Equity, mid, small-cap outperform benchmark indices

Mid-cap and small-cap equity funds, provided return of 58.14 per cent, 17.78 per cent and 37.93 per cent for one, three and five year periods, respectively.

Majority of equity linked savings schemes as well as mid and small-cap funds outperformed their respective benchmark indices over a five-year period ended December 2015, show data from SPIVA India scorecard.

However, majority of large-cap equity funds lagged BSE 100 Index over the same period, the S&P Indices Versus Active Funds (SPIVA) scorecard, which tracks performance of actively managed mutual funds against their benchmarks said.

"RBI's accommodative stance coupled with the interplay of global and domestic macroeconomic factors led to a mixed sentiment in the capital market," Asia Index Global Research and Design Associate Director Utkarsh Agrawal said.

"Debt funds generated fewer equal and asset-weighted returns than their respective benchmark indices, across all time horizons," he added.

As per the report, majority of equity linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) and mid and small-cap funds outperformed the S&P BSE 200 and S&P BSE mid-cap, respectively.

ELSS Funds have delivered a return of 21.62 per cent for one year, 2.86 per cent for three years and 11.43 per cent for five years. In comparison, S&P BSE 200 gave negative return of 0.18 per cent for one year period, 13.32 per cent for three years and 7.49 per cent for five-year period.

Mid-cap and small-cap equity funds, provided return of 58.14 per cent, 17.78 per cent and 37.93 per cent for one, three and five year periods, respectively.

S&P BSE mid-cap offered return of 8.72 per cent for one year period, 17.86 per cent for three years and 8.98 per cent for five-year period.

"Over one, three, and five-year periods ended December 2015, 36 per cent, 47 per cent and 57 per cent of large-cap equity funds in India underperformed the S&P BSE 100, respectively," the report noted.

Besides, majority of debt funds have underperformed their respective indices over five-year period ended December 2015.

In 2015, net investment by domestic mutual funds in the equity market stood at over Rs 72,000 crore (Rs 720 billion), while foreign investors pumped in Rs 17,800 crore (Rs 178 billion) into equities.