have access to increasing amounts of financing in overseas countries. They can expand their credit portfolio. Investors can ensure their line of credit by growing their credit base. Having an international credit score can be useful if your domestic credit score is poor. This permits the investor to take on greater risk and earn higher returns on his or her stock investment.

Gaining Access to a Larger Market:

Foreign markets are sometimes less competitive than domestic markets. As a result, FPI exposes you to a larger market. Foreign markets are less saturated than domestic markets, thus they may offer larger returns and more variety.

Increased Liquidity:

High liquidity is provided via Foreign Portfolio Investments. An investor can easily acquire and sell overseas portfolios. This gives investors the ability to move quickly when good buy chances emerge. Traders can buy and sell trades in a seamless and speedy manner.

Advantage of Exchange Rate:

The volatile character of international currencies can be used by an investor. Some currencies can increase or fall dramatically, and a strong currency can be exploited to an investor's advantage.

Foreign Portfolio Investment Categories

FPI can be registered under one of the following categories:

Category I: Investors from the public sector are included. Central banks, government institutions, and international or multilateral organisations and agencies are only a few examples.

Category II: This category includes the following:

• Mutual funds, investment trusts, and insurance/reinsurance firms are examples of regulated broad-based funds.
• Regulated banks, asset management firms, portfolio managers, investment advisors, and managers are also included.

Category III: Those who do not qualify for the first two categories are included in this category. Endowments, charitable societies, charitable trusts, foundations, corporations, trusts, and people are all included.

However, SEBI has endeavored to reorganize the groups and simplify the regulations in a new notification issued in the second half of 2019. As a result, FPIs are divided into two groups. All entities or funds that were formerly classified as Category III have been reclassified as Category II, and Category I is a hybrid of Category I and II.

Regulation of FPI in India

The FPIs are run by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The Foreign Portfolio Investors Regulations, 2019 were recently introduced by SEBI. FPIs must also adhere to the Income Tax Act of 1961 as well as the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999.

Foreign Portfolio Investment Eligibility Criteria

To become an FPI, an individual must meet the following requirements:

• The petitioner must not be a non-resident Indian, according to the Income Tax Act of 1961.
• Should not be a citizen of a country that is subject to the FATF's public statement.
• To invest in securities outside of the country, you must be eligible to do so.
• To invest in securities, he or she must obtain the MOA / AOA / Agreement's approval.
• A certificate indicating that the applicant is interested in the growth of the securities market.
• If the bank is the applicant, it must be from a country whose central bank is a Bank for International Settlements member.

Investing in a Foreign Portfolio: Factors to Consider

The following are some of the elements that influence foreign portfolio investment:

Prospects for Growth: 

Foreign investments are heavily influenced by a country's economy. Investors are more likely to invest in a country's financial assets if its economy is strong and rising. Investors, on the other hand, tend to withdraw their assets if the country is experiencing financial turbulence or a recession.

Rates of Interest:

Investors desire a high rate of return on their investment. As a result, investors prefer to invest in countries where interest rates are high.

Rates of Taxation:

Capital gains are subject to the tax. The return on investment is reduced by higher tax rates. As a result, investors choose to invest in countries where tax rates are lower.

The Risks of Investing in a Foreign Portfolio

Foreign portfolio investments come with some dangers, both for the investors and for the destination country. Here are some of the dangers involved:

Exposure to Political Risk:

Political risk may arise as a result of the changing political environment. As a result, investment requirements, economic policies, and repatriation regulations are altered.

Limited Liquidity:

The capital market liquidity in emerging countries is generally poor, resulting in more price volatility.

Conclusion

Those interested in diversifying their portfolios by investing in shares, bonds, mutual funds, or other assets/securities in a foreign country make foreign portfolio investments. FPIs are typically higher in developing economies with a lot of room for expansion. FPI is crucial because it influences stock markets and increases capital market liquidity in the host country. Now that you know what FPI stands for, you might want to consider investing in a foreign country to diversify your portfolio and take advantage of international credit and currency rates.