Should you be wary of funds with high NAVs?

Published: 21st Aug 2024

By: Value Research

Regular vs direct

Typically, direct plans of mutual funds have a higher NAV (net asset value) compared to regular plans. This leaves investors in a dilemma – is it better to go for regular plans over direct plans?

High or low, it makes no difference

A low NAV indicates a higher number of units held, while a higher NAV indicates a lower number of units held. However, it’s immaterial how high or low a fund’s NAV is.

Why?

Let’s suppose Fund A has an NAV of Rs 10, while Fund B has an NAV of Rs 20. Assuming you invest Rs 1,000 each in these funds, you would receive 100 units of Fund A and 50 units of Fund B. If the funds grow by 10% after a year, both investments will increase by Rs 100. (100*11= Rs 1,100 for Fund A and 50*22= Rs 1,100 for Fund B). Hence, NAVs make no difference here.

What should you look at then?

It is the returns from the fund’s underlying stocks that matter. In other words, you should look at a fund’s performance, not NAV, when deciding to invest.

Though NAV may not dictate a fund’s performance, there are occasions when a high NAV isn’t ideal. To find out how, read the complete story by heading to the link below.

When can a fund’s high NAV affect you?