Bandhan Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?
- September 11, 2026
- Posted by: Chaitanya Auti
- Category: Mutual Funds
Bandhan Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹29.627 as of 10 September 2026 and an AUM of ₹2,285 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 5.34%, 10.01% and 8.29%, respectively, and the scheme is tagged as High Risk. Our view is that this is a hybrid fund with a measured long-term profile, but the recent return pattern has been softer than its 3-year trend and remains below the benchmark over the same horizons.
The portfolio includes a mix of financials, debt instruments, cash and large listed companies, which may help the fund behave differently from a pure equity strategy. That mix, together with the stated High Risk label, makes it more suitable for investors who can accept meaningful short-term swings in pursuit of steadier long-term compounding than a one-dimensional equity exposure.
Quick facts
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| NAV | ₹29.627 as of 10 Sep 2026 |
| AUM | ₹2,285 Cr |
| Expense Ratio | 0.75% |
| Launch Date | 10 Oct 2014 |
| Min SIP | ₹100 |
| Risk Category | High Risk |
| Benchmark | Nifty 50 |
| Fund Category | Hybrid |
| Exit Load | 0.50% on or before 90D, Nil after 90D |
| Fund Managers | Manish Gunwani, Vishal Biraia, Brijesh Shah |
The fund is managed by Manish Gunwani, Vishal Biraia and Brijesh Shah.
Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026
Performance
| Period | Fund return | Benchmark return |
|---|---|---|
| 1M | -0.96% | -4.06% |
| 3M | 4.42% | 1.37% |
| 1Y | 5.34% | -7.31% |
| 3Y | 10.01% | 6.07% |
| 5Y | 8.29% | 5.91% |
The recent pattern is uneven but not weak in absolute terms. Over 1 month, the fund was slightly negative, yet it still held up better than the benchmark, which was down more sharply. Over 3 months, the fund moved ahead of the benchmark, and over 1 year it delivered a positive return while the benchmark was negative. That suggests the strategy has recently been more resilient than the benchmark even when the broader market backdrop has been choppy.
The longer view is also constructive, but not perfectly smooth. The 3-year return is stronger than the 5-year return, which tells us the fund’s compounding has improved in the more recent longer-term window. That is a useful sign for investors who care about consistency, although the gap between the 3-year and 5-year figures also shows that the ride has not been linear.
Against the benchmark, the fund is ahead across every supplied period. The lead is especially clear at 1 year, while the 3-year and 5-year advantages are more moderate. In our view, that combination points to a fund that has protected itself better than the benchmark in the recent cycle without needing an especially explosive return profile.
For investors, the key takeaway is that recent performance is better than the benchmark and better than its own 5-year average trend would suggest. The fund does not look like a high-momentum product; instead, it looks like a scheme that has been able to compound steadily enough to stay ahead of the index while still experiencing short bursts of weakness.
Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026
Should you BUY or HOLD Bandhan 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 Bandhan Balanced Advantage? Thinking of investing now?
Peer comparison
| Fund | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandhan Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 5.34% | 10.01% | 8.29% |
| Unifi Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund Direct Growth Plan | 8.79% | Data not available | Data not available |
| Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 7.3% | 12% | 11.22% |
| Aditya Birla SL Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 6.99% | 11.7% | 10.43% |
| Edelweiss Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan | 5.88% | 10.64% | 9.58% |
| 360 ONE Balanced Hybrid Fund Direct Growth Plan | 5.64% | Data not available | Data not available |
This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639. The fund’s 1-year return trails the stronger recent peer figures in this set, while its 3-year and 5-year returns sit below the better longer-term peer numbers that are available. That said, the shorter-term picture is not dramatically different from the longer-term one: the fund has stayed positive across the supplied periods and has held a clearer edge over the benchmark than over the peer set. For investors comparing return stability, the main distinction is that some peers have posted stronger medium- and long-term numbers, while this fund has looked more balanced and less assertive.
Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026
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Portfolio: where your money goes
| Holding | Sector | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Axis Bank Limited | Certificate of Deposit | 5.33% |
| ICICI Bank Limited | Bank | 4.03% |
| Reliance Industries Limited | Crude Oil | 4.03% |
| Bajaj Finance Limited | Finance | 3.91% |
| Triparty Repo TRP_030826 | Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets | 3.59% |
| Bharti Airtel Limited | Telecom | 3.4% |
| HDFC Bank Limited | Bank | 3.35% |
| 6.9% GOI (MD 15/04/2065) | Government Securities | 2.63% |
| 6.68% GOI (MD 07/07/2040) | Government Securities | 2.43% |
| 7.53% Bajaj Housing Finance Limited | Corporate Debt | 2.21% |
The top 10 holdings account for approximately 34.91% of the portfolio.
To see all holdings, visit the Bandhan Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan page
The largest holding, Axis Bank Limited, is 5.33%, which is meaningful but not overpowering on its own. The next few positions remain fairly close together, and the tenth holding is still above 2%, so the displayed sleeve does not collapse into one dominant name.
That said, the weights do taper down gradually rather than sharply. The mix of bank exposure, debt instruments, cash equivalents and sovereign paper suggests that the portfolio may be using different building blocks rather than relying only on equity names. From an investor’s point of view, that kind of blend could soften the influence of any single listed company, even though the fund still carries market risk.
With 34.91% in the top 10 out of 49 disclosed holdings, the visible slice is moderately concentrated but not tightly packed into just a handful of bets. The longer tail outside the top 10 is likely to matter for the full portfolio picture, so the fund may depend on a broader set of positions than the headline holdings table alone shows.
Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026
Who should invest
This fund suits investors who can tolerate a High Risk hybrid strategy and are comfortable with some short-term swings. The return pattern suggests it may work better as a medium- to long-horizon holding, because the 3-year and 5-year figures are more informative than the weaker one-month move. The trade-off is clear: you are accepting a fund that is not the strongest short-term mover in the peer set, in exchange for a portfolio that has still stayed ahead of the benchmark and uses a mix of equity, debt and cash-like exposures.
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: 0.50% if units are sold on or before 90 days; nil after 90 days.
Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the current NAV of Bandhan Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹29.627 as of 10 September 2026.
What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
Its 1-year return is 5.34%, its 3-year return is 10.01% and its 5-year return is 8.29%.
How has the fund done versus the benchmark?
It has stayed ahead of the Nifty 50 across the supplied 1-month, 3-month, 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods. The widest gap appears in the 1-year figure, where the benchmark is negative and the fund is positive.
How does it compare with peer funds on available return data?
Its 1-year return is below the stronger recent peer figures shown here, and its 3-year and 5-year returns also sit below the better longer-term peer numbers that are available. The comparison is more mixed for peers with missing long-term figures, where only 1-year data can be used.
Is there a minimum SIP for this fund?
Yes. The minimum SIP amount is ₹100.
What are the risk label, managers and exit load?
The fund is tagged as High Risk and is managed by Manish Gunwani, Vishal Biraia and Brijesh Shah. The exit load is 0.50% if units are sold on or before 90 days, and nil after 90 days.
Bottom line
Bandhan Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan has delivered a steadier longer-term profile than its latest short-term move suggests, and it has stayed ahead of the benchmark across every supplied window. Against peers, the picture is more mixed because several comparable funds show stronger 1-year and longer-term numbers. The portfolio is diversified across equity, debt and cash-like exposures, with the top holdings accounting for a moderate share rather than dominating the scheme. For investors, the fund looks better suited to those who want hybrid-style balance and can handle High Risk classification without expecting the most aggressive return profile.
Published on 11 September 2026 at 3:24 PM 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.