NEW DELHI: The combined holdings of the domestic mutual funds and direct households in stocks have risen over 600 basis points since 2015, whereas those of foreign portfolio investors (FPI) have declined about 150 basis points, said global investment bank Morgan Stanley.

With share owners remaining marginal setters of price with their persistent bid, domestic investors are about to become larger holders of Indian equities than FPIs for the first time since 2010. This shift in holdings persisted for the March quarter 2022, it said.

“FPI ownership of our sample of 75 companies fell 75 basis points quarter-on-quarter, whereas domestic investors raised stakes 81 basis points,” it said in a report. Average sector positions went a tad higher in the latest quarter after multiple quarters of decline. “FPIs continue to run more active portfolios than domestic institutions,” it said.

Further, from among the top 20 aggregate institutional holdings, active positions rose the most for Reliance as institutions probably had to catch up with the stock’s outperformance and it is in the investment bank’s focus list.