The Nifty Private Bank Index is the main sectoral index you should track if you want to assess the performance of the stocks of private banks in India. It comprises stocks of 10 leading private sector banks, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bandhan Bank, City Union Bank, Federal Bank, IDFC First Bank, and RBL Bank.
If you want to develop a solid understanding of this index, then read this blog, as it explains how the Nifty Private Bank Index is constituted, how stocks are selected for the index, and how to invest in it.
What is the Nifty Private Bank Index?
The Nifty Private Bank Index is made up of the stocks of leading private sector banks in India, which are owned by private stakeholders. Some of the leading constituent stocks of the Nifty Private Bank Index are HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, Federal Bank, etc.
Hence, if you want to check the performance of private banks, you should track the Nifty Private Bank Index. The fluctuations in the index values will help you ascertain how the stocks of leading private sector banks are performing in the Indian stock market.
The changes in the values of their stocks depend upon the past financial performance of these banks, their expected performance, and also market sentiment.
The Nifty Private Bank Index’s constituent stocks are not only large financial institutions, they are also some of the biggest companies in India. Hence, by tracking this index, you can also gauge how the overall corporate sector in the country is performing to an extent.
How is the NIFTY Private Bank Index Calculated?
Understanding how the Nifty Private Bank Index is calculated can help you analyse it better. The base date for this index is April 01, 2005 and its base value is 1,000. In other words, its value is assumed to be 1,000 on April 01, 2005.
To compute the index values, the free-float (FF) market capitalization method is used. Under this method, only those shares of a company are considered that are available for public trading.
Finally, the following formula is used to compute the Nifty Private Bank Index’s values.
Index Value = [Sum of (Market Capitalization of each stock * Free Float Factor * Price Index Factor)] / [Base Market Capitalization * Base Index Value]
How are Stocks Selected for Inclusion in the NIFTY Private Bank Index?
If you are keen on private banks, you should understand how stocks are selected for inclusion in this index. So, please find below the criteria:
A stock must be a part of Nifty 500 when the review takes place for stock selection. If the number of eligible stocks from the private bank sector within Nifty 500 is less than 10, the remaining stocks will be chosen from the top 800 stocks.
If 50% or more of a bank’s outstanding share capital is owned by the central government or state government(s), it will not be considered for inclusion because it is a public-sector bank.
A stock must have a trading frequency of a minimum of 90% in the last 6 months.
As of the cutoff date, a stock must have a listing history of at least one month.
Finally, the 10 constituent stocks of the Nifty Private Bank Index are selected based on their free-float market capitalization. While selecting stocks for inclusion, stocks that are allowed to trade in the future and options segment of the NSE are preferred.
Not a single constituent stock should have more than 33% weightage and the weightage of the top three stocks put together should not be more than 62% when rebalancing occurs.
How to Invest in the NIFTY Private Bank Index?
There are many ways to invest in the Nifty Private Bank Index. If you want to be a passive investor (you do not want to select the stocks yourself), you can invest in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or an index fund that mirrors the Nifty Private Bank Index.
Such funds typically hold stocks in almost the same proportion as the Nifty Private Bank Index. Hence, you will feel as if you are investing in the index itself. Your returns will closely mirror the returns posted by the Nifty Private Bank Index. Besides, you will get the benefits of diversification because such an ETF and index fund will invest in multiple private banks.
However, if you want to be an active investor (you prefer selecting the stocks yourself), then you can select a constituent stock of the index on your own. Before picking a stock, you should thoroughly analyse it by performing a financial and valuation analysis.
What is the Objective of the NIFTY Private Bank Index?
The main objective of this index is to act as a barometer for the private banking sector. Whether you are a retail investor or a fund manager, you can gauge the performance of private banks by analysing the changes in the NIFTY Private Bank Index.
Let us say that you want to invest in a mutual fund (MF) that focuses on private banks. You should compare its performance with that of the NIFTY Private Bank Index. If the MF is outperforming the index on a regular basis, then it is worthy of being considered for an investment. Otherwise, you should look for other options.
Fund managers can also get compelling insights from the index. Let us say that the NSE removes a few banking stocks while rebalancing the index. This should make a fund manager curious to examine why those stocks were removed. If they are underperformers, then perhaps he should try to cut exposure to them.