Jan 8 : Round-up of news on NBFCs (non-banking finance companies) and mutual funds in newspapers Friday. Below are leads of these stories with Internet links to the paper's website. --NBFCs FRESH INVESTMENTS BRING CHEER TO MICROFIN SECTOR NEW DELHI: After a turbulent 2010 when everything went wrong for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India, there is now hope in the form of fresh investments. Hope Microcredit, a Kerala-based MFI, received equity funding of Rs 10 crore ($2.3 million) in December last year from Belgium-based Incofin Investment Management (Rural Impulse Fund II). http://bit.ly/gpOwvs MFI CO UJJIVAN RAISES RS 40 CRORE VIA DEBENTURES ISSUE BANGALORE: At a time when the micro-finance institution (MFI) sector is facing a liquidity crunch in the wake of the crisis in Andhra Pradesh, Bangalore-based Ujjivan Financial Services has managed to raise Rs 40 crore from DMW (Cyprus) Ltd, a SEBI-registered foreign institutional investor, by issuing non-convertible debentures. http://bit.ly/guCaBx M&M FINANCE, MANAPPURAM FALL ON LOWER GOLD PRICES Shares of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services and Manappuram General Finance fell sharply after gold prices fell for three consecutive sessions, two analysts said. Both are non-banking financial services companies and provide loans against gold as collateral. http://bit.ly/dIPjQS --MUTUAL FUNDS MUTUAL FUNDS TOLD TO KEEP ARM'S LENGTH DISTANCE FROM RATING AGENCIES MUMBAI: SEBI wants mutual fund houses to keep an arm's length distance from rating houses. "There are certain practices which are good for the long-term and we would like to give a chance to the industry to evolve. So we would like to see the mutual fund industry develop that arm's length relationship with rating houses because it is in their interest in the long-term," said Mr K.N. Vaidyanathan, Executive Director, SEBI, on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai on Friday. http://bit.ly/ejvA93 ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANIES TO LAUNCH COMMERCIAL RENTAL YIELD FUNDS BANGALORE: Higher rentals in commercial realty are drawing investor attention with asset management companies expected to launch commercial rental yield funds soon. Five such schemes are due to come up over the next six months from fund houses such as Aditya Birla Real Estate Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Asset Management, JM Financial and the Knight Frank-Anand Rathi. Private equity fund Indiareit Fund Advisors also plans to enter this segment. http://bit.ly/eniqiH 2011 WILL GIVE MODEST RETURNS: BROKERAGES MUMBAI: The year has started on a bearish note with Sensex declining on four out of five trading sessions and retreating about 4%. After climbing about 18% in 2010, the equity markets could see a year of modest returns, say leading brokerages, who had recently come out with investment strategy report for the year 2011. http://bit.ly/flTrNC TickerNews also publishes daily Press Beats covering other financial sectors. Look for: PRESS BEAT: Top Banking Industry News In Today's Papers PRESS BEAT: Top Mutual Fund News In Today's Papers PRESS BEAT: Top Regulatory News In Today's Papers PRESS BEAT: Top PSU, Private Bank News In Today's Papers PRESS BEAT: Top Insurance News In Today's Papers Filed by Preethi Thevar +91 (22) 6147 5100. feedback@tickerplantindia.com Copyright (c) TickerPlant Ltd.