Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan currently has a NAV of ₹10.6391 as of 18 Sep 2026 and an AUM of ₹445 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 0%, 0% and 0%, and the scheme is tagged as High Risk. In our view, it is best read as a recently launched equity fund with a high-risk profile and very limited return history rather than as a mature long-term track record.

That makes investor fit depend more on risk tolerance and portfolio construction than on past compounding. The fund’s early performance snapshots are modest, but the portfolio is already active enough to matter, with a mix of industrial, financial and consumer holdings that can move differently from the broader market.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹10.6391 as of 18 Sep 2026
AUM	₹445 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.0%
Launch Date	29 May 2026
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	1% on or before 365D, Nil after 365D
Fund Managers	Bhalchandra Shinde, Ankit Agarwal, Varun Sharma, Rakesh Shetty

The fund is managed by Bhalchandra Shinde, Ankit Agarwal, Varun Sharma and Rakesh Shetty.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	1.89%	-3.73%
3M	2.03%	-3.14%
1Y	0%	Data not available
3Y	0%	Data not available
5Y	0%	Data not available

The short-term picture is better than the benchmark. The fund’s 1-month and 3-month returns are positive, while the benchmark has been negative over the same windows. That suggests the fund has handled the most recent stretch better than the broad market reference, even if the sample is still short.

The longer view is less informative because the scheme only launched in late May 2026. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year figures all read as 0%, which reflects the absence of a meaningful long history rather than a mature long-term compounding record. For that reason, we would treat the recent relative strength as a sign of early resilience, not as proof of a durable pattern.

Compared with the benchmark, the fund has clearly been ahead in the latest windows. At the same time, there is no long-run return history here to test whether that edge can persist through different market phases. Investors looking for a fund with an established cycle-by-cycle record will not find it yet in this scheme.

The time path in the recent windows also looks uneven rather than one-way. That matters because a High Risk equity scheme can look strong over a month or a quarter and still remain exposed to sharper reversals. Our view is that the performance data so far is encouraging, but it is still very early.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Motilal Oswal Contra?

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
Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan	0%	0%	0%
Bandhan Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan	Data not available	Data not available	Data not available
Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan	Data not available	Data not available	Data not available
Kotak Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan	-0.13%	14.89%	14.21%
Invesco India Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan	-2.61%	13.8%	13.05%
SBI Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan	-3.48%	10.46%	14.84%

This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639. On the available 1-year figures, the current fund is ahead of the peer funds that have negative returns, while the 1-year figures for the other schemes remain unavailable for some rows. That makes the short-term comparison look supportive for the fund, but only within a very limited time frame.

Over 3 years and 5 years, the picture is mixed because the current fund does not yet have a meaningful track record to compare. The peers with available long-run returns show stronger historical compounding, so the current fund is not yet competitive on that yardstick. In other words, the short-term story is better than the long-term story, and the fund still needs time before investors can judge it on a fuller cycle.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
Net Receivables / (Payables)	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	9.03%
ABB India Limited	Capital Goods	5.37%
Bosch Limited	Automobile & Ancillaries	4.62%
Solar Industries India Limited	Chemicals	4.62%
Dixon Technologies (India) Limited	Consumer Durables	4.11%
Tempsens Instruments (India) Limited	Capital Goods	4.03%
PNB Housing Finance Limited	Finance	3.99%
Bajaj Finance Ltd	Finance	3.97%
Uno Minda Limited	Automobile & Ancillaries	3.68%
Schneider Electric Infrastructure Limited	Capital Goods	3.09%

The largest disclosed holding is Net Receivables / (Payables) at 9.03%, which means the portfolio starts with a notable cash-and-net-assets position before the equity names. After that, the weights move into single-digit stock exposures, with ABB India and Bosch above 4% and the rest of the top ten clustering between roughly 3% and 5%.

The fall from the first holding to the tenth is not extreme in stock terms, but the composition is still selective. The spread from 9.03% to 3.09% suggests that no single equity position dominates the list, while the cash and receivables line may still influence near-term behaviour. That mix can make the fund less purely stock-driven than a fully invested portfolio, at least among the disclosed largest positions.

The top ten disclosed holdings account for approximately 46.51% of the portfolio, and the fund discloses 40 holdings overall. That points to a fairly broad tail beyond the leading positions, even though the first few names still matter more than the rest. In our view, the structure looks moderately concentrated at the top and more diversified below that, which is a common setup for a stock-picking equity fund.

To see all holdings, visit the Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan page

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund fits investors who are comfortable with High Risk equity exposure and can tolerate a lack of long-term return history. The short-term numbers are better than the benchmark, but the scheme is still too new to judge on a full multi-year record.

A longer investment horizon would make more sense than a short one, mainly because the fund’s most meaningful comparison point so far is early performance rather than a tested cycle. Investors also need to accept that the portfolio is still taking shape and that the current mix may lead to uneven outcomes in the near term.

Our view is that the main trade-off is between early signs of resilience and the absence of established long-run evidence. That makes it more suitable for investors who can wait for the strategy to develop and who are comfortable with equity volatility.

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% if units are sold on or before 365 days; nil after 365 days.

Source data date: as of 18 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan?

The current NAV is ₹10.6391 as of 18 Sep 2026.

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

The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 0%, 0% and 0%.

How has it performed versus the benchmark recently?

It has outperformed the benchmark in the recent 1-month and 3-month windows. The fund shows 1.89% over 1 month and 2.03% over 3 months, while the benchmark shows -3.73% and -3.14%.

How does it compare with other contra funds on available return data?

On the available 1-year figures, the fund is ahead of peers that show negative recent returns, but its longer-term record is not yet established. Peers with available 3-year and 5-year figures have stronger historical compounding.

What is the minimum SIP amount?

The minimum SIP amount is ₹500.

What are the key risk and portfolio features?

The fund is tagged High Risk. Its top disclosed holdings include Net Receivables / (Payables), ABB India Limited, Bosch Limited and Solar Industries India Limited, and the top ten disclosed holdings account for approximately 46.51% of the portfolio.

Bottom line

Motilal Oswal Contra Fund Direct Growth Plan is still too new for a meaningful long-term verdict, but its early return pattern is better than the benchmark in the latest short windows. Against peers, the available recent figures look supportive, while the longer-term comparison remains limited by the scheme’s short history. The fund carries a High Risk label and has a portfolio that combines a notable cash-and-net-assets line with a spread of industrial, financial and consumer names, which may suit investors who can tolerate volatility and wait for a longer record to build.

Published on 21 September 2026 at 10:25 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.