Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?
- September 16, 2026
- Posted by: Chaitanya Auti
- Category: Mutual Funds
Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan is at ₹27.8786 as of 15 Sep 2026, with scheme AUM of ₹5,342 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 4.39%, 10.99% and 10.59%, and the scheme is tagged High Risk. Our view is that the fund has rewarded longer holding periods better than recent ones, but the current pattern still fits an investor who can tolerate swings and is looking at a hybrid allocation rather than a low-volatility income option.
The fund’s return profile is not smooth, and the recent weakness is visible. Even so, the 3-year and 5-year numbers remain close to double-digit territory, which suggests the strategy has been capable of compounding over fuller cycles. That makes it more suitable for patient investors who can handle drawdowns and are comfortable with a portfolio that blends cash, equity and other positions rather than staying fully invested in one direction.
Quick facts
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| NAV | ₹27.8786 as of 15 Sep 2026 |
| AUM | ₹5,342 Cr |
| Expense Ratio | 0.74% |
| Launch Date | 14 Nov 2018 |
| Min SIP | ₹250 |
| Risk Category | High Risk |
| Benchmark | Nifty 50 |
| Fund Category | Hybrid |
| Exit Load | Nil upto 10% of units and 1% for remaining units on or before 1Y, Nil after 1Y |
| Fund Managers | Jitendra Sriram, Kushant Arora, Neeraj Saxena, Gurvinder Singh Wasan |
The fund is managed by Jitendra Sriram, Kushant Arora, Neeraj Saxena and Gurvinder Singh Wasan.
Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026
Performance
| Period | Fund return | Benchmark return |
|---|---|---|
| 1M | -3.94% | -4.81% |
| 3M | -0.78% | -3.63% |
| 1Y | 4.39% | -8.27% |
| 3Y | 10.99% | 5.59% |
| 5Y | 10.59% | 5.58% |
The recent picture is mixed, but the fund has still held up better than the benchmark over the shorter windows. The 1-month and 3-month returns are negative, which tells us the scheme has faced near-term pressure, yet the benchmark fell more in both periods. That relative resilience matters for a hybrid fund because it can soften the experience of a difficult market even when the absolute return is weak.
Over longer periods, the return pattern is stronger. The 1-year return is positive while the benchmark is negative, and the gap remains meaningful at 3 years and 5 years, where the fund stays above 10% and the benchmark stays near 5.6%. That tells us the strategy has converted its flexibility into better compounding across full cycles, not just in a single strong year.
The time pattern also suggests some volatility rather than a straight line of gains. There are visible pullbacks in the shorter history, followed by recoveries over the medium term, so the fund does not behave like a steady low-volatility debt product. Our read is that the key strength is its ability to recover and compound over time, while the key weakness is that the ride can still be uneven from month to month.
For investors comparing it with NIFTY 50, the current fund has clearly been ahead on the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year figures. That advantage is especially notable because the benchmark has been weak at the 1-year point. The gap narrows in the shortest periods, but the multi-year trend still supports the case that the fund has delivered better long-run outcomes than the index shown here.
Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026
Should you BUY or HOLD Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage?
A fund’s past returns alone don’t tell you whether you should buy it today or continue holding it.
The right decision depends on factors such as your current allocation, purchase price, risk profile, investment horizon and the role this fund plays in your overall portfolio.
Already holding Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage? Thinking of investing now?
Peer comparison
| Fund | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 4.39% | 10.99% | 10.59% |
| Unifi Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund Direct Growth Plan | 8.55% | Data not available | Data not available |
| Edelweiss Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 5.46% | 10.37% | 9.51% |
| Aditya Birla SL Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 5.17% | 10.96% | 9.97% |
| Bank of India Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 4.92% | 8.7% | 10.45% |
This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639.
On the 1-year figure, the fund trails Unifi Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund Direct Growth Plan, but it stays close to the other balanced-advantage peers listed here. That tells us the recent stretch has not been the fund’s strongest point, even though it is not far behind the middle of the group on the available figures.
The picture improves on the 3-year and 5-year numbers. The fund leads the listed peers on 3-year return and remains ahead of the peers with available 5-year figures as well. That makes the longer-term comparison more supportive than the shorter-term one, which is a useful distinction for investors who care more about compounding across cycles than about the last few months.
So the peer story is split: near-term performance looks softer than the strongest peer figure, while longer-term performance remains competitive and in some cases better than the peers shown. For us, that means the fund’s case rests more on sustained multi-year execution than on recent momentum alone.
Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026
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Portfolio: where your money goes
| Holding | Sector | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing Corporation of India Ltd | Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets | 5.26% |
| HDFC Bank Limited | Bank | 2.92% |
| Reliance Industries Limited | Crude Oil | 2.9% |
| Larsen & Toubro Limited | Infrastructure | 2.52% |
| Bharti Airtel Limited | Telecom | 2.29% |
| Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited | Capital Goods | 2.24% |
| Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited | Finance | 2.18% |
| Indusind Bank Limited | Bank | 2.14% |
| Eicher Motors Limited | Automobile & Ancillaries | 2.08% |
| Mahindra & Mahindra Limited | Automobile & Ancillaries | 2% |
The largest disclosed holding is Clearing Corporation of India Ltd at 5.26%, which is sizeable but not dominant on its own. The next nine positions sit in a fairly tight band from 2.92% down to 2.00%, so the weight does not collapse sharply after the first name. That suggests no single equity holding overwhelms the visible part of the portfolio.
Still, the top 10 holdings together account for approximately 26.53% of the portfolio, and the fund has 60 disclosed holdings in total. That combination points to a meaningfully diversified structure beyond the listed names, even though the first ten still matter for short-term movement. The remaining holdings may help spread risk, but we cannot assume they cancel out the influence of the larger positions.
For investors, the practical takeaway is that the portfolio appears spread across a long tail rather than concentrated in only a handful of positions. The visible holdings include banks, telecom, infrastructure, capital goods, automobile and cash-like exposure, so the fund may draw performance from multiple parts of the market instead of relying on a single theme.
To see all holdings, visit the Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan page
Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026
Who should invest
This fund is better suited to investors who can accept High Risk swings and are comfortable with a hybrid allocation that does not move in a straight line. The 1-year return is much softer than the 3-year and 5-year numbers, so the holding period matters here; a longer horizon is more likely to give the strategy time to work through volatility.
Its profile may appeal to someone who wants a fund that has outpaced the benchmark across 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods, but still wants to be prepared for weak shorter stretches. The main trade-off is that the possibility of stronger compounding comes with noticeable drawdowns and a less stable near-term path. That is not a fit for investors who need smooth month-to-month outcomes.
Tax and exit load
| Holding period | Tax rate | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Units held less than 1 year | 20% | Short-term capital gains tax |
| Units held more than 1 year | 12.5% | Long-term capital gains tax |
Exit load: Nil upto 10% of units and 1% for remaining units on or before 1Y, Nil after 1Y.
Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the current NAV of Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹27.8786 as of 15 Sep 2026.
What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The fund’s returns are 4.39% over 1 year, 10.99% over 3 years and 10.59% over 5 years.
How does it compare with NIFTY 50?
It has outperformed NIFTY 50 across the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year return figures shown here. The gap is widest at 1 year and still positive over the longer periods.
How does it compare with the peer funds listed here?
Its 1-year return is below Unifi Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund Direct Growth Plan, but its 3-year and 5-year returns are stronger than the peers with available data in this set.
What is the minimum SIP?
The minimum SIP is ₹250.
Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Jitendra Sriram, Kushant Arora, Neeraj Saxena and Gurvinder Singh Wasan. The exit load is nil for up to 10% of units and 1% for the remaining units if sold on or before 1 year, and nil after 1 year.
Bottom line
This fund looks stronger over longer holding periods than over the most recent one-year stretch. It has stayed ahead of the benchmark on the available 1-year, 3-year and 5-year figures, and it also compares well with the peer set on the longer horizons even though the near-term picture is softer. The High Risk tag and the uneven short-term pattern mean it is better viewed as a patient hybrid allocation. The visible holdings are spread across several sectors, which may help avoid over-reliance on a single position.
Published on 16 September 2026 at 9:09 AM IST
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RIA disclosure
Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Read all scheme-related documents carefully before investing. This review is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. (earlier known as Uniapps Global Research Pvt. Ltd.) under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639 for general informational purposes and is not personalized investment advice.