Journal of Accounting Research, Business and Finance Management (e-ISSN: 2582-8851)

A Study on Investors’ Awareness towards Mutual Funds in the Rayalaseema Region of Andhra Pradesh

B. Vijayalakshmi, S. Anji Asha Jyothi — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The expansion of financial markets has introduced a variety of investment instruments, offering investors multiple avenues to diversify their portfolios and earn profitable returns with controlled levels of risk. Among these, mutual funds have become a preferred investment vehicle. A mutual fund pools money from individuals who share similar financial goals and invests these funds in a diversified portfolio of securities, aiming to generate returns and capital growth while minimizing risk through professional management. The key purpose of investing in mutual funds is to achieve returns that are at least comparable to the fund’s benchmark performance. Consequently, investors tend to choose mutual fund schemes that demonstrate steady performance and reliability. This study aims to understand people’s awareness and awareness regarding mutual fund investments. Main information was composed over talks, private appointments, discussions, and structured surveys distributed both in person and through the mail. A whole of 250 questionnaires stayed circulated, and 190 answers stood established. Afterward without incomplete responses, a final sample size of 150 respondents was considered for the analysis. The facts continued analysed consuming the SPSS numerical bundle, and respondents were selected through convenience sampling, including equally stockholders and non investors.

Macroeconomic Determinants of Commercial Bank Profitability in Africa: GDP, Inflation, and Interest Rate Dynamics

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates how macroeconomic factors, GDP growth, inflation, and interest rate dynamics influence the profitability of commercial banks in Africa. By incorporating a multi-country dataset, the paper offers continent-wide evidence that extends beyond country-specific or regional case studies. Panel data from 70 commercial banks across 10 African countries for the period 2013–2023 were analysed using fixed- and random-effects regression models. Profitability was measured using return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and net interest margin (NIM). Explanatory variables included GDP growth, inflation rate, and lending interest rates. Hausman tests guided model selection, while robustness checks included sub-regional regressions and alternative profitability measures. GDP growth significantly and positively affects profitability, particularly ROA and ROE, reflecting stronger loan demand during economic expansion. Inflation exerts a negative effect especially, on NIM suggesting that unanticipated price shocks raise costs and credit risk. Lending interest rate volatility consistently reduces bank profitability, highlighting risks associated with unstable credit conditions. Sub-regional results show that West African banks benefit more from GDP growth, while Southern African banks are more vulnerable to inflationary pressures. Sustained macroeconomic stability is critical to banking sector performance. Bank executives should adopt hedging and interest rate risk management strategies, while regulators must coordinate monetary and financial stability policies to avoid excessive volatility. This paper contributes by providing continent-wide empirical evidence on the simultaneous role of GDP growth, inflation, and interest rates in shaping bank profitability in Africa. By integrating sub-regional dynamics, the study highlights heterogeneity in macroeconomic effects across African markets, enriching both theoretical and policy debates.

Fiscal Decentralisation in India: An Evaluation of the Present Situation Based on Theoretical Insights

Sreeja. K, Narayanan. P, N. Karunakaran — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

India has been experiencing the second wave of decentralisation by giving constitutional status with a provision to transfer expenditure activities and revenue raising powers to the local governments since the 1990s. However, decentralization has not been introduced seriously in India except in some states; and even in these states, decentralisation is being practiced as assigning public expenditure activities without transferring additional tax revenue. Theories argued that to ensure efficient provision of goods and services, all aspects- fiscal, administrative, and political- of decentralised planning should be simultaneously implemented. Also, a local government that meets a substantial portion of their expenditure from own sources tend to be more accountable to people and have the incentive to provide public goods in an effective and efficient manner because of the self-enforcing factors exists in all federations. Therefore, the present paper examines the extent or degree of fiscal decentralisation in India after three decades of its experience using the indicators derived mainly by World Bank and found that the degree of decentralisation is very less in India and its extent is coming down during the period 2006-07 to 2021-22.

Risk and Return Analysis of Mid-Cap and Small-Cap Mutual Funds

Meghna Jain — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Comparative analysis can be carried out based on the performance of equity mutual funds or balanced mutual funds. The debt mutual funds do not provide much variation in their returns, and they have a similar risk. The study is analytical in nature. Return and risk of Small-cap and Mid-cap mutual funds have been evaluated. The mutual funds have been selected based on the AUM. The mutual funds that have the highest AUM were selected in the category of Small and Mid-cap mutual funds. The returns have been evaluated for selected mutual funds, and these returns include 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years for Small and Mid-cap mutual funds. Further annual returns have been evaluated for the selected mutual funds for the period from 2020 to 2025. Besides returns, risks associated with Small and Mid-cap mutual funds have been considered to evaluate the best fund for investment in future. The study further considered testing of the hypothesis with the application of ANOVA for finding out significant differences in risk and return among various forms of mutual funds that have been selected.

Gold Jewellery as a Household Saving and Financial Security Instrument in India

Shabana Khatoon, Wasim Akram, Asgar Ali — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gold jewellery has a unique niche in the socio-economic structure of India; it does not simply exist as an ornament, but as a traditional Indian household savings tool and financial security. The study looks at the economic, cultural and behavioural factors that perpetuate the need to use gold jewellery by Indian families. Using a descriptive research design and basing solely on secondary data, the study will conduct a systematic literature review and qualitative thematic analysis to examine trends in gold ownership, liquidity benefits, inflation-hedging capability, and their impact on risk diversification. The results show that gold jewellery is a form of unofficial insurance, especially in rural and semi-urban regions where formal financial services may not be available to people. It offers a liquidity boost by pledging and resale in the short term, maintains the purchasing power in inflationary times, and enhances the household resilience in economic shocks. Another aspect that the study brings to light in the gendered aspect of owning gold is the notion of Stree Dhan, which ensured the financial safety and independence of women. Although physical gold jewellery has been outcompeted by new modern products like the Gold ETFs and Sovereign Gold Bonds, cultural trust, emotional attachment and intergenerational wealth transfer practices still favour using physical gold jewellery. The study concludes that gold jewellery is still entrenched in the savings system of India and balancing cultural persistence with economic sobriety, and it still holds a crucial place in the household financial planning and long-run economic stability.