Which Mutual Fund is the Best for Long Term Investment

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The purpose of long-term investments is to finance distant future objectives, such as a college education, a home, retirement, etc. Choose a proper fund for wealth creation. Long-term objectives have a time horizon greater than five years, and equity-oriented schemes (>=65 per cent equity allocation) are considered one of the finest long-term investment options. Compared to hybrid and debt funds, equities have a greater growth potential despite being more volatile in the short term. A well-diversified equities fund is more likely to provide long-term growth stability.

Look for funds with greater risk-adjusted returns (Sharpe ratio), that is, funds that deliver better returns for the same amount of risk.

Long-term fund results are affected by expense ratios due to the compounding effect. Choose a fund with a smaller expense ratio, indicating that there is more money available for investing, which can enhance the fund’s long-term performance. Examine the fund manager’s track record to determine if he has been producing positive returns. Examine the types of funds he has managed and whether or not they have regularly beaten their counterparts. For long-term investments, you can also consider funds with a higher beta because they tend to gain/lose more than the market, but markets tend to rise. Therefore, a larger beta indicates that your fund will outperform the market over the long term.

Why are Equity Funds considered Best For Long-Term Investment?

Equity funds such as large caps, midcap funds, small-cap mutual funds, value funds, multi-cap funds, and Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS Fund) invest at least 65 per cent of their assets in equities or corporations. It is one of the finest solutions for small investors to buy several firms’ shares. Nevertheless, there are hazards associated with such ownership.

Share prices fluctuate in the short term as a result of market demand and supply, company performance, corporate activities, and government and economic policies. Long-term, the businesses expand and stabilize. The enterprises would have had sufficient time to expand their businesses and profits. These benefits are passed on to investors over the long run. If there are benefits in the short term, the companies would want to retain the majority of them for growth purposes.

Equity markets are quite volatile. The market may reach its peak or decline in a single day. Traders could potentially profit from instances like these. However, equities mutual fund investors are not in a position to act. First, since the portfolio decisions are all made by the fund manager. Second, investors are uninformed. They can only redeem their investment to prevent future financial losses.

However, equity funds are accompanied by an investing horizon. There is no hard and fast rule dictating how long investors must remain invested. However, investors in stocks should have a long-term perspective. Throughout their financial journey, they must be patient and disregard short-term market volatility. Long-term, their patience is rewarded with superior returns to the market.

How to Find the Best Long-Term Fund to Invest?

Long-term (5 years or more) investments in equity-oriented mutual funds have the potential to generate substantial returns. Moreover, the investment risk decreases the longer you hold investments. The key to effective long-term investing is selecting the appropriate equity-oriented funds and maintaining a long-term investment horizon.

Listed below are some tips for selecting long-term mutual funds:

Consider Index Funds: Index funds mimic a stock market index, such as the BSE Sensex, NSE Nifty, etc., and typically offer returns that are nearly comparable to the underlying Index. The expense ratio of an index fund is quite low, which is an advantage.
Advantages of Actively Managed Funds Fund managers of these schemes attempt to outperform the index by selecting stocks based on extensive research. While there is no assurance that these funds will constantly outperform their benchmark index, the bulk of actively managed funds in India have outperformed their underlying indices over the long term.
Check the Performance Record: When picking actively managed funds, it is advisable to examine their performance history, especially over the past five and ten years. This information is publicly available on several websites that track and rank mutual funds.
Risks of Smaller Companies: Large-cap funds (which invest in large companies) and Multi-cap funds (which invest in a mix of large and small companies) carry a lower risk since they are less volatile than Mid-cap and Small-cap funds.
Diversification is crucial: Investing in at least two or three funds may be preferable to investing in a single fund. Risk management is just as critical as return pursuit.

Best Large-Cap Funds For Long-term Investment (as per 5-year return)

Scheme	5-Year Return	AUM (INR) (Cr)
Canara Robeco Bluechip Equity Fund	15.21%	8,570.85
Axis Bluechip Fund	13.76%	36,529.61
Edelweiss Large Cap Fund	13.29%	379.23
Sundaram Large Cap Fund	13.10%	3,087.09
Baroda BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund	13.04%	1,397.36

Source: AMFI (data as of 21/11/2022)

Best Small-Cap Funds for Long Term Investment (as per 5-year return)

Scheme	5-Year Return	AUM (INR)(Cr)
Quant Small Cap Fund	22.84%	2,442.89
Axis Small Cap Fund	19.65%	11,095.23
Nippon India Small Cap Fund	17.46%	23,092.05
Kotak Small Cap Fund	17.18%	8,342.12
SBI Small Cap Fund	16.42%	15,041.33

Source: AMFI (data as of 21/11/2022)

Best Flexi-Cap Funds For Long Term Investment (as per 5-year return)

Scheme	5-Year Return	AUM (INR)(Cr)
Quant Flexi Cap Fund	19.35%	774.53
Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund	17.34%	28,142.60
PGIM India Flexi Cap Fund	16.10%	5,236.98
Canara Robeco Flexi Cap Fund	14.62%	8,682.87
UTI Flexi Cap Fund	14.33%	25,726.34