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Mutual Fund Returns: What are Annual returns, CAGR and Rolling Returns

April 2, 2025
13 min read
Aishwarya Ramesh
Mutual Fund Returns: What are Annual returns, CAGR and Rolling Returns
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Introduction

Mutual funds are not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a get-rich-eventually scheme for NRIs. To make informed decisions, it's crucial to understand key performance metrics that determine the mutual fund returns.

 While absolute returns show the total profit, they don't reveal the consistency or growth trajectory of your investment. 

What are the real keys to understanding performance? A more comprehensive analysis of mutual fund returns requires looking at Annualized Returns, CAGR, and Rolling Returns. 

Maximize your global investment potential with Indus. We offer the lowest FX rates at just 1% for currency conversion. You get to choose from over 500 mutual funds and enjoy a hassle-free experience with KYC approval in just 3 minutes.

Let’s discover the key metrics for NRI mutual fund success, going beyond just returns.

What are Annual Returns in Mutual Funds Returns?

One fundamental metric to grasp is the Annualized Return. This essentially tells you how a mutual fund performed over a single year, giving you a snapshot of its performance as mutual fund returns. 

It's a crucial piece of the puzzle when evaluating Mutual Fund Returns Performance Metrics.

How is Annual Return Calculated?

So, how do you calculate Annualized Returns? It's simpler than you might think. Suppose an NRI investor buys a mutual fund at a Net Asset Value (NAV) of Rs.100. If the NAV rises to Rs. 120 after a year, the annual return would be 20%.

Industry Statistics

While this calculation seems straightforward, it's essential to remember that Annualized Returns are just one piece of the bigger picture of Mutual Fund Returns.

 Industry statistics suggest that, on average:

  • Equity mutual funds in India might deliver 12-15% annual returns, while 

  • Debt mutual funds typically yield around 6-8% annually. 

However, these are just averages. Actual Mutual Fund Returns can vary significantly based on market conditions and the fund's investment strategy

Limitations of Annual Returns

One important aspect about Annualized Returns is that they don't tell the whole story. Moreover, they provide a look at a specific year, but they don't account for the ups and downs of the market. 

A fund might have a fantastic year, but what about the years before or after? This is where the limitations of relying solely on Annualized Returns become clear. 

For long-term investments, NRIs shouldn't base their decisions solely on a single year's performance. 

Other Mutual Fund Returns Performance Metrics, like CAGR Calculation and Rolling Returns, offer a more comprehensive view.

How Indus Helps

Indus provides real-time data on Annualized Returns for a wide range of mutual funds, making it easy to track performance and compare different options. Moreover, with access to over 500 mutual funds, Indus empowers NRIs to make informed investment decisions. 

Don't just chase last year's top performer; look at the long-term trend.

What is CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) and How is it Calculated?

While Annualized Returns offer a glimpse into yearly performance, they don't tell the whole story.

That's where CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, comes in. This powerful metric for mutual fund returns provides a smoothed-out, average annual growth rate of your investment over a specific period, assuming profits are reinvested. 

It's a critical component of understanding Mutual Fund Performance Metrics.

Example

Let's illustrate with an example. Imagine an NRI invests Rs. 1 lakh in a mutual fund, and after 5 years, that investment grows to Rs. 2 lakh. Using the CAGR formula, the CAGR Calculation would be approximately 14.87%. 

This means that, on average, the investment grew by 14.87% each year, assuming reinvestment of the mutual fund returns.

Comparison with Annual Returns

While both Annualized Returns and CAGR are important Mutual Fund Performance Metrics, they serve different purposes. Annualized Returns can fluctuate significantly from year to year, thus reflecting market volatility.

CAGR, on the other hand, smooths out these fluctuations, and thereby giving a more realistic picture of long-term growth and mutual fund returns. 

Industry Statistics

Industry statistics suggest that Indian mutual funds have delivered a CAGR of 10-15% over the past 10 years. However, it's important to remember that past performance is not indicative of future results. 

Finally, market conditions, fund management, and other factors can influence future Mutual Fund Returns.

Why CAGR Matters for NRIs

For NRIs, a CAGR is an invaluable tool for comparing Mutual Fund Returns across different funds and time periods. It provides clarity on how an investment has grown over time, allowing for more informed decision-making. 

Understanding CAGR Calculation is essential for long-term financial planning and achieving your investment goals with consistent mutual fund returns.

How Indus Helps

With access to over 500 funds and all the key Mutual Fund returns metrics like CAGR Calculation, Annualized Returns, and Rolling Returns, Indus simplifies the investment process. 

This allows NRIs to make data-driven decisions and optimize their Mutual Fund Returns.

What are Rolling Returns in Mutual Funds?

For NRIs seeking to maximize their Mutual Fund Returns, understanding performance metrics is crucial. While Annualized Returns and CAGR provide valuable insights, they can sometimes be misleading. 

Enter Rolling Returns, a powerful way that offers a more nuanced perspective on Mutual Fund returns metrics. 

Rolling Returns provide a more accurate measure of performance trends by looking at average returns over multiple, overlapping periods, rather than just a single timeframe. 

This helps eliminate the bias that can arise from choosing specific start or end dates.

How Rolling Returns Work

Imagine you're an NRI considering investing in a large-cap mutual fund. Instead of just looking at the fund's performance over one specific 5-year period, Rolling Returns takes a broader approach. 

They calculate the average return over multiple 5-year periods – for example, 2013-2018, then 2014-2019, then 2015-2020, and so on. This creates a "rolling" window of performance. 

This gives you a much clearer picture of how the fund has performed consistently over time and the mutual fund returns.

Example

An NRI investor wants to invest in a large-cap mutual fund. Instead of looking at just one period, they check 5-year rolling returns from 2013-2018, 2014-2019, and so on. 

If the fund has consistently delivered 12-14% rolling returns, it indicates strong and stable performance. 

Finally, this is a far more reliable indicator than looking at just one isolated 5-year period, which might have been influenced by particularly favorable or unfavorable market conditions while analyzing mutual fund returns. 

Industry Statistics

Industry research suggests that mutual fund returns with consistent Rolling Returns tend to outperform funds with sporadic high Annualized Returns. 

A fund that consistently delivers solid mutual fund returns over different market cycles is likely to be a better long-term investment than a fund that experiences dramatic swings in performance. 

Thus, rolling returns help NRIs identify these consistent performers.

How Indus Helps

With access to crucial data, along with other key Mutual Fund Performance Metrics like Annualized Returns and CAGR Calculation, Indus lets you make informed investment decisions.

Comparison between Annual Returns, CAGR and Rolling Returns

Annual Returns show how a fund performed in a single year, just like a snapshot. Furthermore, they're easy to understand but can be misleading as they don't account for market ups and downs. 

Think of it as looking at the weather in just one day – it doesn't tell you the whole story of the season. Relying solely on annual returns for evaluating Mutual Fund Returns can be risky.

CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, shows the average yearly growth of your investment over a longer period, assuming you reinvest your earnings. Moreover, it smooths out the ups and downs, giving you a clearer picture of long-term growth. 

It's like looking at the average temperature over the whole season. While helpful for understanding overall Mutual Fund Returns, CAGR still doesn't show how consistent the returns were.

Rolling Returns take it a step further. They show how a fund performed over a specific period, but across different starting points. Instead of just one 5-year return, it looks at all possible 5-year periods within your investment timeframe. 

Furthermore, this helps you see how consistent the Mutual Fund Returns have been, like checking the weather forecast for every week of the season. Thus, it provides a more complete understanding of performance trends.

Which Mutual Fund Returns Metric is Best for NRIs?

Confused by mutual fund returns? As an NRI, you've got enough to worry about. Let's make this easy. The truth is, each metric serves a unique purpose in evaluating Mutual Fund returns Performance.

Annual Returns

Best for short-term performance tracking. Additionally, this is useful for seeing recent performance trends and comparing funds over short periods.

CAGR

Best for long-term investment comparison. CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, smooths out the ups and downs of annual returns to give you a clearer picture of long-term growth. 

Rolling Returns

Best for analyzing consistency. Furthermore, rolling returns show how a fund performed over a specific period, but across different starting points. 

Finally, this helps you see how consistently the mutual fund returns have been delivered, regardless of market fluctuations. 

How Mutual Funds Have Performed in India 

Mutual fund India is attracting investors from all over the world. The potential for growth is significant, but so is the need for informed decision-making to avoid mutual fund mistakes

Understanding the factors that impact mutual fund returns is vital for achieving your financial goals. Let's explore how you can make the most of this opportunity.

Performance of Mutual Funds in the Last Decade

Analyze the performance of mutual funds in the last decade and do your due diligence before choosing the one that fits your goal. 

  • Equity mutual funds: 12-15% CAGR 

Equity mutual funds, which invest primarily in stocks, have offered attractive long-term growth potential. The 12-15% CAGR reflects the overall performance of the equity market in India, but individual fund performance can vary. 

Additionally, these returns are typically higher-risk but offer the potential for higher mutual fund returns over time.

  • Debt mutual funds: 6-8% CAGR 

Debt mutual funds, which invest in fixed-income securities, generally offer more stable returns than equity funds.

 The 6-8% CAGR reflects the performance of the debt market, and these funds are often preferred by investors seeking lower risk and more predictable mutual fund returns.

Why Mutual Funds Are Attractive for NRIs

Mutual funds have become a preferred investment avenue for NRIs due to several compelling reasons.

Diversified exposure to India’s high-growth economy. Additionally, mutual funds offer NRIs diversified exposure to the Indian economy, and thus spreading your investments across various sectors and companies. 

This diversification helps mitigate risk and allows NRIs to benefit from India's growth potential. Moreover, it's a way to access a diversified portfolio without having to research and invest in individual stocks.

Convenient online investment with Indus. We have simplified the process of investing in mutual funds for NRIs to make your life a little easier. 

We offer a seamless online experience, allowing NRIs to invest in India with ease. Overall, this convenience makes it simple for NRIs to manage their mutual fund returns and track their investments.

How Indus Helps

Indus provides NRIs with insights on past performance trends of various mutual funds. You don’t even need an NRE account. Moreover, you can compare different funds and choose those that align with your investment goals and risk tolerance. 

You can also get easy tax compliance with DTAA if you’re an NRI based out of New Zealand or Australia. 

Conclusion

To truly understand the story behind your mutual fund returns, you need to delve deeper. That's where understanding the interplay of Annual Returns, CAGR, and Rolling Returns becomes crucial. 

While Annual Returns paints the one-year performance, CAGR offers a more accurate long-term view, and Rolling Returns offers a window into performance over a specific period, but across multiple starting points, giving you a clearer view of consistency and stability of the mutual fund returns. 

A combination of all three gives a more comprehensive view of mutual fund returns.

And when it comes to simplifying this process, Indus stands out as the ideal platform. Imagine accessing over 500 mutual funds, all while benefiting from the lowest FX rate of 1% , that's the kind of advantage Indus offers. 

Plus, with a super-fast KYC approval process of just 3 minutes, you can get started on your investment journey in no time. Don't let the complexities of mutual fund returns hold you back. 

FAQs on Mutual Fund Returns

1) What is the difference between absolute returns and annualized returns when evaluating mutual fund returns? 

Absolute mutual fund returns show the total percentage gain or loss over the entire investment period, without considering the time factor. Moreover, annualized mutual fund returns, like CAGR, convert returns into an average annual rate, making it easier to compare performance across different timeframes.

2) Why is it important to look at rolling mutual fund returns in addition to point-to-point mutual fund returns? 

Rolling mutual fund returns provide a better understanding of performance consistency across different market cycles by calculating returns over a fixed period at regular intervals. Similarly, this contrasts with point-to-point mutual fund returns, which only reflect the performance between two specific dates and can be influenced by those dates.

3) How do expense ratios affect the net mutual fund returns an investor receives? 

Expense ratios are the annual costs of operating a mutual fund, deducted from the fund's assets. Additionally, higher expense ratios directly reduce the net mutual fund returns that investors ultimately receive, as more of the gains are used to cover fund expenses.

4) Can past high mutual fund returns guarantee similar future performance? 

No, past high mutual fund returns are not a guarantee of future performance. Furthermore, market conditions, fund manager strategies, and economic factors can change, significantly impacting future mutual fund returns. Thus, investors should consider various factors beyond just historical returns.

5) Where can I find information about the historical mutual fund returns of a specific scheme?

Information about historical mutual fund returns is typically available on the websites of the respective Asset Management Companies (AMCs), financial information platforms, and regulatory websites like the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in India. Moreover, these sources provide data on annual, CAGR, and often rolling mutual fund returns.

Standard Disclaimer

Investing involves risk, and returns are not guaranteed. Please conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. This information is provided for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Indus does not provide investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. While we facilitate access to Indian mutual funds, any decision to invest is solely your responsibility. You should consult a qualified financial adviser or tax specialist before making any investment or tax-related decisions, especially if you are uncertain about how these investments apply.

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