Finnifty, officially known as the Nifty Financial Services Index (Nifty FinServ), is a sectoral stock market index in India that represents the performance of the financial services sector. It includes a wide range of financial companies, such as banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), housing finance companies, insurance companies, and others.
Key Features of Finnifty:
- Composition:
- Finnifty comprises 20 companies from the financial services sector.
- It is broader than Bank Nifty, as it includes not just banks but also other financial institutions like NBFCs and insurance providers.
- Sectoral Focus:
- It gives a comprehensive view of the financial services sector, which is a significant contributor to the Indian economy.
- Market Representation:
- Finnifty accounts for a major portion of the Nifty50, as the financial sector is one of the largest in terms of market capitalization.
- Base Year and Value:
- The base year for Finnifty is 2004, with a base value of 1000.
Companies in Finnifty:
Finnifty includes a mix of banks, NBFCs, housing finance companies, and insurance companies. Some of the prominent companies (as of recent data) are:
- HDFC Bank
- ICICI Bank
- State Bank of India (SBI)
- Kotak Mahindra Bank
- Axis Bank
- HDFC Ltd (now merged with HDFC Bank)
- Bajaj Finance
- Bajaj Finserv
- ICICI Lombard General Insurance
- HDFC Life Insurance
- SBI Life Insurance
- LIC of India (Life Insurance Corporation)
- Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC)
- Cholamandalam Investment and Finance
- IDFC First Bank
- Punjab National Bank (PNB)
- Bank of Baroda
- IndusInd Bank
- AU Small Finance Bank
- Power Finance Corporation (PFC)
(Note: The list is periodically reviewed and may change based on market conditions and company performance.)
How Finnifty Works:
- Calculation:
- Like other Nifty indices, Finnifty is calculated using the free-float market capitalization-weighted method.
- Companies with higher free-float market capitalization have a larger impact on the index.
- Rebalancing:
- The index is reviewed semi-annually (every six months) to ensure that it reflects the current state of the financial services sector.
- Movement Representation:
- A rise in Finnifty indicates strong performance in the financial services sector, while a decline shows weaker performance.
Benefits of Finnifty:
- Comprehensive Sectoral Insight:
- It provides a broader view of the financial sector compared to Bank Nifty, covering banks, NBFCs, and insurance.
- Trading Opportunities:
- Traders use Finnifty futures and options for short-term trading and hedging strategies.
- Economic Indicator:
- The financial services sector is closely tied to economic growth. Finnifty’s performance reflects the financial sector’s health and its contribution to the economy.
- Investment Benchmark:
- Finnifty serves as a benchmark for funds and ETFs focused on the financial services sector.
Popular Usage:
- Derivatives Trading: Finnifty futures and options contracts are traded on the NSE, offering diversification within the financial sector.
- Sectoral Comparison: Helps investors compare the financial sector’s performance with other sectors or indices like Nifty50 and Bank Nifty.
- Portfolio Diversification: Investors use Finnifty as a tool for gaining exposure to a wide range of financial stocks.