Generally, people willing to invest in arbitrage funds look for the best arbitrage funds. But what are Arbitrage funds?
An arbitrage fund is a popular short-term financial investment in India. Arbitrage funds are Mutual Funds that leverage the differential price between the cash market and derivative market to generate mutual fund returns.

The returns generated by arbitrage funds are dependent on the Volatility of the stock market. Arbitrage mutual funds are hybrid in nature and in times of high or persistent volatility, these funds offer relatively risk-free returns to investors. Before Investing in these funds it is important to understand arbitrage funds taxation and know the best arbitrage funds.
Here are some of the benefits of investing in arbitrage funds:
Arbitrage funds are not 100% risk-free but they do carry negligible risk. They Bank on the mispricing happening in the markets. This gives the investor a safer option compared to other short-term funds since these funds offer better returns during market volatility.
These funds generally give a return of about 7-9% of the amount invested. This is higher compared to Liquid Funds or short-term debt funds in low rate enviornment (When RBI is reducing rate).

Thus, making arbitrage funds a lucrative investment option.
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One of the biggest benefits of investing in these funds is the tax treatment. Equity Funds attract long term Capital Gains. If the gains are made up to INR 1 lakh then it counts under tax-free. Tax at 10% applies to gains above INR 1 lakh.
As mentioned above, these funds are taxed favourably. They are said to be a combination of good Debt fund returns and the tax treatment of equity mutual funds. Arbitrage schemes are taxed similar to equity funds making it an attractive investment for people in higher tax brackets. For example, if you belong to a 30% tax bracket, investing in equity arbitrage funds can lower your tax rates to 10% for LTCG and 15% for STCG.
Fund Selection Methodology used to find 7 funds
Fund NAV Net Assets (Cr) 3 MO (%) 6 MO (%) 1 YR (%) 3 YR (%) 5 YR (%) 2025 (%) Invesco India Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹34.0692
↑ 0.00 ₹28,526 1.6 2.9 6 6.8 6.3 6.5 UTI Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹37.4002
↓ 0.00 ₹11,324 1.5 2.9 5.9 6.9 6.1 6.5 HDFC Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹32.694
↓ 0.00 ₹23,772 1.6 2.9 5.9 6.8 6 6.3 ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹36.6164
↓ -0.01 ₹33,423 1.6 3 5.9 6.8 6.1 6.5 Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹39.9897
↓ -0.02 ₹72,409 1.5 3 5.9 6.9 6.2 6.4 SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund Growth ₹36.0721
↓ -0.01 ₹45,923 1.5 2.9 5.9 6.8 6.2 6.5 Nippon India Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹28.2921
↓ -0.01 ₹16,638 1.5 2.9 5.8 6.7 6 6.2 Note: Returns up to 1 year are on absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Research Highlights & Commentary of 7 Funds showcased
Commentary Invesco India Arbitrage Fund UTI Arbitrage Fund HDFC Arbitrage Fund ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund Nippon India Arbitrage Fund Point 1 Lower mid AUM (₹28,526 Cr). Bottom quartile AUM (₹11,324 Cr). Lower mid AUM (₹23,772 Cr). Upper mid AUM (₹33,423 Cr). Highest AUM (₹72,409 Cr). Upper mid AUM (₹45,923 Cr). Bottom quartile AUM (₹16,638 Cr). Point 2 Established history (19+ yrs). Oldest track record among peers (20 yrs). Established history (18+ yrs). Established history (19+ yrs). Established history (20+ yrs). Established history (19+ yrs). Established history (15+ yrs). Point 3 Rating: 3★ (lower mid). Rating: 3★ (lower mid). Rating: 3★ (bottom quartile). Top rated. Rating: 4★ (upper mid). Rating: 2★ (bottom quartile). Rating: 4★ (upper mid). Point 4 Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderate. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Point 5 5Y return: 6.26% (top quartile). 5Y return: 6.06% (lower mid). 5Y return: 6.03% (bottom quartile). 5Y return: 6.07% (lower mid). 5Y return: 6.23% (upper mid). 5Y return: 6.25% (upper mid). 5Y return: 5.96% (bottom quartile). Point 6 3Y return: 6.84% (upper mid). 3Y return: 6.88% (upper mid). 3Y return: 6.82% (lower mid). 3Y return: 6.83% (lower mid). 3Y return: 6.92% (top quartile). 3Y return: 6.81% (bottom quartile). 3Y return: 6.67% (bottom quartile). Point 7 1Y return: 5.97% (top quartile). 1Y return: 5.94% (upper mid). 1Y return: 5.93% (upper mid). 1Y return: 5.93% (lower mid). 1Y return: 5.92% (lower mid). 1Y return: 5.86% (bottom quartile). 1Y return: 5.84% (bottom quartile). Point 8 1M return: 0.44% (lower mid). 1M return: 0.45% (upper mid). 1M return: 0.45% (upper mid). 1M return: 0.47% (top quartile). 1M return: 0.45% (lower mid). 1M return: 0.42% (bottom quartile). 1M return: 0.43% (bottom quartile). Point 9 Alpha: 0.00 (top quartile). Alpha: 0.00 (upper mid). Alpha: 0.00 (upper mid). Alpha: 0.00 (lower mid). Alpha: 0.00 (lower mid). Alpha: 0.00 (bottom quartile). Alpha: 0.00 (bottom quartile). Point 10 Sharpe: 0.47 (top quartile). Sharpe: 0.34 (upper mid). Sharpe: 0.36 (upper mid). Sharpe: 0.29 (bottom quartile). Sharpe: 0.31 (lower mid). Sharpe: 0.33 (lower mid). Sharpe: 0.22 (bottom quartile). Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
UTI Arbitrage Fund
HDFC Arbitrage Fund
ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
Nippon India Arbitrage Fund
*Below is the list of Arbitrage funds sorted on last 1 year return and having AUM > 100 Crore.
The primary investment objective of the scheme is to generate income through arbitrage opportunities emerging out of mis-pricing between the cash market and the derivatives market and through deployment of surplus cash in fixed income instruments. Below is the key information for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on (Erstwhile UTI SPREAD Fund) The investment objective of the scheme is to provide capital appreciation and dividend distribution through arbitrage opportunities arising out of price differences between the cash and derivative market by investing predominantly in equity and equity-related securities, derivatives and the balance portion in debt securities. However, there can be no assurance that the investment objective of the scheme will be realised. Research Highlights for UTI Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for UTI Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on "To generate income through arbitrage opportunities between cash and derivative market and arbitrage opportunities within the derivative segment and by deployment of surplus cash in debt securities and money market instruments." Research Highlights for HDFC Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for HDFC Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The investment objective of Income Optimiser Plan under the scheme is to seek to generate low volatility returns by using arbitrage and other derivative strategies in equity markets and investments in short-term debt portfolio. Research Highlights for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The investment objective of the scheme is to generate capital appreciation and income by predominantly investing in arbitrage opportunities in the cash and derivatives segment of the equity market, and by investing the balance in debt and money market instruments. However, there is no assurance that the objective of the scheme will be realized Research Highlights for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on To provide capital appreciation and regular income for unitholders by identifying profitable arbitrage opportunities between the spot and derivative market segments as also through investment of surplus cash in debt and money market instruments. Research Highlights for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund Below is the key information for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund Returns up to 1 year are on (Erstwhile Reliance Arbitrage Advantage Fund) The investment objective of the scheme is to generate income by taking advantage of the arbitrage opportunities that potentially exists between cash and derivative market and within the derivative segment along with investments in debt securities & money market instruments. Research Highlights for Nippon India Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for Nippon India Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on 1. Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 30 Apr 07 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹34.0692 ↑ 0.00 (0.00 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹28,526 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 1.06 Sharpe Ratio 0.47 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-15 Days (0.5%),15 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,368 31 Jul 23 ₹11,077 31 Jul 24 ₹11,946 31 Jul 25 ₹12,775 31 Jul 26 ₹13,545 Returns for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.4% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 6% 3 Year 6.8% 5 Year 6.3% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.6% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.5% 2024 7.6% 2023 7.4% 2022 5.1% 2021 3.5% 2020 4.3% 2019 5.9% 2018 5.9% 2017 5.5% 2016 6.5% Fund Manager information for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Deepak Gupta 11 Nov 21 4.72 Yr. Pradeep Sukte 25 Jun 26 0.1 Yr. Data below for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 98.09% Equity 0.45% Debt 2.26% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 24.97% Consumer Cyclical 9.14% Energy 7.21% Basic Materials 7.07% Communication Services 6.42% Industrials 5.14% Health Care 4.19% Consumer Defensive 3.65% Utility 2.38% Real Estate 1.32% Technology 0.83% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 85.36% Corporate 12.1% Government 2.91% Credit Quality
Rating Value AA 2.85% AAA 97.15% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Future on BANK Index
- | -16% -₹4,489 Cr 411,923,800
↑ 178,434,325 Invesco India Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -7% ₹1,984 Cr 5,153,996
↑ 221,098 Invesco India Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -5% ₹1,483 Cr 4,415,910 Future on Reliance Industries Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,078 Cr 8,279,000
↑ 2,936,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 22 | RELIANCE4% ₹1,071 Cr 8,279,000
↑ 2,936,000 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 24 | ICICIBANK3% ₹917 Cr 6,668,900
↓ -5,932,500 Future on Bharti Airtel Ltd
Derivatives | -3% -₹911 Cr 4,905,800
↑ 4,089,275 Bharti Airtel Ltd (Communication Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 24 | BHARTIARTL3% ₹909 Cr 4,905,800
↑ 4,089,275 Yes Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Nov 24 | YESBANK2% ₹661 Cr 273,306,800
↑ 123,280,400 Canara Bank (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 26 | 5324832% ₹609 Cr 48,546,000
↑ 32,049,000 2. UTI Arbitrage Fund
UTI Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 22 Jun 06 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹37.4002 ↓ 0.00 (-0.01 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹11,324 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC UTI Asset Management Company Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.78 Sharpe Ratio 0.34 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-30 Days (0.5%),30 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,313 31 Jul 23 ₹10,961 31 Jul 24 ₹11,822 31 Jul 25 ₹12,658 31 Jul 26 ₹13,414 Returns for UTI Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.5% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 5.9% 3 Year 6.9% 5 Year 6.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.8% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.5% 2024 7.7% 2023 7.2% 2022 4% 2021 3.9% 2020 4.4% 2019 6.2% 2018 6.2% 2017 5.7% 2016 6.5% Fund Manager information for UTI Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Amit Sharma 2 Jul 18 8.08 Yr. Sharwan Kumar Goyal 1 Jan 21 5.58 Yr. Data below for UTI Arbitrage Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 96.15% Debt 2.85% Other 1.39% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 28.89% Consumer Cyclical 7.72% Basic Materials 7.63% Communication Services 5.46% Health Care 5.2% Industrials 5.17% Energy 4.31% Consumer Defensive 3.14% Real Estate 1.02% Utility 0.86% Technology 0.28% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 79.57% Corporate 16.25% Government 3.18% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity UTI Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -16% ₹1,803 Cr 5,416,405
↑ 377,567 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 22 | HDFCBANK5% ₹557 Cr 6,978,400
↓ -282,250 HDFC BANK LTD.-28-Jul-2026
Derivatives | -5% -₹538 Cr 6,699,550
↑ 6,699,550 RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LTD.-28-Jul-2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹382 Cr 2,936,000
↑ 2,936,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Aug 23 | RELIANCE3% ₹380 Cr 2,936,000
↑ 413,500 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Sep 24 | ICICIBANK3% ₹367 Cr 2,669,100
↓ -1,976,800 STATE BANK OF INDIA-28-Jul-2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹305 Cr 2,948,250
↑ 2,948,250 State Bank of India (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 May 23 | SBIN3% ₹303 Cr 2,948,250
↑ 33,750 ETERNAL LIMITED-28-Jul-2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹292 Cr 10,977,975
↑ 10,977,975 Eternal Ltd (Consumer Cyclical)
Equity, Since 31 May 25 | ETERNAL3% ₹290 Cr 10,977,975
↑ 1,091,250 3. HDFC Arbitrage Fund
HDFC Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 23 Oct 07 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹32.694 ↓ 0.00 (-0.01 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹23,772 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC HDFC Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.97 Sharpe Ratio 0.36 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 100,000 Min SIP Investment 300 Exit Load 0-1 Months (0.25%),1 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,301 31 Jul 23 ₹10,964 31 Jul 24 ₹11,823 31 Jul 25 ₹12,639 31 Jul 26 ₹13,394 Returns for HDFC Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 5.9% 3 Year 6.8% 5 Year 6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.5% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.3% 2024 7.7% 2023 7.2% 2022 4.2% 2021 3.6% 2020 3.7% 2019 6% 2018 5.7% 2017 5.3% 2016 6.6% Fund Manager information for HDFC Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Anil Bamboli 1 Feb 22 4.5 Yr. Arun Agarwal 24 Aug 20 5.94 Yr. Dhruv Muchhal 22 Jun 23 3.11 Yr. Nandita Menezes 29 Mar 25 1.34 Yr. Data below for HDFC Arbitrage Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 91.56% Debt 8.75% Other 0.06% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 22.11% Basic Materials 9.94% Consumer Cyclical 7.62% Energy 6.51% Industrials 5.97% Consumer Defensive 3.68% Health Care 3.43% Utility 3.1% Communication Services 2.79% Real Estate 0.69% Technology 0.45% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 79.06% Corporate 17.21% Government 4.04% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity HDFC Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -9% ₹2,087 Cr 3,354,179 Future on HDFC Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -5% -₹1,213 Cr 15,102,100
↑ 15,102,100 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 23 | HDFCBANK5% ₹1,205 Cr 15,102,100
↓ -5,761,100 Future on Reliance Industries Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,019 Cr 7,835,000
↑ 7,835,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 21 | RELIANCE4% ₹1,014 Cr 7,835,000
↓ -520,000 HDFC Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -4% ₹939 Cr 1,704,922 Future on ICICI Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹925 Cr 6,689,900
↑ 6,689,900 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 24 | ICICIBANK4% ₹920 Cr 6,689,900
↓ -1,206,800 HDFC Ultra S/T Fund Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -3% ₹615 Cr 373,115,103 Future on JSW Steel Ltd
Derivatives | -2% -₹564 Cr 4,598,775
↑ 4,598,775 4. ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 30 Dec 06 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹36.6164 ↓ -0.01 (-0.02 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹33,423 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderate Expense Ratio 0.9 Sharpe Ratio 0.29 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 1,000 Exit Load 0-1 Months (0.25%),1 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,319 31 Jul 23 ₹10,981 31 Jul 24 ₹11,831 31 Jul 25 ₹12,660 31 Jul 26 ₹13,419 Returns for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 3% 1 Year 5.9% 3 Year 6.8% 5 Year 6.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.8% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.5% 2024 7.6% 2023 7.1% 2022 4.2% 2021 3.9% 2020 4.3% 2019 5.9% 2018 6.2% 2017 5.5% 2016 6.8% Fund Manager information for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Nikhil Kabra 29 Dec 20 5.59 Yr. Sharmila D'Silva 31 Jul 22 4.01 Yr. Darshil Dedhia 13 Sep 24 1.88 Yr. Ajaykumar Solanki 23 Aug 24 1.94 Yr. Archana Nair 1 Feb 24 2.5 Yr. Data below for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 94.06% Debt 6.28% Other 0.05% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 20.04% Communication Services 8.56% Basic Materials 8.07% Consumer Cyclical 7.66% Energy 6.64% Industrials 6.13% Health Care 4.95% Utility 4.2% Consumer Defensive 2.44% Real Estate 1.75% Technology 0.16% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 77.5% Corporate 17.64% Government 5.21% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity ICICI Pru Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -16% ₹5,242 Cr 127,933,512 Future on Reliance Industries Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,338 Cr 10,287,000
↑ 1,745,500 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Aug 18 | RELIANCE4% ₹1,331 Cr 10,287,000
↑ 1,745,500 Future on Bharti Airtel Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,328 Cr 7,152,075
↓ -1,928,975 Bharti Airtel Ltd (Communication Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 23 | BHARTIARTL4% ₹1,325 Cr 7,152,075
↓ -1,928,975 Future on Vodafone Idea Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,291 Cr 888,005,400
↑ 34,808,325 Future on HDFC Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,290 Cr 16,058,900
↓ -844,400 Vodafone Idea Ltd (Communication Services)
Equity, Since 30 Sep 23 | 5328224% ₹1,284 Cr 888,005,400
↑ 34,808,325 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Nov 21 | HDFCBANK4% ₹1,281 Cr 16,058,900
↓ -844,400 Union Bank of India
Debentures | -2% ₹623 Cr 13,000 5. Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 29 Sep 05 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹39.9897 ↓ -0.02 (-0.06 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹72,409 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co Ltd Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.97 Sharpe Ratio 0.31 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-30 Days (0.25%),30 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,349 31 Jul 23 ₹11,034 31 Jul 24 ₹11,925 31 Jul 25 ₹12,761 31 Jul 26 ₹13,525 Returns for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.4% 3 Month 1.5% 6 Month 3% 1 Year 5.9% 3 Year 6.9% 5 Year 6.2% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.9% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.4% 2024 7.8% 2023 7.4% 2022 4.5% 2021 4% 2020 4.3% 2019 6.1% 2018 6.3% 2017 5.8% 2016 6.7% Fund Manager information for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Hiten Shah 3 Oct 19 6.83 Yr. Data below for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 93.32% Debt 7.03% Other 0.06% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 23.53% Consumer Cyclical 8.6% Basic Materials 8.5% Industrials 7.13% Energy 6.29% Consumer Defensive 4.72% Utility 4.38% Health Care 4.28% Communication Services 3.43% Technology 1.4% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 80.15% Corporate 15.5% Government 4.7% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Kotak Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -10% ₹7,245 Cr 14,979,603
↓ -2,081,425 Kotak Savings Fund Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -5% ₹3,398 Cr 709,655,522
↓ -116,647,916 ICICI Bank Ltd.-JUL2026
Derivatives | -4% -₹2,699 Cr 19,499,900
↑ 17,987,200 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 19 | ICICIBANK4% ₹2,688 Cr 19,544,000
↓ -8,805,300 Kotak Low Duration Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -3% ₹2,076 Cr 5,338,100 Kotak Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -3% ₹1,989 Cr 3,509,654
↑ 2,033,781 HDFC Bank Ltd.-JUL2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹1,974 Cr 24,588,200
↑ 20,471,100 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 22 | HDFCBANK3% ₹1,964 Cr 24,610,300
↓ -18,621,150 RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LTD.-JUL2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹1,964 Cr 15,100,000
↑ 14,340,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 May 18 | RELIANCE3% ₹1,958 Cr 15,131,000
↓ -3,070,500 6. SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
Growth Launch Date 3 Nov 06 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹36.0721 ↓ -0.01 (-0.04 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹45,923 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC SBI Funds Management Private Limited Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.95 Sharpe Ratio 0.33 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-1 Months (0.5%),1 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,371 31 Jul 23 ₹11,080 31 Jul 24 ₹11,942 31 Jul 25 ₹12,781 31 Jul 26 ₹13,539 Returns for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.4% 3 Month 1.5% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 5.9% 3 Year 6.8% 5 Year 6.2% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.7% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.5% 2024 7.5% 2023 7.4% 2022 4.6% 2021 4% 2020 3.5% 2019 6% 2018 6.2% 2017 5.3% 2016 6.4% Fund Manager information for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
Name Since Tenure Neeraj Kumar 5 Oct 12 13.83 Yr. Ardhendu Bhattacharya 27 Dec 24 1.59 Yr. Data below for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 95.49% Debt 4.79% Other 0.06% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 28.43% Industrials 7.1% Consumer Cyclical 7.01% Basic Materials 6.9% Energy 6.67% Utility 3.92% Health Care 3.78% Consumer Defensive 3.76% Communication Services 3.74% Real Estate 1.25% Technology 0.58% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 84.02% Corporate 12.55% Government 3.7% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity SBI Savings Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -13% ₹5,851 Cr 1,234,606,835
↑ 507,883,952 Future on HDFC Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -6% -₹2,558 Cr 31,837,650
↓ -1,241,950 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 22 | HDFCBANK6% ₹2,540 Cr 31,837,650
↓ -1,241,950 SBI Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -5% ₹2,374 Cr 5,414,307
↓ -2,998,870 Future on ICICI Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,951 Cr 14,112,700
↓ -4,561,200 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 21 | ICICIBANK4% ₹1,941 Cr 14,112,700
↓ -4,561,200 Future on Reliance Industries Ltd
Derivatives | -3% -₹1,546 Cr 11,877,500
↑ 3,684,500 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 30 Nov 21 | RELIANCE3% ₹1,537 Cr 11,877,500
↑ 3,684,500 Future on State Bank of India
Derivatives | -3% -₹1,449 Cr 13,977,750
↓ -69,750 State Bank of India (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 May 23 | SBIN3% ₹1,435 Cr 13,977,750
↓ -69,750 7. Nippon India Arbitrage Fund
Nippon India Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 14 Oct 10 NAV (14 Aug 26) ₹28.2921 ↓ -0.01 (-0.05 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹16,638 on 30 Jun 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 1.07 Sharpe Ratio 0.22 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-1 Months (0.25%),1 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jul 21 ₹10,000 31 Jul 22 ₹10,327 31 Jul 23 ₹10,974 31 Jul 24 ₹11,817 31 Jul 25 ₹12,607 31 Jul 26 ₹13,350 Returns for Nippon India Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 14 Aug 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.4% 3 Month 1.5% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 5.8% 3 Year 6.7% 5 Year 6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.8% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2025 6.2% 2024 7.5% 2023 7% 2022 4.2% 2021 3.8% 2020 4.3% 2019 6.2% 2018 6.8% 2017 5.5% 2016 6.6% Fund Manager information for Nippon India Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Kinjal Desai 25 May 18 8.19 Yr. Vikash Agarwal 14 Sep 24 1.88 Yr. Nemish Sheth 21 Mar 25 1.36 Yr. Rohit Shah 8 Apr 24 2.31 Yr. Amber Singhania 11 Mar 26 0.39 Yr. Data below for Nippon India Arbitrage Fund as on 30 Jun 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Equity 138.4% Debt 7.74% Other 0.06% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 25.75% Basic Materials 9.28% Consumer Cyclical 7.98% Energy 7.13% Industrials 5.49% Communication Services 4.01% Health Care 3.8% Utility 3.11% Consumer Defensive 2.7% Real Estate 0.79% Technology 0.57% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Corporate 16.04% Government 3% Credit Quality
Rating Value AA 44.6% AAA 55.4% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Nippon India Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -15% ₹2,469 Cr 5,503,114
↓ -1,352 Nippon India U/ST Duration Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -8% ₹1,280 Cr 2,692,072
↑ 158,103 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 23 | HDFCBANK6% ₹923 Cr 11,570,000
↓ -1,216,150 Hdfc Bank Limited_28/07/2026
Derivatives, Since 30 Jun 26 | -5% ₹809 Cr 10,071,750
↑ 10,071,750 Future on Reliance Industries Ltd
Derivatives, Since 30 Jun 26 | -5% ₹808 Cr 6,212,500
↑ 546,500 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 17 | RELIANCE5% ₹804 Cr 6,212,500
↑ 546,500 Future on Axis Bank Ltd
Derivatives, Since 30 Jun 26 | -3% ₹440 Cr 3,243,750
↑ 211,875 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jul 23 | 5322153% ₹437 Cr 3,243,750
↑ 211,875 Future on ICICI Bank Ltd
Derivatives, Since 30 Jun 26 | -3% ₹428 Cr 3,093,300
↓ -1,478,400 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 24 | ICICIBANK3% ₹425 Cr 3,093,300
↓ -1,478,400
As trades are carried out on the stock exchange, there’s no counter party risk involved in these funds. Even though the fund manager is buying and selling shares in cash and futures market, there is no risk exposure to equities as is the case with other diversified equity mutual funds. Though the ride looks smooth, do not get too comfortable with these funds. As more people start trading into arbitrage funds, there will be not many arbitrage opportunities available. The spread between cash and future market prices will erode, leaving little for the arbitrage focused investors.
Arbitrage Funds may be a good opportunity to make reasonable returns for those who can understand it and then make the most of it. The fund manager tries to generate an Alpha using price differentials in markets. Historically, arbitrage funds have been found to give returns in the range of 7%-8% over a period of 5-10 years. If you are looking to earn moderate returns via a Portfolio which has a perfect blend of debt and equity in a volatile market, arbitrage funds may be your thing. However, you need to keep one thing in mind that there are no guaranteed returns in arbitrage funds.
Cost becomes an important consideration while evaluating arbitrage funds. These funds charge an annual fee called expense ratio which is expressed as a percentage of the fund’s assets. It includes fund manager’s fee and fund management charges. Due to frequent trading, arbitrage funds would incur huge transaction costs and has a high turnover ratio. Additionally, the fund may levy exit loads for a period of 30 to 60 days to discourage investors from exiting early. All these costs may lead to increase in the expense ratio of the fund. A high expense ratio puts a downward pressure on your take-home returns.
Arbitrage funds may be suitable for investors having a short to medium term horizon of 3 to 5 years. As these funds charge exit loads, you may consider them only when you are ready to stay invested for a period of at least 3-6 months. At the same time, you need to understand that fund returns are highly dependent on the existence of high volatility. So, choosing a lump sum investment would make sense over Systematic investment plan (SIPs). In absence of volatility, liquid funds may give better returns than arbitrage funds over the same investment horizon. Hence, you need to keep the overall market scenario in mind while choosing arbitrage funds.
If you have short to medium term Financial goals, then arbitrage funds are your thing. Instead of a regular savings bank account, you may use these funds to park excess funds in order to create an emergency fund and earn higher returns on them. In case you were already invested in riskier havens equity funds, then you may begin a Systematic Transfer Plan (STP) from the equity funds to a less risky haven like arbitrage funds as you approach completion of the financial goal. This would reduce your portfolio’s overall risk profile but at the same time reduce the returns also. You cannot expect to earn double-digit returns in arbitrage funds.
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