Best Edelweiss Hybrid Mutual Funds

Edelweiss Mutual Fund was incorporated in August 2007 as a part of the Edelweiss Group. The asset management company (AMC) has gained traction since it acquired JP Morgan India’s AMC business in 2016. 

Its business model constitutes credit, investment, and insurance services. For the quarter ending on 31 March, the company’s QAAUM stood at Rs.46849.31 crore. Edelweiss offers a diverse range of investment instruments. As a result, investors have the flexibility to choose schemes according to their financial goals and risk appetite. The company offers more than 35 schemes, including the best Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds.

Usually, hybrid funds consist of multiple asset classes, primarily debt and equity. According to Securities and Exchange Board of India guidelines, the asset allocation of hybrid funds in debt or equity instruments depends on the type of scheme and its investment objective. 

Equity-oriented hybrid stocks need to invest at least 60% of the corpus in equity shares, while debt-oriented hybrid funds engage 60% of their corpus in fixed-income instruments. 

Therefore, the top Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds aspire to build a diversified portfolio to de-risk its aggressive investments. This is why hybrid mutual funds usually have higher returns than debt MF but lower than equity MF in most cases.

Hybrid funds can be further categorised according to their investment goals and risk concentration. Some of these include balanced advantage funds, arbitrage funds, etc. Edelweiss has more than 4 hybrid fund schemes. However, the taxation on the returns of these mutual funds depends on whether a fund is debt-oriented or equity-oriented.

Taxability

Long-term Capital Gains Tax: Long-term capital gains up to Rs.1 lakh on equity-based hybrid funds are exempt from taxes. Returns above Rs.1 lakh are taxable at 10% plus cess and other surcharges. In debt-based hybrid funds, long-term capital gains are taxed at 20%, excluding cess and additional surcharges. However, investors are eligible for indexation benefits.

Short-term Capital Gains Tax: In the case of equity-oriented hybrid funds, short-term capital gains are liable for a 15% tax. Short-term capital gains on debt-based hybrid funds are taxed per the income slab rate of the concerned investor.

Besides knowing the taxation system, it is also imperative for investors to learn about the various factors to consider that will help make an informed decision:

Factors to Consider Before Investing

Investment objective: While considering the top Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds, one of the most crucial factors is your investment expectations. Equity-oriented MFs will face a greater impact of market fluctuations, while debt-based MFs exhibit better stability due to fixed-income instruments. Therefore, identifying an investment objective may be beneficial in selecting an appropriate scheme. 

Past performance of the fund: It is also critical to know about the past performance in terms of CAGR, year-over-year growth in returns, etc. This will help gauge the ability of a fund to perform despite varying market conditions. However, investors also need to consider that the performances of the best Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds 2021 in the future may not always reflect their past trends as market conditions change.

Risk appetite: It is essential to understand that all MFs, including the top Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds, are subject to market risks. Equity-oriented funds are more vulnerable to market fluctuations than their debt counterpart. However, debt funds are more prone to credit, interest rate, and inflation risks. Therefore, it is essential to perform a self-risk assessment before investing. 

Exit load: AMCs levy an additional charge if an investor decides to withdraw their investment before the maturity period of the relevant scheme. This is to discourage investors from withdrawing their investment prematurely. However, some MF schemes do not charge any exit load. So, it is in the investors’ best interest to research the details of schemes before investing.

Expense ratio: Every AMC charges a small percentage of a scheme corpus to cover expenses like fund manager salaries, marketing, and other administrative expenditures. Investors need to compare the expense ratios of the best Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds 2021 before investing, along with other factors.

Fund manager experience: Building a diverse portfolio for all top Edelweiss hybrid mutual funds demand an experienced fund manager. They need to allocate funds adhering to government mandates, market risks, equity/debt instrument performance, etc. In addition, they need to be adept at prompt buy-and-sell techniques and have a proven successful track record of fulfilling fund objectives. Hence, taking note of the fund manager is essential to lower investment risks.

Finalise investment mode: There are predominantly two investment modes, depending on investor requirement, from which investors need to choose per their financial feasibility. These are – systematic investment plan (SIP) and lump sum. While the former allows investors to invest monthly, quarterly, or yearly, investors need to deposit their entire capital in one go for the latter.

Regular/direct plan: In the case of regular plans, investors need to buy units of the best Edelweiss mutual funds via a broker or other third parties. This results in a higher expense ratio. On the other hand, a direct plan allows an investor to buy these units directly from the AMC, thereby reducing third-party charges.