Have active large cap funds performed better after the March 2020 market crash?

Published: March 15, 2022 at 6:00 am

Last Updated on March 15, 2022 at 9:54 am

A reader asks, “I notice that many large cap mutual funds have five-star ratings now. This was not the situation before the March 2020 crash. Can you please do a study on this?”

Results of active large cap funds vs benchmark study will depend on the duration of the returns considered and when the return was computed. To eliminate this bias, we compute rolling returns. That is we find every possible 1,2,3,4 and 5-year return since the inception of direct mutual funds – 1st Jan 2013 and find out how consistently a fund has outperformed a representative category benchmark.

These results are published monthly in our mutual fund screeners. If we use the March 2022 edition, we find that, over every possible 5 year period, only 8 out of 27 funds (excluding index funds and ETFs), have outperformed the Nifty 100 TRI consistently.

Consistency is defined as a better return than the index 70% or more out of all the rolling return periods considered. This is reasonable considering the exorbitant expense ratio paid regardless of performance.


Join over 32,000 readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email!
🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our robo-advisory tool & courses! 🔥

So this is a poor outcome for active fund management and their investors. The “emergence” of index funds is not a recent development as we have shown before: Poor performance of active mutual funds: Is this a recent development? and Active mutual funds struggle to beat Nifty 50 for the last seven years! and Only Five Large Cap funds have comfortably beat Nifty 100!

Now to answer the specific question of performance has improved after the March 2020 market crash. For this, we shall consider trailing 5-year returns. That is the return over the last five years from any given date.

At least a five-year window is necessary as performance is hard to judge over shorter durations and can fluctuate.

First, let us look at the overview of the results. The data (list of funds) is presented below.

  1. As of March 11th 2022, only six out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (14.3167 %) over a trailing 5Y period.
  2. As of March 11th 2021, only six out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (16.5625 %) over a trailing 5Y period.
  3. As of March 11th 2020, 14 out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (5.3259 %) over a trailing 5Y period.
  4. As of March 11th 2019, 17 out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (13.7596 %) over a trailing 5Y period.
  5. As of March 11th 2018, 19 out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (14.0496 %) over a trailing 5Y period.

The first two entries are enough to conclude that active large cap fund performance has not improved since the March 2020 crash. In fact based on trailing 5Y return data alone, it has become worse!

Now if you look at the fund tabulated below it is quite tempting to choose X or Y fund which is common in all listings. Unfortunately, the list is similar to a game of musical chairs with old funds dropping out and new funds coming in.

That is, today it is easy to choose the best mutual fund based on past data. Whether it will remain on top after we start investing in it is anybody’s guess.  So the outperformance we get from active funds is essentially based on luck. Sometimes it works in our favour and sometimes not.

List of 5Y trailing return large cap fund outperformers

(1) As of March 11th 2022, only six out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (14.3167 %) over a trailing 5Y period. Outperformers are listed in bold.

Scheme Name5 Year return
Axis Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan18.0308
Canara Rob Bluechip Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.9234
Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.1693
Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.8851
BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.8659
Invesco India Largecap Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.5491
ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.2778
IDBI India Top 100 Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.2118
UTI Mastershare(IDCW)-Direct Plan14.1496
Kotak Bluechip Fund(IDCW)-Direct Plan13.8855
IDFC Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.8018
LIC MF Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.7930
Nippon India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.5504
Tata Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.3028
SBI BlueChip Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.1562
L&T India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan12.7385
HSBC Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan12.6766
Aditya Birla SL Frontline Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan12.5750
Navi Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan12.4261
HDFC Top 100 Fund(G)-Direct Plan12.1607
Indiabulls Blue Chip Fund(G)-Direct Plan11.6961
PGIM India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan11.6292
JM Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan11.4949
Baroda Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan11.3376
Franklin India Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan11.3030
DSP Top 100 Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan9.8443
Taurus Largecap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan8.5129

(2) As of March 11th 2021, only six out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (16.5625 %) over a trailing 5Y period.

We shall now list only the outperformers.

Canara Rob Bluechip Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan19.4854
Axis Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan19.2100
Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan18.8482
ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan17.0061
HSBC Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.7707
Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.7251

(3) As of March 11th 2020, 14 out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (5.3259 %) over a trailing 5Y period.

Axis Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan10.2605
Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan8.4021
Canara Rob Bluechip Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan8.0631
Indiabulls Blue Chip Fund(G)-Direct Plan7.1990
Invesco India Largecap Fund(G)-Direct Plan6.5205
BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan6.3151
Navi Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan6.3112
Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan6.1635
SBI BlueChip Fund(G)-Direct Plan6.0057
HSBC Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan5.8580
ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan5.8451
LIC MF Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan5.7995
Kotak Bluechip Fund(IDCW)-Direct Plan5.6991
PGIM India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan5.5470

(4) As of March 11th 2019, 17 out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (13.7596 %) over a trailing 5Y period.

Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan19.3149
Nippon India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan17.9514
SBI BlueChip Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.4109
Invesco India Largecap Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.9158
Axis Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.7254
ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.5698
Aditya Birla SL Frontline Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.4226
HDFC Top 100 Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.3588
BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.3440
Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.7579
Kotak Bluechip Fund(IDCW)-Direct Plan14.3917
Indiabulls Blue Chip Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.3868
PGIM India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.3642
Canara Rob Bluechip Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.3337
UTI Mastershare(IDCW)-Direct Plan14.0696
Navi Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.9350
L&T India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan13.7680

(5) As of March 11th 2018, 19 out of 27 large cap funds have outperformed Nifty 100 TRI (14.0496 %) over a trailing 5Y period.

Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan20.8219
Nippon India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan18.1908
SBI BlueChip Fund(G)-Direct Plan18.0968
Aditya Birla SL Frontline Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan17.2011
ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.9444
Invesco India Largecap Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.8641
BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.6274
PGIM India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan16.0921
Axis Bluechip Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.9150
Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.7018
IDBI India Top 100 Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.3461
L&T India Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan15.1592
HDFC Top 100 Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.9836
UTI Mastershare(IDCW)-Direct Plan14.8664
Tata Large Cap Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.7344
Kotak Bluechip Fund(IDCW)-Direct Plan14.6614
Indiabulls Blue Chip Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.4296
Navi Large Cap Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.4172
Canara Rob Bluechip Equity Fund(G)-Direct Plan14.3149

 

Do share this article with your friends using the buttons below.

🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our courses, robo-advisory tool and exclusive investor circle! 🔥& join our community of 5000+ users!
Use our Robo-advisory Tool for a start-to-finish financial plan! More than 1,000 investors and advisors use this!
New Tool! => Track your mutual funds and stock investments with this Google Sheet!
Follow Freefincal on Google News
Follow Freefincal on Google News
Subscribe to the freefincal Youtube Channel. Subscribe button courtesy: Vecteezy.
Subscribe to the freefincal Youtube Channel.
Follow freefincal on WhatsApp Channel
Follow freefincal on WhatsApp
Podcast: Let's Get RICH With PATTU! Every single Indian CAN grow their wealth! 
Listen to the Lets Get Rich with Pattu Podcast
Listen to the Let's Get Rich with Pattu Podcast
You can watch podcast episodes on the OfSpin Media Friends YouTube Channel.
Lets Get RICH With PATTU podcast on YouTube
Let's Get RICH With PATTU podcast on YouTube.

  • Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal or @pattufreefincal
  • Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter with the form below.
  • Hit 'reply' to any email from us! We do not offer personalized investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.

Join over 32,000 readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email!

Explore the site! Search among our 2000+ articles for information and insight!

About The Author

Pattabiraman editor freefincalDr. M. Pattabiraman(PhD) is the founder, managing editor and primary author of freefincal. He is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has over ten years of experience publishing news analysis, research and financial product development. Connect with him via Twitter, Linkedin, or YouTube. Pattabiraman has co-authored three print books: (1) You can be rich too with goal-based investing (CNBC TV18) for DIY investors. (2) Gamechanger for young earners. (3) Chinchu Gets a Superpower! for kids. He has also written seven other free e-books on various money management topics. He is a patron and co-founder of “Fee-only India,” an organisation promoting unbiased, commission-free investment advice.
Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions! More than 3,000 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter what the market condition is!! Watch the first lecture for free!  One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence.
Our new course!  Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills! More than 700 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner who wants more clients via online visibility or a salaried person wanting a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts you and pays you! (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!   
Our new book for kids: “Chinchu gets a superpower!” is now available!
Both boy and girl version covers of Chinchu gets a superpower
Both the boy and girl version covers of Chinchu gets a superpower.
Most investor problems can be traced to a lack of informed decision-making. We have all made bad decisions and money mistakes when we started earning and spent years undoing these mistakes. Why should our children go through the same pain? What is this book about? As parents, what would it be if we had to groom one ability in our children that is key not only to money management and investing but to any aspect of life? My answer: Sound Decision Making. So in this book, we meet Chinchu, who is about to turn 10. What he wants for his birthday and how his parents plan for it and teach him several key ideas of decision-making and money management is the narrative. What readers say!
Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower (small version)
Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower!
Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. - Arun.
Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!
How to profit from content writing: Our new ebook is for those interested in getting side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only!
Want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool (it will work with any index!), or get the Tactical Buy/Sell timing tool!
We publish monthly mutual fund screeners and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners.
About freefincal & it's content policy. Freefincal is a News Media Organization dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified with credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions will be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence/data. Contact information: letters {at} freefincal {dot} com (sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained)
Connect with us on social media
Our publications

You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing

You can be rich too with goal based investingPublished by CNBC TV18, this book is meant to help you ask the right questions and seek the correct answers, and since it comes with nine online calculators, you can also create custom solutions for your lifestyle! Get it now.
Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want Gamechanger: Forget Start-ups, Join Corporate and Still Live the Rich Life you wantThis book is meant for young earners to get their basics right from day one! It will also help you travel to exotic places at a low cost! Get it or gift it to a young earner.

Your Ultimate Guide to Travel

Travel-Training-Kit-Cover-new This is an in-depth dive analysis into vacation planning, finding cheap flights, budget accommodation, what to do when travelling, and how travelling slowly is better financially and psychologically, with links to the web pages and hand-holding at every step. Get the pdf for Rs 300 (instant download)