Mahindra Manulife Balanced Advantage Fund - Direct Plan - Growth

Mahindra Manulife Balanced Advantage Fund - Direct Plan - Growth holds up reasonably well within the Dynamic Asset Allocation category, currently carrying a 3-star rating. It has delivered steady, if unspectacular, returns over a full market cycle. TopFund's composite Health Score, which weighs rating, 3-year CAGR, expense ratio and fund size, puts it at 70/100.

Cost: At 0.83%, the expense ratio is meaningfully cheaper — about 15% below the Dynamic Asset Allocation category average of 0.98% (based on 131 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 -0.31 — over the past year, returns haven't kept pace with the volatility involved, even before accounting for the risk-free rate. Separately, annualised volatility of 10.21% is on the lower side, suggesting a comparatively smoother ride.

Who should invest: This fund is best suited to investors whose goals and risk appetite align with a Hybrid fund. The High risk rating means near-term volatility should be expected — this isn't a fund to check daily.