What is the difference between a mutual fund and an equity fund?
Equity shares are more static, while mutual funds are dynamic and include various types. Opportunities of portfolio diversification are higher with mutual funds, but equity shares can generate higher returns. Besides ELSS mutual funds, you have to pay taxes on both equity shares and mutual funds.
All investments carry some degree of risk and can lose value if the overall market declines or, in the case of individual stocks, the company folds. Still, mutual funds are generally considered safer than stocks because they are inherently diversified, which helps mitigate the risk and volatility in your portfolio.
Like stocks, mutual funds are considered equity securities because investors purchase shares that correlate to an ownership stake in the fund as a whole.
Direct Equity vs Mutual Funds. There are various benefits of investing through mutual funds which may not be available if one invests directly through shares. While direct equity investing provides high returns, it is feasible for those investors who can understand the working of equity markets regularly.
In shares, an investor has to invest in individual shares and has the option to invest in multiple shares of his own choice. Whereas, in mutual funds, the whole amount is invested in a diversified set of assets based on the investment purpose and goals of the investors. Shares are subject to market risk.
Disadvantages include high fees, tax inefficiency, poor trade execution, and the potential for management abuses.
Mutual funds are managed and therefore not ideal for investors who would rather have total control over their holdings. Due to rules and regulations, many funds may generate diluted returns, which could limit potential profits.
Scheme Name | Expense Ratio | 5Y Return (Annualized) |
---|---|---|
Quant Active Fund | 0.77% | 30.77% p.a. |
PGIM India Midcap Opportunities Fund | 0.42% | 28.2% p.a. |
Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund | 0.64% | 28.05% p.a. |
Quant Large and Mid Cap Fund | 0.75% | 27.57% p.a. |
What types of mutual funds are there? Most mutual funds fall into one of four main categories – money market funds, bond funds, stock funds, and target date funds. Each type has different features, risks, and rewards.
Equity funds are also known as stock funds. Stock mutual funds are principally categorized according to company size, the investment style of the holdings in the portfolio and geography.
Which mutual fund is best?
- Sundaram Flexi Cap Fund Direct Growth. ...
- Bandhan Flexi Cap Fund-Direct Plan-Growth. ...
- Canara Robeco Flexi Cap Fund Direct Plan Growth Option. ...
- SBI Flexicap Fund Direct Growth. ...
- Kotak Flexicap Fund Direct Growth. ...
- Axis Flexi Cap Fund Direct Growth. ...
- PGIM India Flexi Cap Fund Direct Growth.
A Mutual Fund scheme is classified as an Equity Mutual Fund if it invests more than 60% (sixty per cent) of its total assets in the equity shares of different companies. The balance amount can be invested in money market instruments or debt securities as per the investment objective of the scheme.
Returns: Direct plans offer higher returns due to a lower expense ratio than regular funds. You get the benefit from the exclusion of distributor commissions, which leads to higher returns. Unlike direct plans, regular plans have a higher expense ratio, which eats out your return and offers slightly lower returns.
Mutual funds | 1-year return (%) |
---|---|
Axis Value Fund | 40.16 |
SBI Long Term Equity Fund | 40.00 |
HDFC Multi Cap Fund | 40.19 |
Kotak Multicap Fund | 39.77 |
- Quant Mid Cap Fund. 12.49%
- Quant Small Cap Fund. 11.38%
- Quant Large & Mid Cap Fund. 10.19%
- Quant Large Cap Fund. 9.95%
- ITI Mid Cap Fund. 9.49%
- Kotak Multicap Fund. 9.45%
- Quant Focused Fund. 9.34%
- SBI Long Term Equity Fund. 9.31%
Name | Sub-Category | 5Y CAGR (%) |
---|---|---|
Quant Small Cap Fund | Small Cap Fund | 30.94 |
Quant Infrastructure Fund | Sectoral Fund – Infrastructure | 28.01 |
SBI Tax Advantage Fund-III | Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) | 27.18 |
Quant Tax Plan | Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) | 26.82 |
In the category of market-linked securities, mutual funds are a relatively safe investment. There are risks involved but those can be ascertained by conducting proper due diligence.
They are professionally managed instruments that give decent returns in a bull run. They also have low downside risk when compared to direct equity investments during a bear market. The average mutual fund return varies between 5%-15%, depending on the category of mutual funds.
The primary reasons why an individual may choose to buy mutual funds instead of individual stocks are diversification, convenience, and lower costs.
Fund Name | Category | Risk |
---|---|---|
Edelweiss Arbitrage Fund | Hybrid | Low |
Bank of India Overnight Fund | Debt | Low |
Axis Overnight Fund | Debt | Low |
Mirae Asset Overnight Fund | Debt | Low |
What is the biggest risk for mutual funds?
- Returns Not Guaranteed. ...
- General Market Risk. ...
- Security specific risk. ...
- Liquidity risk. ...
- Inflation risk. ...
- Loan Financing Risk. ...
- Risk of Non-Compliance. ...
- Manager's Risk.
Mutual funds are liquid assets, and as long as you invest in open-end schemes, be they equity or debt, it's easy to withdraw your investments at any time. Moreover, there are no restrictions.
The Bottom Line
Safe assets such as U.S. Treasury securities, high-yield savings accounts, money market funds, and certain types of bonds and annuities offer a lower risk investment option for those prioritizing capital preservation and steady, albeit generally lower, returns.
- If a year could have the Midas touch, it was 2023. ...
- Parag Parikh Flexi Cap won the popularity sweepstakes. ...
- Rounding off the podium positions were SBI Contra Fund, which received a net flow of Rs 9,000 crore, and Quant Small Cap, with a positive cash injection of Rs 7,000 crore.
- SBI PSU Direct Plan-Growth. ...
- ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Direct-Growth. ...
- Invesco India PSU Equity Fund Direct-Growth. ...
- Quant Mid Cap Fund Direct-Growth. ...
- ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct - Growth. ...
- Nippon India Small Cap Fund Direct- Growth. ...
- HDFC Infrastructure Direct Plan-Growth.