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The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to retain the interest rate on provident fund deposits at 8.25% for 2024-25, sources said. The move is expected to benefit over 7 crore subscribers. In 2024-25, the retirement body processed 50.8 million claims worth Rs 2.05 lakh crore, up from 44.5 million claims totaling Rs 1.82 lakh crore in 2023-24. The 8.25% interest rate for 2023-24 was based on Rs 1.07 lakh crore in income, the highest ever, on a Rs 13 lakh crore principal. This was an increase from 8.15% in 2022-23, which was declared on an income of Rs 91,151.66 crore on a Rs 11.02 lakh crore principal.Historically, EPF interest rates have seen fluctuations, with 8.65% in 2018-19, 8.5% in 2019-20, and 8.1% in 2021-22, reflecting a downward trend. The highest recent rates were 8.8% in 2015-16 and 8.75% in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The current 8.25% rate for 2024-25 How to check EPF balance: Umang app, EPFO portal & missed CallVia Umang app: Download the Umang app, register with your phone number, and access services like EPF passbook, claims, and balance checks.Via EPFO portal: Visit the EPFO website, go to the "Member Passbook" section, and log in with your UAN and password to view your EPF balance, contributions, and interest earned.Via missed call: Give a missed call to 011-22901406 from your UAN-registered mobile number (ensure Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details are linked).Key points on PF deposit interest rate for 2024-25Interest rate retained: EPFO has maintained the 8.25% interest rate on employees' provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2024-25.Previous year's rate: The interest rate was raised to 8.25% in 2023-24, up from 8.15% in 2022-23.Lowest in four decades: In 2021-22, the interest rate was lowered to 8.1%, the lowest in over 40 years, from 8.5% in 2020-21.EPFO's Central Board of Trustees (CBT), which includes representatives from employers, employees, state governments, and labour ministry officials, finalises the proposed interest rate. However, the finance ministry must approve it before it is officially notified and credited to subscribers, typically in the second half of the following year.

With the tax-saving season approaching, investors are looking for ELSS mutual funds that have offered decent returns in the longer term or say in the last three years, the lock-in period in these funds. ETMutualFunds did some data crunching and found that these funds have offered up to 22% XIRR on SIP investments in the last three years.Around 11 funds delivered an XIRR of more than 15% in the last three years. SBI Long Term Equity Fund, the oldest fund in the category, delivered the highest XIRR of 22.20% in the last three years. A monthly SIP of Rs 1,000 in this fund would have been Rs 49,671 now.<iframe title="ELSS Mutual Funds: Over 15% XIRR in three year" aria-label="Split Bars" id="datawrapper-chart-hFNXl" src="https://et-infographics.indiatimes.com/graphs/hFNXl/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="358" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();</script>Also Read | MF Tracker: Is SBI Bluechip Fund worth considering when Nifty is down 13% from peakHDFC ELSS Tax saver delivered an XIRR of 19.22% in the last three years, followed by Motilal Oswal ELSS Tax Saver Fund which delivered an XIRR of 18.88% in the same period.Parag Parikh ELSS Tax Saver Fund gave an XIRR of around 16.34% in the mentioned period. A monthly SIP in the fund would have been Rs 45,776 now. Nippon India ELSS Tax Saver Fund delivered an XIRR of 12.56% in the said period, followed by Invesco India ELSS Tax Saver Fund which delivered 12.52% XIRR in the last three years. Kotak ELSS Tax Saver Fund delivered an XIRR of 10.86% in the last three years. If an investor did a monthly SIP of Rs 1,000 three years ago, the current value would have been Rs 42,321.Axis ELSS Tax Saver Fund, the largest fund in the category based on assets managed, gave an XIRR of 10.34% in the similar period. Mahindra Manulife ELSS Tax Saver Fund gave 9.68% XIRR in the above-mentioned period, followed by Sundaram Diversified Equity which gave an XIRR of 9.34%Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund has offered an XIRR of 8.68%, followed by Navi ELSS Tax Saver Fund which gave an XIRR of 7.85% in the said period. Shriram ELSS Tax Saver Fund gave the lowest return of 5.34% in the last three years.Also Read | NFO Insight: Can Mirae Asset BSE 200 Equal Weight ETF be a value addition to your portfolio?What are ELSS mutual funds?ELSS or tax saving schemes help investors to save income tax under Section 80C of the IT Act. One can invest a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh in a financial year and claim deductions on investments in a financial year. ELSS funds invest in stocks and carry high risk. These schemes have a mandatory lock-in period of three years. This helps investors, especially new and inexperienced ones, to learn about the nature of equity markets and the volatility associated with it.We considered all ELSS schemes available for investment in the market. We considered regular and growth options.Note, the above exercise is not a recommendation. One should not make investment or redemption decisions based on the above exercise. One should always consider risk appetite, investment horizon, and goal before making investment decisions.If you are looking for recommendation, see: Best tax saving mutual funds or ELSS to invest in February 2025

Several brokerage firms have recently shared positive outlooks on prominent companies, highlighting potential growth opportunities and strategic advancements for the next 12 months.Investec, Jefferies, and Nuvama have maintained 'Buy' ratings on UltraTech Cement, Apollo Hospitals, and Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd, respectively, signaling strong upside potential for each stock.We have collated a list of recommendations from top brokerage firms from ETNow and other sources:Investec on UltraTech Cement: Maintain Buy| Target Rs 12,450| LTP Rs 10420| Upside nearly 20%Investec has maintained a 'Buy' rating on UltraTech Cement with a target price of Rs 12,450, indicating an upside of nearly 20% from its last traded price of Rs 10,420.According to Investec, the market has overreacted to UltraTech's entry into the wire and cable segment.They believe this segment offers healthy asset turns of approximately 4 times and EBIT margins ranging from 8% to 10%, making the recent stock correction unwarranted. However, they noted that a key risk to watch out for is the company's diversification into unrelated categories.Despite this, Investec remains positive on UltraTech Cement's prospects and maintains a 'Buy' recommendation with the target price set at ₹12,450.Also Read: 21% Ka Jhatka: UltraTech entry jolts cable & wire companies, profits on the lineJefferies on Apollo Hospitals: Maintain Buy| Target Rs 7,900| LTP Rs 6187| Upside 27%Jefferies has maintained a 'Buy' rating on Apollo Hospitals with a target price of Rs 7,900, indicating an upside of 27% from its last traded price of Rs 6,187.A key debate revolves around the sustainability of 5-7% Average Revenue Per Occupied Bed (ARPOB) growth for Apollo amid the addition of new beds.However, Jefferies believes that concerns over ARPOB are unwarranted, as bed additions for organized players are approximately 2% of their existing capacity.These additions are expected to be phased over 3 to 5 years, minimizing any immediate impact on ARPOB growth.Notably, Apollo Hospitals sustained an 8.3% ARPOB Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from FY11 to FY20, despite facing multiple headwinds during this period.Based on these factors, Jefferies remains positive on Apollo Hospitals and maintains a 'Buy' recommendation with a target price of Rs 7,900.Nuvama on Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd: Maintain Buy| Target Rs 500| LTP Rs 324| Upside 54%Nuvama has maintained a 'Buy' rating on Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd with a target price of Rs 500, suggesting a potential upside of 54% from its last traded price of Rs 324.The company has reiterated that it is progressing well on its Crompton 2.0 strategy, which focuses on achieving industry-leading Profit After Tax (PAT) growth, stabilizing its position in the lighting market, and turning around Butterfly Gandhimati Appliances.Additionally, Crompton aims to capture a larger share of the premium fans market. The upcoming BEE 2.0 transition in January 2026 is expected to provide further market share gain opportunities for the company.Crompton has also reported a positive start to the summer season. Furthermore, the company is exploring three to four new categories in solar pumps, and the reorganization of Butterfly Gandhimati has been completed with a new team in place, targeting mid-teens growth.Based on these strategic moves and growth prospects, Nuvama remains optimistic about Crompton's future performance and maintains a 'Buy' recommendation with a target price of Rs500.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

India’s economy likely rebounded last quarter, although growth prospects remain uncertain in coming months as US President Donald Trump threatens to upend global trade with tariffs. Data due Friday will likely show gross domestic product grew 6.2% in the three months to December, according to a median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. While that’s higher than a seven-quarter low of 5.4% in the July-September period, it falls short of the central bank’s projection of 6.8%.Click here to catch all live updates about India's October to December quarter GDP data The Indian government has already lowered its GDP growth estimate for the current fiscal year through March to 6.4% — the weakest pace since the pandemic — with economists expecting another downward revision on Friday. Growth is projected by the government to be below 7% in the coming fiscal year as well, compared with 8% expansion in the previous year. 118616372While India is still the fastest-expanding major economy, growth is still well below the 8% pace economists say is required for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill his bold pledge of converting the country into a developed nation by 2047. Last quarter’s growth was likely boosted by a pick-up in government spending and strong rural consumption. However, with India being among the nations most exposed to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, the outlook remains unclear.“Weak net exports and slow urban consumption is going to weigh on headline GDP growth,” said Sonal Varma, chief economist for India at Nomura Singapore Ltd., forecasting a 5.8% expansion for the quarter. Next year, trade disruptions will be a major headwind, she said, indicating that “there needs to be a bigger policy focus on boosting domestic demand, because external growth drivers may not be available to tap.” 118614750Government SpendingAfter a slowdown during the elections, the government sped up spending on infrastructure in the final three months of 2024. Official data showed the government spent 2.7 trillion rupees on roads, ports and highways in the quarter. It used 61.7% of its budgeted capital spending in the first nine months of the financial year, compared to 37.7% until September.Rural consumption also likely improved during the festive season of Diwali, with farmers benefiting from surplus rains and a bumper harvest.To stimulate the economy further, the finance minister announced record tax cuts of 1 trillion rupees in the federal budget earlier this month, just days before the central bank reduced interest rates for the first time in almost five years. Central bank policymakers expressed concern that economic growth would be damaged by excessively restrictive monetary policy. Most economists in a Bloomberg survey forecast the Reserve Bank of India will lower rates by another 50 basis points in 2025 to shore up demand. The RBI is also in the process of injecting more than $25 billion through liquidity measures to tackle a cash crunch in the banking system.While growth indicators point to clear improvement in December, data trickling in for January shows some softness, led by trade and transport, according to HSBC Holdings Plc.“The message is clear: even as December GDP looks stronger, support from RBI rate cuts and liquidity may have to continue,” Pranjul Bhandari, an economist at HSBC, wrote in a note.