Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Just 38.64% of actively managed equity mutual funds outperformed their respective benchmarks in March 2025, according to a recent study by PL Wealth Management, the wealth management division of PL Capital.
The report reviewed 298 open-ended diversified equity schemes, excluding sectoral and thematic funds, to assess their performance against key benchmark indices.
“Out of the 298 open-ended equity diversified funds, about 38.64 per cent of the funds were able to outperform their respective benchmarks over the past one month, ended March 31st, 2025,”
— the study noted.
This marks a decline from February 2025, when 54.08% of schemes beat their benchmarks, signaling increasing challenges for active fund managers.
Category-wise Performance Highlights (March 2025):
- Large-cap funds led the way, with 71.88% outperforming the Nifty 50 TRI, making it the best-performing segment.
- Large & mid-cap funds followed, with 58.06% beating the Nifty LargeMidcap 250 TRI.
- Mid-cap funds also showed resilience, with 51.72% outperforming the Nifty Midcap 150 TRI.
- Small-cap funds underperformed sharply—only 10% outperformed the Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI, making it the weakest segment.
Despite strong returns from benchmark indices—Nifty 50 TRI up 6.31%, Nifty Midcap 150 TRI up 7.73%, and Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI up 9.10%—a majority of diversified equity funds lagged behind.
Annual Performance Overview (Year Ending March 2025):
- Of 271 open-ended equity diversified schemes studied over a one-year period, 57.56% outperformed their respective benchmarks.
- This too reflects a decline from the previous month’s 67.02% outperformance rate.
- One-year benchmark returns were:
- Nifty 50 TRI: +6.65%
- Nifty Midcap 150 TRI: +8.17%
- Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI: +6.02%
Key Takeaway:
While large-cap and mid-cap funds remain areas of relative strength, the declining rate of outperformance—both monthly and annually—highlights a challenging environment for active fund managers, even amid rising markets.