Dezerv

Aggressive Allocation Funds

Aggressive Allocation funds allocate a minimum of 75-80% of their investments in equities, with the remaining portion invested in debt instruments. This strategy enables investors to benefit from the strengths of both asset classes within a single fund.

time horizon

3+ years

total funds

30 Funds

total aum

₹2,28,993 Cr Total AUM

Hybrid

Explore Aggressive Allocation Mutual Funds

Sort By

Fund nameFund sizeExpense Ratio
3Y Returnsfilter toggle
JM Equity Hybrid Fund Direct Growth
JM Equity Hybrid Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹642 Cr0.56%23.0%
ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund Direct Growth
ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹41,395 Cr0.98%20.3%
Bank of India Mid & Small Cap Equity & Debt Direct Growth₹1,000 Cr0.95%19.8%
Edelweiss Aggressive Hybrid Fund Direct Growth
Edelweiss Aggressive Hybrid Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹2,197 Cr0.41%19.5%
Quant Absolute Fund Direct Growth
Quant Absolute Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹2,352 Cr0.7%17.9%
Mahindra Manulife Aggressive Hybrid Fund Direct Growth
Mahindra Manulife Aggressive Hybrid Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹1,487 Cr0.46%17.7%
UTI Hybrid Equity Fund Direct Growth
UTI Hybrid Equity Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹6,330 Cr1.24%17.0%
Invesco India Equity & Bond Fund Direct Growth
Invesco India Equity & Bond Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹545 Cr0.84%17.0%
Kotak Equity Hybrid Fund Direct Growth
Kotak Equity Hybrid Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹6,714 Cr0.45%16.8%
Nippon India Equity Hybrid Fund Direct Growth
Nippon India Equity Hybrid Fund Direct Growth

Aggressive Allocation Very High Risk

₹3,975 Cr1.14%16.4%

Get your investment
reviewed in few clicks

Identify red flags in your mutual funds and how to fix them

Rated ★4.5+ onappstoreplaystore
WM logo

All about Aggressive Allocation Funds

What are Aggressive Hybrid Funds?

The SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has defined aggressive hybrid funds as those with 65-80% exposure to equity and equity related instruments and 20-35% to debt instruments.

As per AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India), as of July 2023, there are 30 aggressive hybrid fund schemes offered by AMCs (Asset Management Companies). The 30 schemes manage around Rs. 1,70,000 crore worth of investor assets.

Benefits of Aggressive Hybrid Funds

Aggressive hybrid funds can have several benefits depending on your use case. Here are some of the major benefits:

Dynamic asset allocation

Different macroeconomic situations help different asset classes (like equity and debt) perform better/worse. 

If the fund manager of an aggressive hybrid scheme feels that equity is unlikely to perform well in the future, they can reduce the equity allocation to 65%. 

On the other hand, if they feel that equity is likely to generate good returns in the future, they can increase the equity allocation to 80%.

This flexibility gives the fund manager a role to play in the asset allocation which, if they get right, can result in higher returns for you.

Debt provides cushion during volatile times

The 20-35% debt allocation in aggressive hybrid funds helps them survive market volatility and crashes.

Suppose there’s a pure equity fund (PEF) with 100% allocation to a portfolio of stocks. There are two aggressive hybrid funds (AHF-1, AHF-2) with 80% and 65% allocation to the same portfolio of stocks and the remaining 20% and 35% allocation to a portfolio of debt securities.

Let’s assume that you have invested Rs. 1,00,000 in each of the 3 funds described above.

If the portfolio of stocks experiences a 50% crash due to a macroeconomic event, here is what will happen to your investments in the 3 funds:

Investment amount: Rs. 1,00,000 each
FundEquity allocationDebt allocationValue after 50% crash
PEF100%0%Rs. 50,000
AHF - 180%20%Rs. 60,000
AHF - 265%35%Rs. 72,500

As you can see, the debt component (assumed to have experienced neither gain nor loss during the equity market crash) in the aggressive hybrid funds help reduce your notional loss.

Favourable taxation for the debt component

The capital gains tax rate is fixed for equity instruments like stocks and equity oriented mutual funds. 

It is 15% for gains booked within 1 year of investing, also known as short-term gains; 10% for gains booked after 1 year of investing, also known as long-term capital gains. This also the capital gain taxation applicable to aggressive hybrid funds since they are equity oriented mutual funds.

On the other hand, capital gains taxation from debt instruments like debt mutual funds and fixed deposits are taxed at your marginal tax rate.

If you are in the higher tax brackets (20% and above), then your aggressive hybrid funds will be taxed at the equity taxation. This works in your favour because the debt component (25-40%) would have attracted a higher taxation rate had you invested in it directly or through some debt mutual fund scheme(s).

Illustration:

Let’s assume that you are in the 30% tax bracket (let’s ignore cess, surcharge etc. for simplicity’s sake). You have two investment options: 

  1. An aggressive hybrid fund that targets to maintain 70% allocation to equity and 30% allocation to debt.
  2. A mutual fund portfolio that has 70% allocation to debt oriented schemes and 30% allocation to equity oriented schemes.

Here are how you will be taxed for in each case:

Instrument/portfolioTaxation for periods <1 yearTaxation for periods >1 year
Aggressive hybrid funds15%10%

70% equity schemes + 

30% debt schemes 

19.5%$16%#
Difference4.5%6%

$ Calculated as 70% * 15% + 30% * 30%

# Calculated as 70% * 10% + 30% * 30%

The taxation is even more favourable for aggressive hybrid funds when we consider that capital gains of Rs. 1 Lakh per financial year for periods >1 year is exempt from tax.

Disadvantages of Aggressive Hybrid Funds

Exposed to many different types of risks

Aggressive hybrid funds take exposure to equity as well as debt instruments. Both the instruments are exposed to different types of risks.

Equities are exposed to market risk, currency risk, commodity risk etc. Debt instruments, on the other hand, are exposed to credit default risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk etc.

Pure equity or pure debt funds would have been exposed to just one set of risks but hybrid funds are exposed to 2 sets of risks.

This makes the job of the aggressive hybrid fund manager more difficult as he has to navigate several different types of risks.

Not very affordable

Most aggressive hybrid funds are a mix of large cap funds and corporate bond funds. But the expense ratio of aggressive hybrid funds is higher than a portfolio mix of large cap and corporate bond funds.

To be able to make a comparison, let’s assume that aggressive hybrid funds target to have a 70% equity and 30% debt allocations at all times. We can compare this with mutual fund portfolios that can be as close to an aggressive hybrid fund as possible.

Instrument/portfolioAverage expense ratio%
Aggressive hybrid funds0.95%

70% equity large cap active funds + 

30% corporate bond funds

0.72%

70% equity large cap index funds +

30% corporate bond funds

0.32%#

70% equity large and mid cap funds +

30 corporate bond funds

0.67%

%Direct plans of all active open-ended schemes considered as of Aug 2023

#Assumed average expense ratio of large cap index funds is 0.3%

Dezerv internal research

As you can see, aggressive hybrid funds have a considerably higher average expense ratio than a mix of 70% equity funds and 30% corporate bond funds.

Should you invest in Aggressive Hybrid Funds?

Well, it depends. The best person to answer this question is a financial advisor who has spent time understanding your financial goals and risk profile.

However, here are some situations where you can consider aggressive hybrid funds:

  • Use asset allocation to generate alpha
    It is popularly believed (and proven by many studies) that asset allocation is the biggest determinant of your investment returns. Aggressive hybrid funds can play on asset allocation and generate higher returns to you by adjusting equity/debt allocations.
  • Simplify your portfolio
    Let’s say that the asset allocation that is right for you is 75% debt and 25% equity. Instead of choosing different equity and debt oriented funds to create a portfolio with this asset allocation, you can simply invest in an aggressive hybrid fund.

Note: The above information is for educational purposes only. It is best to consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Still got questions?
We're here to help.

Aggressive hybrid funds are those that invest 65-80% of your money in equity instruments and 20-35% in debt instruments.

Aggressive hybrid funds are equity oriented funds and taxed accordingly. Short term gains (gains realised within 1 year of investing) are taxed at 15% whereas long term gains (gains realised after 1 year of investing) are taxed at 10%. Investors enjoy an exemption of up to Rs. 1 lakh per year on your long term capital gains.

For the 1-year period ending 30 Aug 2023, the average 1-year return of direct plans of active aggressive hybrid funds is 13.6%.

Explore Other Hybrid Funds

By Equity-Debt Allocation

By Solutions

Others

Other Types of Mutual Funds

Disclaimers: Data can be sourced from Morningstar, Bloomberg, CRISIL, etc. Information gathered and provided herein is believed to be from reliable sources.
Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

Mutual Fund distribution services are offered through Dezerv Distribution Services Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dezerv Investments Private Limited (collectively referred to as “Dezerv”) with AMFI Registration No.: ARN- 248439.Read More