In recent years, mutual fund investments have become increasingly popular as an option for growing wealth, offering professional management, diversification, and convenience. Mutual fund investments have become easily accessible with the rise of demat trading app. However, every investor would be interested in understanding how the returns on mutual funds are calculated. It is crucial for evaluating one's performance and aligning with one’s financial goals. Let’s break down the process of calculating mutual fund returns with key concepts and examples.

Understanding Mutual Fund Returns

Mutual fund returns represent the gain or loss on the investment amount throughout the investment. They are a measure used to assess a mutual fund's profitability and performance. Usually, they are expressed as a percentage demonstrating the change in the investment's value, factoring in returns in the form of capital appreciation, dividends, and distributions.

Mutual fund returns can be measured over different periods, such as one month, three months, six months, one year, five years, or since inception. Investors usually use this feature to understand the fund's performance, considering the macroeconomic factors affecting the return when making investment decisions.

There are different ways of calculating mutual fund returns. While many SIP calculators are available for calculation, it is essential to understand the concepts to make informed decisions. They have illustrated as follows:

Absolute Return

Absolute return is the total change in a mutual fund's value over a specified period. This calculation is simple and does not account for compounding. You only need the mutual fund's initial Net Asset Value (NAV) and current NAV to compute absolute returns. The NAV represents the cost of one unit of the mutual fund. The formula for calculating absolute returns is:

Absolute Return = (Present NAV – Initial NAV) / Initial NAV × 100

Annualised Return

Absolute Return is typically used to calculate returns on investments held for less than 12 months. However, to evaluate your annual returns and estimate what you might have earned if the investment had been held for the entire year, the Simple Annualised Return (SAR) is a more suitable metric. SAR is calculated based on the value of the absolute return as follows:

SAR = [(1 + Absolute Rate of Return) ^ (365/number of days)] – 1

Here, we can observe that the absolute return is extrapolated to understand the return over 365 days.

Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

CAGR is one of the most popular methods for evaluating mutual funds and making investment decisions. It helps measure an investment's average annual growth rate to compare performance over time. Thus, it provides a consistent and smooth representation of a fund's performance across multiple years.

The formula for calculating CAGR is: CAGR = {[(Current NAV / Initial NAV) ^ (1 / Number of years)] - 1} × 100

Extended Internal Rate of Return (XIRR)

XIRR is more appropriate for calculating returns since it considers the timing and amount of cash flows into and out of a mutual fund. Unlike the methods above, XIRR factors in the initial investment and subsequent investments and withdrawals. This accurately measures the fund's performance when cash inflows and outflows occur during the investment period.

Calculating returns for SIP Investments can be complex due to the varying investment durations of each installment. Traditional methods fail to address this critical issue. To address this, XIRR can be used to compute the internal rate of return, accurately accounting for multiple cash flows.

Factors Influencing Mutual Fund Returns

Several internal and external factors can impact a mutual fund’s returns. Let us understand the same:

External Factors

External factors, such as macroeconomic or market-driven influences, such as changes in interest rates, inflation, geopolitical events, or regulatory policies, can impact mutual fund returns. These factors can affect asset prices, market sentiment, and overall economic conditions, leading to fluctuations in fund performance.

Market Conditions

The performance of the underlying shares or debentures directly influences the mutual fund's Net Asset Value (NAV). A bullish market can boost returns, while a bearish market may cause a decline in the NAV.

Taxes

Taxes on capital gains and dividends can reduce an investor's net returns. The time frame is also essential. India has different tax rates for Short-Term and Long-Term Capital Gains. Efficient tax planning can help mitigate this impact.

Internal Factors

Internal factors are specific to the fund, including the fund manager's expertise, asset allocation strategy, and expense ratio, directly influencing a mutual fund's performance. These factors determine how efficiently the fund is managed and how well it adapts to market conditions, ultimately affecting returns.

Fund Manager’s Strategy

The decisions made by the fund manager, such as asset allocation and investment timing, play an essential role in the fund’s potential returns. A fund manager may postpone or delay an investment or even diversify it to maximise the fund's returns.

Reinvestment

There are different types of mutual funds in which dividends are paid to the investor or invested in the fund. Reinvesting dividends can enhance the power of compounding, contributing to higher returns over time as the reinvested amount generates its earnings.

Expense Ratio

The Expense Ratio is the proportion spent on the fund’s administrative expenses. The fund’s management and operational fees can reduce investors' overall returns. Lower expense ratios are typically more favorable for long-term growth.

Conclusion

Determining mutual fund returns is more than just a mathematical calculation. It demonstrates the investments' performance, helping you make informed decisions and design your investment portfolio to align with your financial goals. By mastering the methods and tools for calculating mutual fund returns, investors can easily assess mutual fund investments and optimise their wealth-building journey, starting when they decide to open Demat Account.