ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan currently has a NAV of ₹1156.32 as of 18 Sep 2026 and manages ₹33,591 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 0.34%, 14.91% and 15.74%, and it sits in the High Risk category.

Our view is that this is a fund for investors who can accept sharp swings and are comfortable with a large-cap and mid-cap blend that can move differently from the broader market. The long-term return profile is stronger than the recent 1-year outcome, so the fund reads better as a patient holding than as a short-term allocation.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹1,156.32 as of 18 Sep 2026
AUM	₹33,591 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.7%
Launch Date	01 Jan 2013
Min SIP	₹100
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty Mid Cap
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	1% on or before 1M, Nil after 1M
Fund Managers	Lalit Kumar, Gaurav Jain

The fund is managed by Lalit Kumar and Gaurav Jain.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-3.34%	-3.73%
3M	0.63%	-3.14%
1Y	0.34%	-5.31%
3Y	14.91%	6.3%
5Y	15.74%	5.79%

The short-term pattern looks uneven, but the fund has held up better than the benchmark across the 1-month, 3-month and 1-year windows. That matters because the recent period has been weak for both the fund and the market, yet the fund’s declines were smaller than the benchmark’s in the 1-month view and its 3-month return stayed positive while the benchmark was negative.

The longer horizon tells a clearer story. Over 3 years and 5 years, the fund has compounded at a materially stronger pace than the benchmark, which points to a strategy that has added value through a full cycle rather than only in the most recent stretch. The gap is especially visible at 5 years, where the fund’s return is well ahead of the benchmark’s.

At the same time, the 1-year figure is much softer than the 3-year and 5-year numbers, so the fund’s recent path has not been smooth. Our view is that this kind of pattern is typical of a portfolio that carries meaningful equity risk and can move through uneven phases before the longer compounding trend becomes visible again.

The main takeaway is that the fund has outpaced the benchmark over medium and long horizons, but the recent year shows that this advantage can come with noticeable volatility. For investors, that means the holding case rests more on patience and cycle tolerance than on steady near-term consistency.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD ICICI Pru Large & Mid 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.

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Peer comparison

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	0.34%	14.91%	15.74%
Quant Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	9.74%	14.83%	15.98%
HSBC Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	9.29%	18.04%	14.68%
Sundaram Large and Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	8.13%	14.5%	12.17%
Motilal Oswal Large & Midcap Fund Direct Growth Plan	7.44%	22.21%	18.76%
Invesco India Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.46%	22.41%	17.1%

This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639. On the most recent 1-year figure, the fund trails the peer group represented here, even though its own benchmark comparison still looks better than the benchmark. That contrast suggests the fund has not participated as strongly in the latest 12-month stretch as several peers have.

Over 3 years and 5 years, the picture is more balanced. The fund is ahead of some peers on the 3-year measure and sits close to one of the stronger 5-year figures, but it is behind the best long-term results in the group. So the peer set shows a split story: the fund looks less compelling on the short-term number, yet its medium-term and long-term returns remain broadly competitive.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.	Finance	5.11%
Interglobe Aviation Ltd.	Aviation	3.75%
Bajaj Finserv Ltd.	Finance	3.15%
Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd.	Automobile & Ancillaries	3.06%
Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.	Finance	3.01%
Indusind Bank Ltd.	Bank	2.74%
Jindal Steel Ltd.	Iron & Steel	2.61%
Ultratech Cement Ltd.	Construction Materials	2.6%
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.	Crude Oil	2.54%
Oberoi Realty Ltd.	Realty	2.47%

The largest holding is SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd. at 5.11%, and the tenth holding is still at 2.47%. That drop from the top position to the tenth is moderate rather than steep, which suggests the portfolio is spread across several meaningful bets instead of relying on a single dominant position.

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 31.04% of the portfolio, while the full disclosed holdings list contains 56 names. That combination points to a fairly long tail after the leading positions, so the fund may have multiple sources of return and risk rather than a very tight, top-heavy structure.

Sector labels also show useful variety across finance, aviation, automobile & ancillaries, steel, construction materials, crude oil and realty. In our view, this mix could help the fund avoid being dependent on only one economic theme, although the listed positions in finance still mean that that area may have greater influence on outcomes than some other sectors.

To see all holdings, visit the ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan page

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund is better suited to investors who are comfortable with High Risk volatility and can stay invested for several years. The 1-year return has been weak, but the 3-year and 5-year figures are much stronger, so the holding case depends on patience through uneven periods.

It may suit someone who wants equity exposure that has historically done better over medium and long horizons than in the latest year, and who can tolerate periods when the fund lags peers on short-term numbers. The key trade-off is accepting a choppy path in exchange for the possibility of stronger long-run compounding than the benchmark.

The portfolio is not narrowly concentrated in just a few names, but it still carries meaningful exposure to finance and other cyclical businesses. That makes a multi-year horizon important, because shorter holding periods may not give the strategy enough time to work through market swings.

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 or before 1 month, nil after 1 month.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹1156.32 as of 18 Sep 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The fund’s returns are 0.34% over 1 year, 14.91% over 3 years and 15.74% over 5 years.

How has the fund done versus its benchmark?
It has beaten the benchmark over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years, while the benchmark itself has been negative over 1 year and positive over the longer windows at a much lower pace.

How does it compare with peer funds on recent performance?
Its 1-year return is lower than several peers in the comparison set, but its 3-year and 5-year numbers remain broadly competitive against the group.

What is the minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP amount is ₹100.

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Lalit Kumar and Gaurav Jain. The exit load is 1% on or before 1 month and nil after 1 month.

Bottom line

This fund’s recent year looks softer than its 3-year and 5-year record, so the performance pattern is not uniformly smooth. Against peers, the short-term number is weaker, but the longer-term returns remain competitive. The risk profile is High Risk, and the portfolio shows a spread across 56 disclosed holdings with finance still carrying notable influence. For investors who can stay invested through volatility and prefer a fund with stronger medium-term compounding than benchmark-like steadiness, it is a reasonable candidate to study further.

Published on 21 September 2026 at 11:59 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.