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Index futures fund to be set up

By Li Zengxin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-10-20 09:07

The first index futures to be released soon are paving the way for the set up of a new type of investment fund - the index futures-oriented fund. Shanghai China International Futures Co Ltd (CIFCO) is currently in negotiations with a fund management company to issue such a product.

As an important group of investors on the mainland's A-share markets, funds will be a major trader on the upcoming futures index as well. How funds invest in the futures indexes attract attention from many professionals and experts. The futures-oriented fund may be a suitable model. Because of the highly specialized features of futures trading, small and individual investors may suffer from huge risks if investing directly in futures indexes. Through a futures-oriented fund, such an interested investor may expect lower risk.

But insiders also said that a fund company should make it clear whether it focuses on futures investment or risk hedging with the help of futures. Some believe even for the futures-oriented funds, no more than 50 percent of the total capital should be invested in futures for speculative purposes.

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The full text is available in the October Issue ofChina Banking.