HDFC NIFTY Realty Index Fund - Direct Plan

HDFC NIFTY Realty Index Fund - Direct Plan sits in the middle of the pack for Thematic funds, currently carrying a 2-star rating. TopFund's composite Health Score, which weighs rating, 3-year CAGR, expense ratio and fund size, puts it at 58/100.

Cost: At 0.5%, the expense ratio is meaningfully cheaper — about 56% below the Thematic category average of 1.13% (based on 607 comparable funds). Lower costs compound in your favour over long holding periods.

Risk-adjusted performance: Over the trailing 1-year period, the fund shows a negative Sharpe ratio of -0.45 — over the past year, returns haven't kept pace with the volatility involved, even before accounting for the risk-free rate. Separately, with 26.39% annualised volatility, this is among the more turbulent funds in its space — expect sharp swings in both directions.

Who should invest: This fund is best suited to investors whose goals and risk appetite align with a Equity fund. Given the Very High risk rating, this fund is not suited to short-term goals or investors who may need to exit within 2-3 years.