MonitorDirect · GrowthWatch before adding
HDFC Defence Fund
HDFC Mutual FundEquity Schemes - Thematic Fund3.4 years
The scheme seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing predominantly in equity and equity related securities of Defence & allied sector companies.
- NAV
- 28.855
- 30 Oct 2026
- 1Y
- +13.8%
- Trailing CAGR
- AUM
- ₹11,477.59 Cr
- 31 Aug 2026
- Volatility
- High
- 24.9% annualized
Buying brief
Should you add this fund?
Evidence on this desk, framed as a purchase checklist - not SEBI-registered advice.
As of 30 Oct 2026
Stance
Watch before adding
Recent evidence is mixed. Compare peers before increasing exposure.
In three lines
Fits if · The fund beat the category median in 100% of rolling 3-year windows.
Fits if · Three-year return is above the category median.
Prefer peers if · Prefer Axis Consumption Fund if you want a same-category peer with stronger evidence.
Buy checklist
History depth
Watch
3.4 years - usable, still building a track record.
Engine status
Watch
Recent evidence is mixed. Compare peers before increasing exposure.
Expense ratio
Pass
0.90% TER (Direct). Lower cost compounds on long SIPs.
Drawdown vs peers
Pass
Peak-to-trough -34.5%. Ask whether you can hold through a similar fall.
Vs category
Pass
100% of rolling 3Y windows beat the category median, same plan and option.
Manager tenure
Watch
Priya Ranjan · 1.5 years on the scheme.
Exit load
n/a
No exit-load summary on file.
Tax / wrapper
Pass
Direct Growth, no ELSS lock flagged. Equity LTCG rules still apply after one year - not tax advice.
Portfolio concentration
Watch
Top 10 holdings ≈ 79.7% of the portfolio.
Browse category
Same-category peers are preloaded into compare when available.
Before you buy or SIP
Behaviour and wrappers - the usual India MF failure modes - not a buy instruction.
Drawdown rehearsal
This scheme’s worst fall on file is about 35%. Before you SIP, ask whether you would keep contributing through a similar drop - pausing on fear is the usual India MF failure mode.
SIP discipline
Monitor is recent mixed evidence - keep the SIP unless the buying brief says prefer peers, then swap with intent.
NAV
Path not in current snapshots
n/a
Returns
Trailing CAGR and simulated monthly SIP XIRR from daily NAV. Category comparison uses the median of comparable share classes in the peer set.
Trailing CAGR
Point-to-point, calendar-day annualized
- 1Y+13.8%
- 3Y+34.8%
- 5Yn/a
- 10Yn/a
- SI+36.4%
SIP XIRR
Equal monthly instalments to latest NAV
- 1Y+14.5%
- 3Y+20.3%
- 5Yn/a
- 10Yn/a
- Since inception
- +36.4%
- Calendar-day CAGR
- Excess 1Y
- +18.4%
- Category median, same plan and option
- 3Y win rate
- +100%
- Windows beating the median
- 3Y percentile
- 97
- Vs comparable share classes
- SIP 3Y XIRR
- +20.3%
- Simulated monthly SIP
- Worst rolling 3Y
- +33.3%
- 105 daily-ending windows
- Median rolling 3Y
- +40.6%
- Calendar-day CAGR
- Positive rolling 5Y
- n/a
- 0 daily-ending windows
Drawdown
Peak to trough from a running NAV high, with the path and recovery episodes.
- Max drawdown
- -34.5%
- Worst peak-to-trough
- Current
- -11.4%
- Below last peak
- Current spell
- 52 days
- Days below latest peak
- Time below peak
- +85%
- NAV observations
Drawdown
Path not in current snapshots
n/a
- Average recovery
- 8 days
- 43 recovered episodes
- Longest recovery
- 88 days
- Trough to prior peak
8 Jul 2024 – 27 May 2025
Trough 28 Feb 2025 · recovered in 88 days
-34.5%
23 Jun 2025 – 16 Apr 2026
Trough 31 Mar 2026 · recovered in 16 days
-15.4%
3 Jun 2024 – 14 Jun 2024
Trough 4 Jun 2024 · recovered in 10 days
-14.5%
8 Sept 2026 – open
Trough 23 Oct 2026 · not recovered
-12.8%
Dimensions
0–100 reads of named metrics. The mean is unweighted and only uses dimensions with data.
Returns
97
Vs category
100
Consistency
99
Risk-adjusted
83
Drawdown
14
Mean
79
Decision
Quantitative engine reasons behind the buying stance. An explanation can only restate what is already here.
Monitor
Buying stance
Watch before adding
Recent evidence is mixed. Compare peers before increasing exposure.
Why this status
No status reasons yet. History is still thin.
Supporting reads
- The fund beat the category median in 100% of rolling 3-year windows.
- Three-year return is above the category median.
- Risk-adjusted return sits above the documented risk-free proxy.
Portfolio
31 Aug 2026 · 25 holdings · top 10 are 79.7%.
- Top 5
- 58.5%
- Top 10
- 79.7%
- Largest holding
- 15.2%
- Effective holdings
- 11.6
Bharat Electronics Ltd
Industrials
15.2%
Bharat Forge Ltd
Consumer Discretionary
13.4%
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
Industrials
12.6%
Solar Industries India Ltd
Materials
10.8%
Astra Microwave Products Ltd
Technology
6.6%
Worth investigating
Same-category peers with enough history to inspect beside this fund - including tradeoffs.
Axis Consumption Fund
Axis Mutual Fund
- 1Y
- -9.9%
- 3Y
- n/a
- Vol
- 13.9%
- Max DD
- -20.1%
- Sharpe
- -0.73
- 3Y win
- n/a
- Lower volatility
- Shallower drawdown
- Lower TER
Caveat: Lower trailing returns
Invesco India Business Cycle Fund
Invesco Mutual Fund
- 1Y
- +8.0%
- 3Y
- n/a
- Vol
- 17.5%
- Max DD
- -16.0%
- Sharpe
- 1.08
- 3Y win
- n/a
- Lower volatility
- Shallower drawdown
- Lower TER
Caveat: Lower trailing returns
360 ONE QUANT FUND
360 ONE Mutual Fund
- 1Y
- -8.8%
- 3Y
- +13.2%
- Vol
- 16.6%
- Max DD
- -22.4%
- Sharpe
- 0.55
- 3Y win
- +91%
- Lower volatility
- Shallower drawdown
Caveat: Higher TER · Lower trailing returns
Axis Momentum Fund
Axis Mutual Fund
- 1Y
- -8.6%
- 3Y
- n/a
- Vol
- 16.9%
- Max DD
- -21.5%
- Sharpe
- -0.70
- 3Y win
- n/a
- Lower volatility
- Shallower drawdown
Caveat: Higher TER · Lower trailing returns
Bandhan Multi-Factor Fund
Bandhan Mutual Fund
- 1Y
- -11.2%
- 3Y
- n/a
- Vol
- 13.1%
- Max DD
- -19.8%
- Sharpe
- -1.01
- 3Y win
- n/a
- Lower volatility
- Shallower drawdown
Caveat: Higher TER · Lower trailing returns