📊 Balanced Advantage Fund · Deep Analysis

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund

HDFC Mutual Fund · Direct Growth · SEBI Category: Balanced Advantage

Current NAV ₹550.2040 (+0.21% today) As of 04 Jun 2026
1 Year Return -1.2%
3 Year CAGR +14.8% p.a.
5 Year CAGR +15.4% p.a.
AAUM ₹74.0K Cr Jan–Mar 2026
All data from RightAdvise DB — calculated from 2,566 daily NAV records
Fund Overview

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund — Quick Summary

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund is one of India's oldest and largest balanced advantage funds, with over 25 years of history dating back to 1994. Managed by a seasoned team at HDFC AMC, the fund dynamically allocates between equity and debt based on its proprietary valuation model. When equity markets appear expensive relative to fundamentals, the fund reduces equity exposure and moves into debt instruments — and vice versa when equity becomes attractively priced. This automatic rebalancing is done without any action required from the investor.

With a combined AAUM exceeding Rs.70,000 crore, HDFC BAF is among the largest balanced advantage funds in India. Its size reflects decades of investor trust. The fund uses a quantitative model incorporating metrics like Price-to-Earnings ratio, Price-to-Book ratio and dividend yield to determine optimal equity allocation. Historically the fund has maintained one of the lower drawdown profiles in the BAF category — making it popular with investors who want equity participation with reduced volatility.

Fund House
HDFC Mutual Fund
SEBI Category
Balanced Advantage
Benchmark
NIFTY 50 Hybrid Composite Debt 50:50 Index
Fund Manager
Srinivasan Ramamurthy, Arun Agarwal, Anil Bamboli, Gopal Agrawal, Nandita Menezes
AMFI Code
118968
Risk Level
Very High
NAV Records in DB
2,566 days
Quarterly Average AUM · Jan–Mar 2026
₹74.0K Cr
↑ Increased by 0.5% vs Oct–Dec 2025 · ₹73.6K Cr
Official quarterly average AUM from AMFI disclosure. Published every 3 months.
📊
✓ Suitable For
This fund suits first-time equity investors transitioning from fixed deposits, moderate-risk investors who want equity exposure with lower volatility, and goal-based investors with a 3 to 5 year horizon. It is also popular for lump sum parking — the model-driven allocation reduces the risk of investing at market peaks.
HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund is well suited for investors who want equity market participation without the need to time the market themselves. The fund's automatic allocation model, 25+ year track record, large AUM and consistently lower drawdown history make it one of the most trusted choices in the balanced advantage category. It is particularly popular for lump sum investments and as a SIP option for moderate-risk investors seeking better-than-FD returns.
✗ Not Suitable For
Aggressive equity investors seeking maximum returns — the dynamic allocation will reduce equity during bull markets and cap upside. Investors with less than 3 year horizons — even balanced advantage funds can underperform fixed deposits in difficult periods. Those who want predictable guaranteed returns — equity exposure makes returns variable.
Who Runs This Fund

Fund Manager

SR
Srinivasan Ramamurthy, Arun Agarwal, Anil Bamboli, Gopal Agrawal, Nandita Menezes
HDFC Mutual Fund · Managing since July 2022

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund is co-managed by a five-member team — Srinivasan Ramamurthy and Arun Agarwal handle equity, Anil Bamboli manages fixed income, Gopal Agrawal oversees the overall equity strategy and Nandita Menezes manages the overseas component. This multi-specialist structure is typical of HDFC MF's approach to complex hybrid mandates where no single manager carries the full portfolio responsibility.

For current co-manager details and full biography, refer to the latest HDFC Mutual Fund factsheet on AMFI or the AMC website.

What to Factor In

Things to Consider

Informational points to help you form your own view — not judgements or recommendations.

AMFI Code · Informational
AMFI Scheme Code: 118968
The official AMFI scheme code for HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund Direct Growth is 118968. Use this when transacting on platforms or verifying data across databases.
Important Note
Points Worth Knowing
HDFC BAF uses an in-house Price-to-Book model to decide equity allocation. When markets look expensive, the fund moves money to arbitrage and debt — which can mean missing continued gains in a sustained bull run. Always check the fund factsheet for current unhedged equity allocation before investing.
Investment Objective
As per Scheme Information Document
The scheme seeks to provide long term capital appreciation and income from a dynamic mix of equity and debt investments.
All Data Below — From RightAdvise Database
Category Comparison

Top 5 Balanced Advantage Funds Compared

Live data. Current fund highlighted. Click any fund name for full analysis.

FundNAVAAUM1Y Return 3Y CAGR 5Y CAGR Sharpe (3Y)
HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund ▲ ₹550.20 ₹74.0K Cr Jan–Mar 2026 -1.2% +14.8% p.a. +15.4% p.a. 0.93
ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund ₹84.33 ₹68.5K Cr Jan–Mar 2026 +4.1% +12.0% p.a. +11.1% p.a. 0.93
Edelweiss Balanced Advantage Fund ₹58.81 ₹12.5K Cr Jan–Mar 2026 +3.5% +11.7% p.a. +10.6% p.a. 0.67
Nippon India Balanced Advantage Fund ₹202.08 ₹9.3K Cr Jan–Mar 2026 +2.6% +11.8% p.a. +10.6% p.a. 0.81
Kotak Balanced Advantage Fund ₹22.33 ₹17.2K Cr Jan–Mar 2026 +1.2% +10.4% p.a. +9.8% p.a. 0.62
Best value in each column shown in green. AAUM from latest AMFI quarterly filing. Returns calculated from daily NAV history.
Performance

Fund Returns

Calculated from 2,566 daily NAV records in RightAdvise DB. Last calculated: Jun 2026.

1M / 3M / 6M / 1Y — simple point-to-point return  ·  3Y / 5Y / 10Y — CAGR (compounded annual growth rate)

1 MonthPoint-to-point
-1.7%
3 MonthPoint-to-point
-3.0%
6 MonthPoint-to-point
-4.9%
1 YearPoint-to-point
-1.2%
3 YearCAGR
+14.8% p.a.
5 YearCAGR
+15.4% p.a.
10 YearCAGR
+15.0% p.a.
₹1 Lakh → 5YLump sum growth
₹201,099

Best & Worst Periods Ever

Based on all rolling windows in full NAV history. Dates show the start and end of each period.

Best 1Y WindowSimple return
+72.2%
Mar 2020 – Mar 2021
Worst 1Y WindowSimple return
-28.7%
Mar 2019 – Mar 2020
Best 3Y CAGRCAGR p.a.
+35.0% p.a.
Mar 2020 – Apr 2023
Worst 3Y CAGRCAGR p.a.
-3.4% p.a.
Feb 2017 – Mar 2020

Calendar Year Returns

Jan 1 to Dec 31 each year. Simple point-to-point — not CAGR.

2025
+7.9%
2024
+17.4%
2023
+32.1%
2022
+19.6%
2021
+27.1%
2020
+8.2%
2019
+7.6%
2018
+0.2%
2017
+36.3%
Consistency Analysis

Rolling Returns ℹ️ What is this?

Rolling returns show performance across every possible investment start date — not one cherry-picked number. Learn more →

1Y Rolling Avg
18.0%
Positive in 90% of windows
Best: 72.2% · Worst: -28.7%
3Y Rolling Avg
17.1% p.a.
Positive in 99% of windows
Best: 35.0% · Worst: -3.4%
5Y Rolling Avg
17.8% p.a.
Positive in 100% of windows
Best: 30.7% · Worst: 11.1%
1-Year Rolling Returns Each bar = 1Y return starting from that date
Risk Analysis

Maximum Drawdown ℹ️ What is this?

How much the fund fell from its peak NAV — what investors actually experience during crashes. Calculated from full NAV history.

Max Drawdown Ever
-34.2%
Jul 2019 → Mar 2020
Recovered: Dec 2020 (1yr)
Current from Peak
-5.9%
All-time Peak: ₹584.22
Peak date: Jan 2026

How the fund behaved in key crisis periods

Calculated from actual NAV data. "Pre-inception" means the fund didn't exist during that period.

2024–25 Tariff / Correction
-9.4%
Sep 27, 2024 – Apr 7, 2025
Recovered: May 2025 (4 mos)
COVID-19 Crash
-31.7%
Feb 19 – Mar 23, 2020
Recovered: Nov 2020 (11 mos)
2022 Rate Hike Cycle
-7.8%
Jan 17 – Jun 17, 2022
Recovered: Jul 2022 (2 mos)
2018 IL&FS Crisis
-10.1%
Aug 28 – Oct 26, 2018
Recovered: Mar 2019 (7 mos)
Risk Metrics

Risk Ratios

Calculated from 3 years of daily NAV — industry standard. Risk-free rate: 6.5% p.a. Last updated: Jun 2026. What do these mean? →

Sharpe Ratio (3Y)
0.93
Return per unit of total risk. >1 is good. Learn more →
Sortino Ratio (3Y)
1.27
Like Sharpe but only penalises downside volatility. Learn more →
Std Deviation (3Y)
9.6%
Annualised monthly volatility. Lower = more consistent returns. Learn more →
📊
Want to see what HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund is actually holding?

Our portfolio holdings page shows every stock the fund owns, sector allocation, and month-over-month changes — from official AMC disclosures.

Full current portfolio — all stocks, weights, sectors
New entries and exits over the last 3 months
Sector allocation and month-over-month changes
Updated monthly from official AMC disclosures
See Portfolio Holdings →
← Compare all Balanced Advantage Funds

See how HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund ranks against other Balanced Advantage funds on returns, drawdown, Sharpe ratio and AAUM — side by side.

Learn the Metrics
📖 Deep Dive
CAGR, Sharpe, Sortino & Std Dev
What these numbers mean and how to use them
📖 Deep Dive
Drawdown & Rolling Returns
Why these reveal more than any CAGR figure
⚠️ RightAdvise.com is NOT registered with SEBI. All content is for educational purposes only. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme-related documents carefully and consult a SEBI-registered advisor before investing.
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⚠️ RightAdvise.com is NOT registered with SEBI. All content is for educational purposes only. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme-related documents carefully and consult a SEBI-registered advisor before investing.