{
  "id": 13998657,
  "title": "How Have Returns On Different Instruments Fared In H1-FY27?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/how-have-returns-on-different-instruments-fared-in-h1-fy27",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-12T16:03:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/how-have-returns-on-different-instruments-fared-in-h1-fy27"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The first half of the year presented a challenging environment for financial markets due to ongoing conflict, commodity price volatility, and central bank policies. Equity markets, driven by geopolitical uncertainty and fluctuating commodity prices, delivered modest returns, with the Nifty gaining only 1.4% for those who entered in March and exited in September. Simultaneously, retail participation in mutual funds slowed, and there was a preference for safe bank deposits.\n\nBank deposits and small savings schemes offered stability and relatively higher returns than equity investments. Bank deposits increased by 5.3% compared to the previous year, and a 1-year deposit booked in March yielded 6.6%. However, the weighted average term deposit rate for end-March was 6.07%, and 5.79% for April, which were more attractive than equity returns.\n\nSmall savings schemes, such as the Post Office term deposits, provided returns ranging from 6.9% to 7.5% depending on the tenure, while National Savings Certificates offered a 7.7% assured return for 5 years, and senior citizen deposits gave the highest yield of 8.2%. Corporate bonds also presented higher returns (7.29% to 7.67%) but came with increased risk.\n\nCurrency fluctuations and commodity returns, particularly gold's 7.9% gain, further highlighted the risks of fixed-income investments. The rupee depreciated by 1.8% weekly and 2.9% monthly, while Brent crude oil's price increase was minimal (3.8%). Investors would need to trade in the futures market to capitalize on crude oil's gains.\n\nGiven the prevailing volatility and uncertainty, fixed-income investments, such as deposits and bonds, emerged as the preferred option for deploying savings, as they offered stable and predictable returns. This trend may continue throughout the year, emphasizing the importance of stable returns for households amidst political and economic upheaval.",
  "summary": "The first half of the year has been quite tumultuous for all countries. The war continues, and this has had ramifications for crude oil prices, which, in turn, have affected currencies as well as bond yields. The Trump ‘hide-and-seek’ game with Iran has cast a shadow on the possible end of the war. Further, the USA has brought back the 100% tariff issue on countries that are trading with Russia.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}