Shriram Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Shriram Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan had a NAV of ₹18.5023 as of 15 Sep 2026 and scheme AUM of ₹42 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are -1.37%, 5.78% and 6.26% respectively, and the scheme is tagged High Risk. Our view is that this is a relatively small hybrid fund with a cautious growth profile over longer periods, but the recent return pattern has been weaker than its longer-run trend.

The fund may suit investors who can accept volatility in exchange for a hybrid allocation that mixes debt, cash and equity exposures, but the recent one-year result shows that short-term outcomes can still be uneven. The benchmark comparison also suggests that the fund has held up better over 3 years and 5 years than over 1 year, so the fund looks more suitable for a patient horizon than for someone focused on near-term stability.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹18.5023 as of 15 Sep 2026
AUM	₹42 Cr
Expense Ratio	1.0%
Launch Date	05 Jul 2019
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Hybrid
Exit Load	NIL for 12% of units and 1% for remaining units on or before 90D, Nil after 90D
Fund Managers	Prateek Nigudkar, Hitesh Savanth, Amit Modani

The fund is managed by Prateek Nigudkar, Hitesh Savanth and Amit Modani.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-3.19%	-4.81%
3M	-0.92%	-3.63%
1Y	-1.37%	-8.27%
3Y	5.78%	5.59%
5Y	6.26%	5.58%

Recent performance has been soft in absolute terms, with both the 1-month and 3-month figures in negative territory. Even so, the fund was less weak than the benchmark in those windows, which tells us it preserved value better than the index during a choppy stretch.

The one-year result follows the same pattern. The fund is still negative over 1 year, but it is materially ahead of the benchmark, which fell more sharply over the same period. That is useful, but it also shows that the fund has not delivered positive short-term compounding over the latest full year.

Over 3 years and 5 years, the picture improves. The fund’s returns are positive and slightly ahead of the benchmark in both periods, which suggests that the longer holding pattern has been more constructive than the recent one-year stretch. Our read is that the fund has not built momentum recently, but its medium- to long-term profile has been steadier than the benchmark.

The pattern of movement over the longer windows also looks uneven rather than smooth, which is consistent with a high-risk hybrid strategy. That means investors may see periods of drawdown even when the longer horizon remains positive, so the fund looks better suited to someone who can tolerate variation and wait through weaker phases.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Shriram 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.

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Peer comparison

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
Shriram Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan	-1.37%	5.78%	6.26%
Unifi Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund Direct Growth Plan	8.55%	Data not available	Data not available
Edelweiss Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.46%	10.37%	9.51%
Aditya Birla SL Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.17%	10.96%	9.97%
Bank of India Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan	4.92%	8.7%	10.45%
Baroda BNP Paribas Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan	4.39%	10.99%	10.59%

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

The fund’s one-year return is below the peer set shown here, while several peers have posted positive 1-year numbers. That makes the recent stretch look weaker than the group’s better short-term outcomes, although the fund still remained ahead of the benchmark on that horizon.

The longer picture is mixed. Its 3-year and 5-year returns are positive, but the available peer set shows several funds with materially higher numbers over those same periods, so the fund’s medium- and long-term record appears more modest than the stronger peer outcomes. The short-term story and the longer-term story do not fully align: the fund has protected itself better than the benchmark recently, but it has not matched the stronger compounding seen in some peers.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
Treps_Red_01.09.2026	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	8.62%
8.54% REC Ltd NCD Red 15-11-28 **	Corporate Debt	5.85%
Bank of Baroda CD Red 12-02-27 ** #	Certificate of Deposit	5.65%
HDFC Bank Ltd.	Bank	4.75%
6.54% Govt of India Red 17-01-2032	Government Securities	4.68%
Union Bank of India CD Red 22-02-2027 ** #	Certificate of Deposit	4.51%
ICICI Bank Ltd.	Bank	4.29%
Reliance Industries Ltd.	Crude Oil	4.10%
State Bank of India	Bank	3.23%
Bharti Airtel Ltd.	Telecom	2.80%

The largest disclosed holding is Treps_Red_01.09.2026 at 8.62%, which is meaningful but not dominant on its own. The drop from the first holding to the tenth is gradual rather than abrupt, moving from 8.62% down to 2.80%, so the disclosed positions look spread across several names instead of being concentrated in one single bet.

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 48.48% of the portfolio, and the fund discloses 49 holdings in total. That combination suggests a reasonably broad tail beyond the largest positions, even though the top holdings still carry a sizable share of assets and could have greater influence on short-term portfolio behavior.

Because the portfolio includes cash equivalents, corporate debt, certificates of deposit, government securities and equity holdings, the blend may help moderate the fund’s path compared with a pure equity strategy. At the same time, the mix still leaves enough exposure to market-sensitive holdings that the fund could remain volatile, especially when the equity and credit portions move in different directions.

To see all holdings, visit the Shriram Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan page

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund looks suited to investors with a higher tolerance for volatility who still want a hybrid structure rather than a pure equity fund. The High Risk label and the weak 1-year outcome both point to the need for patience, while the positive 3-year and 5-year returns show that the longer holding period has been more constructive than the latest year.

In our view, it fits better for a medium- to long-term horizon where interim swings can be absorbed. The main trade-off is that the portfolio may cushion some downturns better than the benchmark, but it has not delivered consistently strong short-term returns, so the investor has to accept uneven progress in exchange for a broader hybrid setup.

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

The exit load is nil for 12% of units and 1% for the remaining units when sold on or before 90 days. After 90 days, there is no exit load.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Shriram Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹18.5023 as of 15 Sep 2026.

How has the fund performed over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years?
Its 1-year return is -1.37%, the 3-year return is 5.78% and the 5-year return is 6.26%.

How does it compare with the benchmark?
It has been ahead of the benchmark over 3 years and 5 years, and it also fell less than the benchmark over 1 month, 3 months and 1 year.

Which peer fund has the strongest 1-year return among the listed peers?
Unifi Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund Direct Growth Plan has the strongest 1-year return among the listed peers at 8.55%. Several other peers also show positive 1-year returns, while this fund is negative over the same period.

What is the minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP amount is ₹500.

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Prateek Nigudkar, Hitesh Savanth and Amit Modani. The exit load is nil for 12% of units and 1% for the remaining units when sold on or before 90 days, and there is no exit load after 90 days.

Bottom line

The fund’s recent return pattern is weaker than its longer-term trend, with a negative 1-year result but positive 3-year and 5-year returns. Compared with the benchmark, it has held up better over the same periods, yet several peer funds have posted stronger medium- and long-term numbers. The portfolio has a noticeable mix of cash, debt, deposits, government securities and equities, which may diversify outcomes but can still leave the scheme volatile. It looks more suitable for patient investors who can handle a high-risk hybrid profile.

Published on 16 September 2026 at 1:07 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.