Value Research Review: Should You Subscribe?

Did you know 54% of Indians in 2023-24 have mutual funds as their preferred investment option? 🤗 So many people are pooling a certain amount of capital every month in mutual funds. Whether one selects a regular or direct growth mutual fund, choosing the right one among hundreds of options available can be overwhelming.

That’s when users turn toward platforms like Value Research to shorten their research time and reduce the complexity.  

Today, we will review Value Research, one of the most trusted platforms for mutual funds analysis. In this comprehensive breakdown, we'll delve into the "good, the bad, and the insightful" aspects of Value Research. By understanding their strengths and limitations, you can decide whether these features align with your investment goals and needs.

And if they don’t, we have a more technically striking alternative for you! Just keep on reading till the end (or you can simply click here.) 👈

About Value Research: Features & Tools

Famous for being the “go-to” website for mutual funds, Value Research landed in the investing world in 1992. It is a well-established Indian financial information and advisory platform mainly known for its services related to mutual funds and stocks.

This investing analysis platform is a tool trusted by millions (as per their official website) not only in mutual funds but also for stocks and fixed-income investments.

Here is a crisp detailing of the features provided by Value Research:

a. Portfolio:

• Allows tracking investments across various asset classes like stocks, mutual funds, and fixed-income instruments.
• Monitoring portfolio's overall value and performance over time, hence giving access to gauge investment returns.

b. Funds:

• Value Research is known for its comprehensive mutual fund research and rating system in India. Hundreds of mutual funds are present here with much-needed analysis information.
• This feature gives access to detailed data about various mutual funds, including their investment objective, performance history, and Value Research's star rating, helping compare different funds.

c. Stocks:

• Access information about publicly traded companies in India, including financial statements, news, and analyst ratings.
• While basic company information and news are free, in-depth analysis, stock recommendations, and research reports are primarily offered through their paid subscription service, which we have discussed below.

d. Wealth Insights & More

• A library of articles, guides, and resources covering various investment topics, helpful for beginners and experienced investors alike.
• Get insights into current market trends, expert opinions, and valuable information for making informed investment decisions.

Is it Worth Subscribing to Value Research Premium?

This is the first question that probably popped into your mind while reading this article. Value Research's annual subscription comes at a price of ₹5,841 (including taxes). Let's see whether the amount pays off for the services it provides:

1. Portfolio Planner:

Value Research’s Portfolio Planner allows you to create personalised investment plans based on your financial goals, such as retirement or child education. This can help you determine the investment amount and suitable asset allocation.

This feature is very similar to having predefined investment options tailored to your needs. But, it lacks one aspect.

Many individuals have complex financial plans for their future involving multiple investment options from both national & international securities. Hence, these users might require a more nuanced approach than Value Research’s predefined options provide.

In such a time, consulting a financial advisor would be more beneficial.

2. Analysts' Choice:

This feature gives access to exclusive analysis and recommendations curated by Value Research's team of analysts. The idea is to help you save time and effort in researching funds and finding suitable options aligned with your goals.

The catch here is that analysts often have a bias for certain recommendations as humans are prone to possessing favourites. These biased investment options would be included in the recommendations and may not match your risk tolerance.

3. Portfolio Analysis:

This feature is designated to help users analyse their existing portfolio's performance, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and assess its alignment as per their financial goals. In short, it helps users gain insights into potential areas for improvement, such as overexposure to specific sectors or asset classes.

This feature only gives the users an idea about certain weak points, but there is a possibility that those might not be a weakness as per your long-term plan. Hence, the task of researching further stays with you, which can be time-consuming.

Pros of Using Value Research

What makes Value Research such an alluring attraction for investors? Here’s the list:

a. Extensive Content:

Value Research offers a wide range of content, including news, analysis, and educational resources on various investment topics. They cover mutual funds, stocks, financial planning, and even tax-saving strategies. Their Wealth Insights has gathered loyal customers with millions of issues sold.

b. Trusted Mutual Fund Ratings:

Value Research is known for its mutual fund rating system in India. Their ratings, spanning over 25 years, are a valuable resource for investors choosing mutual funds. Basic to advanced information, from expense ratio to the year's return data on different funds, is available with an easy-to-access UI design.

c. Stock Recommendations and Analysis:

Value Research offers stock recommendations and analysis through their premium service, "Stock Advisor." This service provides subscribers with researched recommendations and updates based on market developments.

Cons of Using Value Research

What areas does Value Research lack? Check out the carefully curated list of shortcomings:

a. Bad Customer Support

Amidst the few cons, Value Research's bad customer support services top the list. While researching, I found multiple 1-2 star reviews complaining about receiving no response on the issues users come across while using Value Research. The image below is one of the examples. 👇

The absence of feedback from Value Research's support team makes resolving issues like bugs, slow operations, difficulty in finding features, etc. Hence, the user experience is reduced drastically, leading to unhappy customers, which is not a good sign for any business.

b. Website Performance:

Besides an absent support team, Value Research’s website is also lacking in many areas. Some users report experiencing slow website loading times, especially when managing multiple portfolios within the platform.
Managing multiple portfolios is a premium feature for which users pay a hefty subscription fee. Therefore, lack of experience is a significant shortcoming.

c. Limited Free Stock Research:

While they offer free content on stocks, in-depth research and recommendations are primarily available through their paid subscription service.
And that’s where the review on Value Research ends. Taking the evaluation to the next level, let me present… 

Ticker for You!

While there is no doubt that Value Research is undoubtedly a great platform for mutual funds analysis, it needs more in the stocks section. Many essential features, like financial statements past 5 years, watchlist additions, and other financial ratios, are not available for free users.

So, if you don’t like these odds, then as promised, here’s a better alternative to it. Finology Ticker understands an investor's needs to the roots and provides multiple features and tools at your disposal.

Screener, market trends, sector analysis, readymade baskets of stock strategies (aka Bundles), premium valuation tools like the DuPont analysis, and many more contribute to making a wonderful investing experience. Ticker also has a separate IPO section dedicated to providing any and all information about upcoming IPOs.

So, what are your opinions? Which features should be essential for easy investing? Start bombing the comments section! 💣

The Bottom Line

Value Research is a valuable resource for Indian investors, particularly those interested in mutual funds and seeking guidance in the local market. Their free content offers valuable insights, while their paid services provide more in-depth research and recommendations.

However, it would be best to consider potential limitations, such as the website's performance and limited international market coverage. I hope you get an idea about Value Research’s features so that you can pay for something that meets your demands.

Check out some other review articles on different analysis platforms that you use:

• Screener.in Review
• Tijori Finance Review
• Trendlyne Review