| Fund Name | Scripbox Opinion | Till Date CAGR | |
|---|---|---|---|
32.4% | 17.2% | ||
32.9% | 19.9% | ||
27.1% | 23.1% | ||
-9.7% | 5.1% | ||
29% | 20.4% | ||
29% | 11.8% | ||
31.9% | 14.5% | ||
29.4% | 17.1% | ||
26.8% | 20.1% | ||
25.2% | 16.4% |
Small cap mutual funds invest at least 65% of their total assets in small-cap companies. Small-Cap companies are emerging businesses that have an aggressive expansion strategy being more volatile and vulnerable to market movements.
Learn how Scripbox Recommends funds| Fund Name | Scripbox Opinion | Till Date CAGR | |
|---|---|---|---|
32.4% | 17.2% | ||
32.9% | 19.9% | ||
27.1% | 23.1% | ||
-9.7% | 5.1% | ||
29% | 20.4% | ||
29% | 11.8% | ||
31.9% | 14.5% | ||
29.4% | 17.1% | ||
26.8% | 20.1% | ||
25.2% | 16.4% |
Mutual funds are categorised based on their investment style. Equity mutual funds invest a major part of their corpus in equity and equity-related instruments. The regulatory authority Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has standardised mutual funds based on their categories and characteristics of each category.
Small Cap mutual funds are equity mutual funds. Smallcap funds asset allocation is such that they invest at least 65% of their total assets in small cap companies. Small Cap companies are those companies that rank above 250th in terms of full market capitalization. In other words, these are companies with a market capitalization less than INR 500 crores.
Small cap mutual funds are open-ended equity schemes that invest primarily in small cap stocks. These funds portfolio asset allocation has a minimum investment of 65% of total assets in equity & equity related instruments of small cap companies. Small Cap companies are emerging businesses that have an aggressive expansion strategy. These stocks are more volatile and vulnerable to market movements. As a result, smallcap funds are comparatively riskier than large cap, mid cap or multi cap mutual funds.
| Fund Name | 3 Year Returns | 5 Year Returns |
| SBI Small Cap Fund | 28.1% | 19.8% |
| Axis Small Cap Fund | 6.2% | 22.7% |
| Nippon India Small Cap Fund | 32% | 19.6% |
| Kotak Small Cap Fund | 32.9% | 17.1% |
| HDFC Small Cap Fund | 21.5% | 14.6% |
| UTI Small Cap Fund | — | 27.3% |
| DSP Small Cap Fund | 28.9% | 17% |
| Canara Robeco Small Cap Fund | 36.1% | 28% |
| TATA Small Cap Fund | 28.2% | 21.5% |
| Bank of India Small Cap Fund | 36.2% | 28.4% |
As small cap mutual funds are high risk investment options, they suit investors who are willing to undertake such a risk. The risk taken is supposed to be compensated with significant returns. In the long term, small cap mutual funds have the potential to earn benchmark beating returns. For an investment horizon of 7-10 years and above, returns from top funds can be around 12-15%.
Most importantly while investing in small cap mutual funds, investors should be patient. Regular investments in smallcap funds help in averaging out the risk and market fluctuations. Therefore, investing through the SIP route will be beneficial in the long term. Additionally, investors shouldn’t resort to panic selling, investing through an entire business cycle is always beneficial. Hence Small cap funds have a good potential to earn significant return over a period of time. However, past performances are just an indication of the funds performance since inception. Investors shouldn’t highly depend on past performances.
Best small cap mutual funds provide an opportunity for investors to earn returns from growing companies. However, small cap companies are subject to market risk. Investors should understand how the funds work and weigh their pros and cons before investing in them. Here are the features of small cap mutual funds.
Mutual funds have two types of taxes – Capital Gains Tax and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT). They are taxed based on the investment term. The Capital Gains tax is determined based on the holding period of the investment. Therefore, taxation of Equity mutual funds and debt mutual funds is quite different. Among equity funds, only ELSS mutual funds (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) qualify for tax savings.
Small cap equity mutual funds predominantly invest 65% in small cap stocks. Therefore, they are taxed as equity funds.
Small cap mutual funds provide an excellent opportunity to boost returns and diversify risk in a portfolio. Even though they provide good returns in a Bull Run, they are considered most risky among other mutual funds. In adverse market conditions, their returns might be affected negatively. Hence investor should understand that small cap equity funds alone cannot help in earning good returns. Investors can focus on reducing the risk on investing in small cap funds by taking some measures.
There are other alternative investment opportunities like large cap equity funds (bluechip fund), mid cap equity funds, multi cap equity funds and hybrid funds that also have the potential to earn good returns with moderate risk. For minimum risk and predictable return investors can look at debt fund. Investors can look at investing in these to broaden their portfolio. Also, one can use Scripbox’s online SIP calculator to calculate the potential SIP returns from their investments.
Buying or selling investments in smallcap funds in a hurry should be avoided. Both, short term gains and losses are temporary. Hence investors shouldn’t be in a hurry and should instead invest for the long term (minimum 7 years).
Invest in best small cap equity funds through SIP. This will average out the cost of investing and help manage volatility.
Whether small cap or not, investors should always invest in top funds that match their financial goals and their financial standing. They can always seek professional advice to invest in mutual funds. Scripbox curates portfolios with top funds using their proprietary algorithm. Investing can be risky, but not investing in mutual funds might lead to missing out on opportunities to earn good returns. Happy investing!
Small cap funds do not qualify for tax savings. ELSS mutual funds are the only type of mutual funds that qualify for tax savings under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. However, there are other investments options like Fixed Deposit, Public Provident Fund, Employee Provident Fund, Senior Citizen Saving Scheme, NPS etc. All these are investment options that help one save tax. Hence instead of keeping the money idle in a saving account, investors can invest in any of the above options.
During tax filing, the investors can show the investments done in above options under section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the total taxable income comes down during tax filing.
One can invest in small cap equity funds through online and offline mode. Investors can visit the fund house’s office directly and fill in the paperwork to invest in the fund through offline mode. They can also approach brokers or distributors who will file the paperwork for the investors. One has to submit the following documents to the fund house
1. Identity Proof – Aadhar card
2. Cancelled Cheque
3. Passport size photographs
4. Pan Card
5. KYC Document (for KYC verification)
Investors can visit multiple online portals like Scripbox to invest in equity funds. They collect aadhar card, pan card and other proofs directly online with zero paperwork. These online portals also offer customized services. The portal provides funds that best suit investors’ objectives, risk appetite, and investment horizon.
Selecting a smallcap mutual fund to invest requires time and knowledge to scrutinize the funds in detail. Investors have to consider qualitative and quantitative factors for shortlisting small cap mutual funds. The quantitative factors such as past performances (returns), Sharpe ratio, standard deviation, and treynor ratio. And qualitative factors such as financial goals, AUM, and fund manager’s experience. Sharpe ratio and standard deviation help understand an investor better about the risk in the fund.
