Baroda Mutual Fund is a subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, providing a range of money market, debt, and equity offerings. It has a nationwide presence with more than 50 branches in India, managing assets worth around Rs.10000 crore.

Baroda Mutual Fund offers more than 19 different mutual fund schemes, including equity, debt, liquid, and the best Baroda hybrid mutual funds.

Hybrid mutual funds invest in more than one asset class, usually a combination of equity and debt assets. It may also include investments in real estate and gold. The diversity lets hybrid funds deliver balanced returns across different market conditions.

The top Baroda hybrid mutual funds distribute their corpora across various asset classes to achieve maximum returns with minimal risk. The equity portion of a hybrid fund offers modest returns during a bullish market, while the debt portion cushions the impact of a bearish market to provide stable income.

There are several options available to choose from among the best Baroda hybrid mutual funds. It includes conservative funds that invest at least 75% of its total assets in debt instruments, making it relatively risk-free. Balanced hybrid funds invest a minimum of 40% and a maximum of 60% in equity or debt assets. This helps in long-term capital generation while reducing risks in the short run.

Aggressive funds offer maximum returns while having fewer risks compared to equity funds. These have a minimum of 65% investment in equity-based assets. Dynamic asset allocation provides a flexible option as it can shift between 100% debt and 100% equity asset classes per the market movements. Other options for the best Baroda hybrid mutual funds include multi-asset allocation and arbitrage funds.

The former invests in more than two asset classes while the latter generates extra profits by way of price difference and market imbalance.

Taxability

Taxability is a major factor to consider before investing in mutual funds.

Long-term Capital Gains Tax: Equity-oriented funds having more than 65% equity investments get the same tax treatment as pure equity funds. If these are held over a year, LTGC is applicable at a 10% rate. For debt-oriented funds, LTCG is applicable at 20% with indexation benefits.

Short-term Capital Gains Tax: For equity-based debt funds, the STGC is taxable at 15% if held for less than a year. STCG for debt-oriented funds is added to an investors’ taxable income.

TDS: TDS does not apply to gains from a hybrid fund. However, dividends exceeding Rs.5000 are liable for 10% TDS.

Factors to Consider Before Investing

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best Baroda hybrid mutual funds. A comprehensive study of these will help investors choose an investment well-suited to meet their financial goals while mitigating risks.

Asset allocation: Hybrid funds include investing in multiple asset classes. This lets individuals the option to invest in multiple asset classes via a single investment. Hybrid funds feature various classifications premised on varying levels of risks. Based on the type of hybrid MF scheme, a fund manager will optimise the asset allocation to achieve its financial goals.

Risk tolerance: Investment in even the best Baroda hybrid mutual fund is not risk-free. The higher the equity component, the greater the volatility in returns. On the other hand, debt-based funds involve credit, inflation, and interest rate risks premised on the underlying securities’ duration or the issuing companies. Hence, individuals may want to assess a scheme’s level and type of risk and their own propensity before selecting a suitable scheme.

Expected returns: The performance of hybrid funds generally depends on market conditions. An aggressive hybrid fund may generate returns that reflect the market more than balanced and conservative funds. Conversely, a debt-based scheme may generate better returns when interest rates fall and vice versa.

Time horizon: Hybrid funds have a better chance of generating high and stable returns with a longer time horizon. Generally, medium to long-term investment of 3 – 5 years is required for this MF type to deliver decent returns.

Expense ratio: This refers to the annual fee an AMC charges to manage a portfolio. A higher expense ratio decreases take-home returns and vice versa. Hence, it’s essential to compare the expense ratios of the best Baroda hybrid mutual funds prior to investing.

Exit load: It is a fee that investors need to pay for prematurely withdrawing from a scheme. However, not every scheme levies this charge. Hence, it may be a good idea to check these terms before committing to an investment.

Baroda Mutual Fund offers nearly 5 hybrid mutual schemes with various investment terms. To that end, conducting proper research on the above points will help investors choose the best Baroda hybrid mutual funds 2023.