A key reason for the underperformance was that the stocks, which appreciated well in the benchmark index, were missing in the portfolio of the majority of the schemes. “In 2023, the markets were driven by liquidity. A large number of stocks went up irrespective of fundamentals. Since mutual funds avoided such momentum stocks, their returns lagged that of the benchmark,” said a fund distributor on condition of anonymity.
Largecaps look better as smallcaps price in strong growth: Franklin Templeton’s Arihant Jain
Largecap stocks offer a better risk-reward balance than mid- and small-caps as higher growth expectations are already priced into smaller companies, according to Arihant Jain
September 6, 2026