Axis Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Axis Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan currently has a NAV of ₹137.88 as of 10 Sep 2026 and a scheme AUM of ₹31,448 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 11.65%, 15.55% and 16.55% respectively, and the scheme sits in the High Risk bucket.

Our view is that this is a small-cap fund suited to investors who can stay patient through swings and judge it over longer periods rather than short bursts. The five-year return profile is steadier than the one-year outcome, while the portfolio remains meaningfully exposed to a concentrated set of holdings, so the fund may fit long-horizon investors who can accept volatility in exchange for equity upside.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹137.88 as of 10 Sep 2026
AUM	₹31,448 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.56%
Launch Date	29 Nov 2013
Min SIP	₹100
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty Small Cap
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	Nil for 10% of investments and 1% for remaining investments on or before 12M, Nil after 12M
Fund Managers	Tejas Sheth, Mayank Hyanki, Krishnaa N

The fund is managed by Tejas Sheth, Mayank Hyanki, and Krishnaa N.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	1.24%	0.28%
3M	12.48%	10.76%
1Y	11.65%	5.51%
3Y	15.55%	15.26%
5Y	16.55%	14.5%

The recent pattern is stronger than the benchmark over 1 month, 3 months and 1 year, which tells us the fund has held up better than the index in the latest stretch. The gap is most visible in the 1-year period, where the fund has produced a clearer lead over the benchmark than it did over 3 years.

That longer view is important. The 3-year return is almost in line with the benchmark, and the 5-year return is only modestly ahead, so the fund has not been dramatically separated from the index over a full market cycle. In our view, this suggests a return path that has been competitive but not consistently dominant.

The time pattern also matters for comfort. The 1-year path has seen softer phases before recovering, while the 3-year and 5-year paths show a broader upward trend with interruptions along the way. That fits a small-cap fund that can compound over time but may still move unevenly from one market phase to the next.

For investors, the key message is that the fund’s recent momentum is better than its benchmark, but the longer record still points to a more measured edge rather than a runaway outperformance story.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Axis Small Cap?

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 Axis Small Cap? Thinking of investing now?

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Peer comparison

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
Axis Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	11.65%	15.55%	16.55%
TRUSTMF Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	34.09%	Data not available	Data not available
Bank of India Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	27.56%	21.86%	20.52%
Motilal Oswal Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	24.72%	Data not available	Data not available
Union Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	24.4%	17.51%	17.94%
ITI Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	23.86%	25.25%	19.57%

This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639.

On recent numbers, this fund trails several peers by a wide margin, with the 1-year return well below the stronger peer figures in the table. That tells us the latest stretch has been less compelling than the better-performing small-cap options shown here.

The longer record is more balanced. Its 3-year return sits behind some peers but remains close enough to the benchmark-style range to suggest that the gap is not structural in every period, while the 5-year return is competitive with a few peer outcomes and ahead of others with available long-run figures.

So the peer picture is mixed: the short-term comparison is weaker, but the longer-term comparison is less one-sided. That creates a story of a fund that has not matched the best recent peer outcomes, yet still shows enough longer-horizon resilience to remain relevant for patient investors.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
Clearing Corporation of India Ltd	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	7.43%
Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Limited	Healthcare	2.43%
Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited	Healthcare	2.39%
CCL Products (India) Limited	Agri	2.31%
City Union Bank Limited	Bank	1.91%
Sai Life Sciences Limited	Domestic Equities	1.75%
Brigade Enterprises Limited	Realty	1.71%
Sansera Engineering Limited	Automobile & Ancillaries	1.66%
Avalon Technologies Limited	Electricals	1.52%
Navin Fluorine International Limited	Chemicals	1.44%

The top holding is 7.43%, which is large enough to matter but not so large that it dominates the portfolio by itself. The drop from the largest holding to the tenth holding is fairly steep, with weights moving from the mid-7% range to the mid-1% range, so the visible book is clearly tilted toward a few larger positions.

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 24.55% of the portfolio. That means a meaningful share of assets sits beyond the visible list, and the disclosed holdings are spread across 82 positions, which reduces the chance that any one name in the table completely drives outcomes.

Even so, the highest-weight holdings may have greater influence on short-term portfolio behaviour than the smaller positions further down the list. The mix looks moderately concentrated among the leaders, while the broader holding count suggests a longer tail that can soften single-stock dependence.

To see all holdings, visit the Axis Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan page

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who are comfortable with High Risk equity exposure and can hold through uneven market phases. The return pattern shows that short-term movement can differ from longer-horizon compounding, so the fund is better viewed with a multi-year horizon than as a near-term allocation.

The benchmark comparison suggests a fund that can stay ahead in some recent periods, while the peer table shows that the latest 1-year stretch has not matched the stronger small-cap outcomes available elsewhere. That trade-off matters: investors may accept weaker short-run consistency in exchange for small-cap participation and a record that still looks competitive over longer horizons.

In our view, the better fit is for long-term investors who can tolerate volatility, understand that outcomes may vary materially across market cycles, and want a small-cap strategy where stock selection can matter more than smooth month-to-month returns.

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 for 10% of investments sold on or before 12 months, and 1% for the remaining investments if sold on or before 12 months; no exit load after 12 months.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Axis Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹137.88 as of 10 Sep 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The 1-year return is 11.65%, the 3-year return is 15.55%, and the 5-year return is 16.55%.

How does the fund compare with its benchmark?
It is ahead of the Nifty Small Cap benchmark across the 1-month, 3-month, 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods shown here. The edge is strongest in the 1-year period and narrower over 3 years and 5 years.

How does the fund compare with peer small-cap funds?
Its latest 1-year return is lower than several peer funds in the comparison table. Over 3 years and 5 years, the picture is more balanced, with some peers ahead and some behind where data is available.

What is the minimum SIP for this fund?
The minimum SIP is ₹100.

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Tejas Sheth, Mayank Hyanki, and Krishnaa N. The exit load is nil for 10% of investments sold on or before 12 months, and 1% for the remaining investments if sold on or before 12 months; there is no exit load after 12 months.

Bottom line

Axis Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan shows a mixed but coherent profile: the recent return path is better than the benchmark, while the longer record is only modestly ahead rather than sharply superior. Against peers, the latest 1-year figure is softer, but the longer-term numbers are still workable where data is available. The risk profile is clearly High Risk, and the portfolio’s larger positions carry more weight than the smaller names. This is best viewed as a long-horizon small-cap option for investors who can accept uneven returns.

Published on 11 September 2026 at 12:48 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.