Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹70.59 as of 10 Sep 2026 and an AUM of ₹3,667 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 5.26%, 10.29% and 10.81%, and it sits in the High Risk category.

Our view is that this is a sector-focused equity fund with a banking and financial-services tilt, so the return pattern matters as much as the long-term trend. The 5-year record is steadier than the recent 1-year stretch, but the portfolio remains concentrated in a few large financial names, which can amplify swings.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹70.59 as of 10 Sep 2026
AUM	₹3,667 Cr
Expense Ratio	1.06%
Launch Date	14 Dec 2013
Min SIP	₹100
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	1% on or before 30D, Nil after 30D
Fund Managers	Dhaval Gala

The fund is managed by Dhaval Gala.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-2.04%	-4.06%
3M	5.26%	1.37%
1Y	5.26%	-7.31%
3Y	10.29%	6.07%
5Y	10.81%	5.91%

Recent performance is mixed, but the fund has held up better than the benchmark over the most recent periods. The 1-month figure is negative, yet the decline is smaller than the benchmark’s fall, which suggests the fund cushioned some of the short-term pressure. Over 3 months and 1 year, it moved ahead of the benchmark comfortably, so the recent stretch has been more constructive for unitholders than the index path.

The longer picture is more important for this strategy. The 3-year return of 10.29% and the 5-year return of 10.81% both sit above the benchmark’s 6.07% and 5.91%, which tells us the fund has compounded more effectively over a full market cycle than the broad index used here. That said, the margin is not extreme, so the fund has delivered improvement without looking like a runaway outlier.

The pattern of monthly movement also points to a fund that has not moved in a straight line. There were stretches of recovery and setbacks across the last few years, which is typical of a concentrated financials-oriented portfolio. For investors, the key message is that the longer-term compounding has been respectable, but short-term drawdowns can still appear quickly.

Overall, the fund appears ahead of the benchmark on every supplied horizon. The gap is most obvious over the 1-year period because the benchmark was negative while the fund stayed positive, and that relative resilience strengthens the case that the portfolio has been able to navigate recent volatility better than the index.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services?

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.

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Peer comparison

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.26%	10.29%	10.81%
ICICI Pru Strategic Metal and Energy Equity FoF Direct Growth Plan	73.94%	37.12%	Data not available
Motilal Oswal Active Momentum Fund Direct Growth Plan	29.94%	Data not available	Data not available
Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	29.26%	Data not available	Data not available
HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	28.3%	Data not available	Data not available
SBI Automotive Opportunities Fund Direct Growth Plan	27.13%	Data not available	Data not available

This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639. On the recent 1-year measure, this fund trails the fastest-moving peer returns in the table, but that gap is not the whole story. Its 3-year and 5-year figures are available and show steadier compounding than several peer entries where longer-horizon data is not available, so the comparison looks more balanced when the full track record is considered.

Relative to peers with available 3-year and 5-year data, the fund’s longer-term return profile is lower than the standout 3-year result shown for ICICI Pru Strategic Metal and Energy Equity FoF Direct Growth Plan, yet it remains constructive on a broad multi-year basis. The short-term picture and the longer-term picture therefore tell different stories: recent momentum is moderate, while the full-cycle record is more stable.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
ICICI Bank Ltd.	Bank	14.16%
HDFC Bank Ltd.	Bank	9.78%
Axis Bank Ltd.	Bank	7.93%
Bajaj Finance Ltd.	Finance	6.3%
Shriram Finance Ltd.	Finance	5.71%
State Bank of India	Bank	5.18%
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.	Bank	3.38%
AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.	Bank	2.91%
PB Fintech Ltd.	IT	2.88%
PNB Housing Finance Ltd.	Finance	2.88%

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 61.11% of the portfolio.

To see all holdings, visit the Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services Fund Direct Growth Plan page

The largest holding, ICICI Bank Ltd. at 14.16%, is meaningfully bigger than the rest of the list and is likely to have greater influence on the fund’s day-to-day behaviour. The next few holdings are also sizeable, but the step-down from the first holding to the tenth is still clear, which suggests the portfolio is not evenly spread across names.

That said, the top 10 together account for 61.11% of the disclosed portfolio and there are 37 holdings in all, so the fund is not a one-stock or two-stock story. Our view is that this is a fairly concentrated sector portfolio with a long tail beyond the biggest positions, and the financials-heavy mix may amplify both upside and downside when the banking cycle changes.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who can handle High Risk exposure and are comfortable with a portfolio that leans heavily toward banks and financials. The 5-year return is stronger than the benchmark used here, and the 3-year record also stays ahead of the index, but the 1-year result is still modest compared with many peer funds showing sharper recent moves.

A longer holding period makes more sense than a short trading horizon because the portfolio can be sensitive to sector swings. The main trade-off is between the fund’s history of above-benchmark compounding and the possibility of sharper short-term fluctuations that come with a concentrated financials tilt.

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: 1% on units sold on or before 30 days; nil after 30 days.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services Fund Direct Growth Plan?

The current NAV is ₹70.59 as of 10 Sep 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?

The fund’s returns are 5.26% over 1 year, 10.29% over 3 years and 10.81% over 5 years.

How has the fund performed versus the benchmark?

It has been ahead of the benchmark on all the supplied horizons. The gap is most visible over 1 year, where the fund stayed positive while the benchmark was negative.

How does it compare with the peer funds listed here?

The fund’s 1-year return is lower than the fastest recent peer returns shown, but its 3-year and 5-year figures provide a steadier multi-year picture than several peers where longer-horizon data is not available.

What is the minimum SIP amount?

The minimum SIP amount is ₹100.

Who manages the fund and what is its exit load?

The fund is managed by Dhaval Gala. The exit load is 1% on units sold on or before 30 days and nil after 30 days.

Bottom line

Aditya Birla SL Banking & Financial Services Fund Direct Growth Plan looks stronger over longer stretches than in the latest one-year window, and it has stayed ahead of the benchmark on every supplied period. Against peers, the recent return looks restrained, but the multi-year record is more even and easier to read as a compounding story. The risk profile is High Risk, and the portfolio is heavily tilted toward banks and financials, which can make performance sensitive to sector moves. That combination makes the fund more suitable for investors who want sector exposure and can tolerate swings rather than those seeking smooth returns.

Published on 11 September 2026 at 1:01 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.