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 (%) 2024 (%) UTI Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹36.4678
↑ 0.01 ₹10,957 1.6 3 6.5 7.1 6 6.5 SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund Growth ₹35.1765
↑ 0.02 ₹43,574 1.6 2.9 6.4 7.1 6.1 6.5 ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹35.6865
↑ 0.01 ₹32,976 1.6 2.9 6.4 7.1 6 6.5 Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹27.6193
↑ 0.01 ₹26,736 1.6 2.9 6.4 7 5.9 6.4 Invesco India Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹33.2068
↑ 0.02 ₹28,593 1.6 3 6.4 7.1 6.1 6.5 Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹38.9729
↑ 0.01 ₹71,931 1.6 2.9 6.3 7.2 6.1 6.4 HDFC Arbitrage Fund Growth ₹31.867
↑ 0.01 ₹24,503 1.6 2.9 6.3 7.1 5.9 6.3 Note: Returns up to 1 year are on absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Research Highlights & Commentary of 7 Funds showcased
Commentary UTI Arbitrage Fund SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund Invesco India Arbitrage Fund Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund HDFC Arbitrage Fund Point 1 Bottom quartile AUM (₹10,957 Cr). Upper mid AUM (₹43,574 Cr). Upper mid AUM (₹32,976 Cr). Lower mid AUM (₹26,736 Cr). Lower mid AUM (₹28,593 Cr). Highest AUM (₹71,931 Cr). Bottom quartile AUM (₹24,503 Cr). Point 2 Established history (19+ yrs). Established history (19+ yrs). Established history (19+ yrs). Established history (16+ yrs). Established history (18+ yrs). Oldest track record among peers (20 yrs). Established history (18+ yrs). Point 3 Rating: 3★ (upper mid). Rating: 2★ (bottom quartile). Top rated. Rating: 3★ (lower mid). Rating: 3★ (lower mid). Rating: 4★ (upper mid). Rating: 3★ (bottom quartile). Point 4 Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderate. Risk profile: Moderate. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Risk profile: Moderately Low. Point 5 5Y return: 5.99% (lower mid). 5Y return: 6.15% (top quartile). 5Y return: 5.97% (lower mid). 5Y return: 5.91% (bottom quartile). 5Y return: 6.13% (upper mid). 5Y return: 6.14% (upper mid). 5Y return: 5.93% (bottom quartile). Point 6 3Y return: 7.14% (upper mid). 3Y return: 7.14% (upper mid). 3Y return: 7.06% (lower mid). 3Y return: 7.02% (bottom quartile). 3Y return: 7.11% (lower mid). 3Y return: 7.20% (top quartile). 3Y return: 7.05% (bottom quartile). Point 7 1Y return: 6.47% (top quartile). 1Y return: 6.45% (upper mid). 1Y return: 6.39% (upper mid). 1Y return: 6.38% (lower mid). 1Y return: 6.37% (lower mid). 1Y return: 6.33% (bottom quartile). 1Y return: 6.30% (bottom quartile). Point 8 1M return: 0.50% (upper mid). 1M return: 0.52% (upper mid). 1M return: 0.53% (top quartile). 1M return: 0.50% (bottom quartile). 1M return: 0.50% (lower mid). 1M return: 0.50% (lower mid). 1M return: 0.49% (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: 1.31 (upper mid). Sharpe: 1.37 (top quartile). Sharpe: 1.17 (lower mid). Sharpe: 1.07 (lower mid). Sharpe: 1.31 (upper mid). Sharpe: 1.01 (bottom quartile). Sharpe: 0.87 (bottom quartile). UTI Arbitrage Fund
SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund
Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
HDFC Arbitrage Fund
*Below is the list of Arbitrage funds sorted on last 1 year return and having AUM > 100 Crore.
(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. Below is the key information for UTI 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 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 (Erstwhile Aditya Birla Sun Life Enhanced Arbitrage Fund) An Open ended Equity Scheme with an investment objective to generate income by investing predominantly in equity and equity related instruments. Scheme intends to take advantage from the price differentials / mis-pricing prevailing for stock / index in various market segments (Cash & Futures). Research Highlights for Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on 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. Research Highlights for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund Below is the key information for Invesco India 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 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 1. UTI Arbitrage Fund
UTI Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 22 Jun 06 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹36.4678 ↑ 0.01 (0.02 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹10,957 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC UTI Asset Management Company Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.78 Sharpe Ratio 1.31 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 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,421 28 Feb 23 ₹10,877 29 Feb 24 ₹11,696 28 Feb 25 ₹12,558 28 Feb 26 ₹13,367 Returns for UTI Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 3% 1 Year 6.5% 3 Year 7.1% 5 Year 6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.8% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.5% 2023 7.7% 2022 7.2% 2021 4% 2020 3.9% 2019 4.4% 2018 6.2% 2017 6.2% 2016 5.7% 2015 6.5% Fund Manager information for UTI Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Amit Sharma 2 Jul 18 7.59 Yr. Sharwan Kumar Goyal 1 Jan 21 5.09 Yr. Data below for UTI Arbitrage Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 90.83% Debt 9.36% Other 0.05% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 24.92% Consumer Cyclical 9.59% Basic Materials 8.51% Industrials 6.36% Consumer Defensive 4.62% Health Care 4.35% Communication Services 3.69% Energy 3.37% Real Estate 2.26% Technology 1.99% Utility 1.09% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 83.53% Corporate 14.11% Government 2.55% Credit Quality
Rating Value AA 1.63% AAA 98.37% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity UTI Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -12% ₹1,360 Cr 4,201,929 UTI Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -5% ₹541 Cr 1,210,063
↑ 920,234 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 22 | HDFCBANK4% ₹478 Cr 5,140,850
↑ 242,550 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Sep 24 | ICICIBANK4% ₹447 Cr 3,301,200
↓ -434,000 HDFC BANK LTD.-24-Feb-2026
Derivatives | -4% -₹426 Cr 4,558,950
↑ 4,558,950 ETERNAL LIMITED-24-Feb-2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹351 Cr 12,789,450
↑ 12,789,450 Eternal Ltd (Consumer Cyclical)
Equity, Since 31 May 25 | 5433203% ₹350 Cr 12,789,450
↑ 1,256,150 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Aug 23 | RELIANCE3% ₹341 Cr 2,441,500
↑ 207,000 ICICI BANK LTD-24-Feb-2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹316 Cr 2,319,100
↑ 2,319,100 RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LTD.-24-Feb-2026
Derivatives | -3% -₹302 Cr 2,160,500
↑ 2,160,500 2. SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
Growth Launch Date 3 Nov 06 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹35.1765 ↑ 0.02 (0.05 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹43,574 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC SBI Funds Management Private Limited Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.95 Sharpe Ratio 1.37 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 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,449 28 Feb 23 ₹10,960 29 Feb 24 ₹11,802 28 Feb 25 ₹12,656 28 Feb 26 ₹13,467 Returns for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 6.4% 3 Year 7.1% 5 Year 6.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.7% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.5% 2023 7.5% 2022 7.4% 2021 4.6% 2020 4% 2019 3.5% 2018 6% 2017 6.2% 2016 5.3% 2015 6.4% Fund Manager information for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund
Name Since Tenure Neeraj Kumar 5 Oct 12 13.33 Yr. Ardhendu Bhattacharya 27 Dec 24 1.1 Yr. Data below for SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 94.95% Debt 5.65% Other 0.05% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 25.12% Basic Materials 8.45% Industrials 7.72% Consumer Cyclical 6.46% Energy 4.99% Health Care 4.38% Consumer Defensive 4.27% Communication Services 4.23% Technology 4.18% Utility 2.28% Real Estate 1.63% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 88.96% Corporate 10.06% Government 1.53% Credit Quality
Rating Value AA 2.29% AAA 97.71% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity SBI Savings Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -8% ₹3,351 Cr 726,722,883 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 22 | HDFCBANK6% ₹2,417 Cr 26,005,100
↑ 865,700 SBI Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -6% ₹2,412 Cr 5,656,783
↑ 1,799,689 Hdfc Bank Ltd. 24-Feb-26
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,907 Cr 20,416,550
↑ 20,408,300 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 21 | ICICIBANK4% ₹1,820 Cr 13,433,000
↓ -1,500,800 Icici Bank Ltd. 24-Feb-26
Derivatives | -3% -₹1,326 Cr 9,740,500
↑ 9,740,500 SBI Low Duration Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -3% ₹1,093 Cr 2,904,125 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jul 18 | AXISBANK2% ₹996 Cr 7,270,000
↑ 2,738,125 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 30 Nov 21 | RELIANCE2% ₹919 Cr 6,583,000
↑ 1,429,000 Bharti Airtel Ltd. 24-Feb-26
Derivatives | -2% -₹899 Cr 4,552,875
↑ 3,838,950 3. ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 30 Dec 06 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹35.6865 ↑ 0.01 (0.04 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹32,976 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderate Expense Ratio 0.9 Sharpe Ratio 1.17 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 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,423 28 Feb 23 ₹10,891 29 Feb 24 ₹11,705 28 Feb 25 ₹12,559 28 Feb 26 ₹13,370 Returns for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 6.4% 3 Year 7.1% 5 Year 6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.9% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.5% 2023 7.6% 2022 7.1% 2021 4.2% 2020 3.9% 2019 4.3% 2018 5.9% 2017 6.2% 2016 5.5% 2015 6.8% Fund Manager information for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Nikhil Kabra 29 Dec 20 5.09 Yr. Sharmila D'Silva 31 Jul 22 3.51 Yr. Darshil Dedhia 13 Sep 24 1.38 Yr. Ajaykumar Solanki 23 Aug 24 1.44 Yr. Archana Nair 1 Feb 24 2 Yr. Data below for ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 96.19% Debt 4.26% Other 0.04% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 22.71% Consumer Cyclical 8.67% Basic Materials 7.75% Communication Services 6.89% Industrials 6.36% Health Care 4.93% Energy 4.48% Consumer Defensive 4.22% Utility 3.67% Technology 2.15% Real Estate 1.57% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 83.39% Corporate 13.18% Government 3.87% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity ICICI Pru Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -15% ₹5,096 Cr 127,933,512 Hdfc Bank Ltd.
Derivatives | -5% -₹1,695 Cr 18,124,150
↑ 18,124,150 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Nov 21 | HDFCBANK5% ₹1,684 Cr 18,124,150
↑ 1,203,950 Bharti Airtel Ltd.
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,211 Cr 6,130,825
↑ 6,130,825 Vodafone Idea Ltd.
Derivatives | -3% -₹889 Cr 793,158,075
↑ 793,158,075 Vodafone Idea Ltd (Communication Services)
Equity, Since 30 Sep 23 | 5328223% ₹886 Cr 793,158,075
↑ 138,375,600 Reliance Industries Ltd.
Derivatives | -2% -₹819 Cr 5,843,000
↑ 5,843,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Aug 18 | RELIANCE2% ₹815 Cr 5,843,000
↑ 2,036,500 Axis Bank Ltd.
Derivatives | -2% -₹771 Cr 5,610,000
↑ 5,610,000 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jul 23 | AXISBANK2% ₹769 Cr 5,610,000
↓ -1,936,250 4. Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund
Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 24 Jul 09 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹27.6193 ↑ 0.01 (0.03 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹26,736 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderate Expense Ratio 1.01 Sharpe Ratio 1.07 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 1,000 Min SIP Investment 1,000 Exit Load 0-30 Days (0.5%),30 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,415 28 Feb 23 ₹10,873 29 Feb 24 ₹11,685 28 Feb 25 ₹12,522 28 Feb 26 ₹13,315 Returns for Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 6.4% 3 Year 7% 5 Year 5.9% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.3% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.4% 2023 7.5% 2022 7.1% 2021 4.1% 2020 3.8% 2019 4.1% 2018 6.2% 2017 6% 2016 5.6% 2015 6.5% Fund Manager information for Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Lovelish Solanki 15 Dec 14 11.14 Yr. Mohit Sharma 3 Mar 25 0.92 Yr. Krina Mehta 2 Oct 25 0.33 Yr. Data below for Aditya Birla Sun Life Arbitrage Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 94.39% Debt 5.93% Other 0.04% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 26.01% Consumer Cyclical 8.53% Basic Materials 8.39% Industrials 6.47% Energy 5.47% Communication Services 4.2% Consumer Defensive 3.88% Health Care 3.57% Technology 2.35% Utility 2.34% Real Estate 1.34% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 83.62% Corporate 11.56% Government 5.14% Credit Quality
Rating Value AA 14.16% AAA 85.84% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Aditya BSL Money Mgr Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -10% ₹2,618 Cr 67,406,765 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 18 | RELIANCE4% ₹1,056 Cr 7,565,500 Aditya BSL FRF Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -4% ₹1,042 Cr 28,135,768 Future on HDFC Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,027 Cr 10,689,700
↑ 184,700 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 21 | HDFCBANK4% ₹977 Cr 10,516,000
↑ 11,000 Reliance_(24/02/2026)
Derivatives | -4% -₹974 Cr 6,962,000
↑ 6,935,000 Future on ICICI Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -3% -₹867 Cr 6,346,425
↑ 100,325 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 May 24 | ICICIBANK3% ₹857 Cr 6,326,600
↑ 80,500 Future on Axis Bank Ltd
Derivatives | -3% -₹794 Cr 5,780,000
↑ 101,875 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Sep 23 | AXISBANK3% ₹792 Cr 5,780,000
↑ 101,875 5. Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 30 Apr 07 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹33.2068 ↑ 0.02 (0.05 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹28,593 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC Invesco Asset Management (India) Private Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 1.06 Sharpe Ratio 1.31 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 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,401 28 Feb 23 ₹10,959 29 Feb 24 ₹11,792 28 Feb 25 ₹12,653 28 Feb 26 ₹13,457 Returns for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 3% 1 Year 6.4% 3 Year 7.1% 5 Year 6.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.6% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.5% 2023 7.6% 2022 7.4% 2021 5.1% 2020 3.5% 2019 4.3% 2018 5.9% 2017 5.9% 2016 5.5% 2015 6.5% Fund Manager information for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Deepak Gupta 11 Nov 21 4.22 Yr. Kuber Mannadi 1 Sep 22 3.42 Yr. Data below for Invesco India Arbitrage Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 98.48% Debt 1.99% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 26.63% Industrials 8.87% Health Care 7.27% Consumer Cyclical 7.15% Basic Materials 6.63% Energy 4.98% Communication Services 4.63% Utility 3.03% Technology 2.94% Consumer Defensive 2.92% Real Estate 2.28% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 93.23% Corporate 5.86% Government 1.4% Credit Quality
Rating Value AA 16.5% AAA 83.5% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Future on BANK Index
- | -14% -₹3,997 Cr 76,633,025
↓ -16,988,525 Invesco India Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -9% ₹2,476 Cr 6,615,799
↑ 1,339,630 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 23 | HDFCBANK5% ₹1,555 Cr 16,738,150
↑ 4,480,850 Invesco India Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -5% ₹1,336 Cr 4,091,423 Future on Reliance Industries Ltd
Derivatives | -4% -₹1,243 Cr 8,882,000
↑ 5,285,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 22 | RELIANCE4% ₹1,239 Cr 8,882,000
↑ 5,285,000 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 24 | ICICIBANK4% ₹1,049 Cr 7,742,700
↓ -1,258,600 Eternal Limited February 2026 Future
Derivatives | -3% -₹797 Cr 29,051,500
↑ 27,967,525 Eternal Ltd (Consumer Cyclical)
Equity, Since 31 May 25 | 5433203% ₹795 Cr 29,051,500
↑ 1,214,925 Future on Vodafone Idea Ltd
Derivatives | -2% -₹659 Cr 587,667,450
↓ -9,792,075 6. Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 29 Sep 05 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹38.9729 ↑ 0.01 (0.03 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹71,931 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co Ltd Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.97 Sharpe Ratio 1.01 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 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,431 28 Feb 23 ₹10,929 29 Feb 24 ₹11,782 28 Feb 25 ₹12,657 28 Feb 26 ₹13,454 Returns for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 6.3% 3 Year 7.2% 5 Year 6.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.9% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.4% 2023 7.8% 2022 7.4% 2021 4.5% 2020 4% 2019 4.3% 2018 6.1% 2017 6.3% 2016 5.8% 2015 6.7% Fund Manager information for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Hiten Shah 3 Oct 19 6.34 Yr. Data below for Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 95.37% Debt 4.97% Other 0.07% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 23.73% Basic Materials 8.39% Consumer Cyclical 7.34% Industrials 7.32% Health Care 4.96% Energy 4.64% Communication Services 4.54% Consumer Defensive 4.44% Utility 3.17% Technology 2.16% Real Estate 1.03% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 85.97% Corporate 10.78% Government 3.6% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Kotak Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -11% ₹8,015 Cr 17,061,028
↓ -1,504,306 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 22 | HDFCBANK6% ₹4,121 Cr 44,348,700
↑ 14,104,750 Kotak Savings Fund Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -6% ₹3,992 Cr 858,004,118
↑ 312,259,513 Kotak Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -5% ₹3,806 Cr 6,908,634
↑ 6,908,634 HDFC Bank Ltd.-FEB2026
Derivatives | -5% -₹3,707 Cr 39,698,450
↑ 39,626,950 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 May 18 | RELIANCE3% ₹1,928 Cr 13,818,500
↑ 7,145,500 RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LTD.-FEB2026
Derivatives | -2% -₹1,795 Cr 12,826,000
↑ 12,741,000 ICICI Bank Ltd.-FEB2026
Derivatives | -2% -₹1,775 Cr 13,037,500
↑ 12,902,400 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 19 | ICICIBANK2% ₹1,768 Cr 13,048,000
↓ -854,000 Bharti Airtel Ltd-FEB2026
Derivatives | -2% -₹1,467 Cr 7,429,475
↑ 7,429,000 7. HDFC Arbitrage Fund
HDFC Arbitrage Fund
Growth Launch Date 23 Oct 07 NAV (04 Mar 26) ₹31.867 ↑ 0.01 (0.04 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹24,503 on 31 Jan 26 Category Hybrid - Arbitrage AMC HDFC Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately Low Expense Ratio 0.97 Sharpe Ratio 0.87 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 28 Feb 21 ₹10,000 28 Feb 22 ₹10,395 28 Feb 23 ₹10,870 29 Feb 24 ₹11,685 28 Feb 25 ₹12,540 28 Feb 26 ₹13,326 Returns for HDFC Arbitrage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 4 Mar 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 0.5% 3 Month 1.6% 6 Month 2.9% 1 Year 6.3% 3 Year 7.1% 5 Year 5.9% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.5% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 6.3% 2023 7.7% 2022 7.2% 2021 4.2% 2020 3.6% 2019 3.7% 2018 6% 2017 5.7% 2016 5.3% 2015 6.6% Fund Manager information for HDFC Arbitrage Fund
Name Since Tenure Anil Bamboli 1 Feb 22 4 Yr. Arun Agarwal 24 Aug 20 5.44 Yr. Dhruv Muchhal 22 Jun 23 2.61 Yr. Nandita Menezes 29 Mar 25 0.84 Yr. Data below for HDFC Arbitrage Fund as on 31 Jan 26
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 95.32% Debt 4.88% Other 0.05% Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Financial Services 25.18% Basic Materials 10.29% Consumer Cyclical 8.74% Industrials 6.7% Energy 4.67% Communication Services 4.44% Consumer Defensive 4.22% Technology 3.15% Health Care 2.33% Utility 1.57% Real Estate 1.43% Debt Sector Allocation
Sector Value Cash Equivalent 85.79% Corporate 10.96% Government 3.45% Credit Quality
Rating Value AAA 100% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity HDFC Money Market Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -8% ₹2,051 Cr 3,392,377
↓ -638,989 Hdfc Bank Ltd.
Derivatives | SHORT5% -₹1,259 Cr 13,465,650
↑ 118,800 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 23 | HDFCBANK5% ₹1,251 Cr 13,465,650
↑ 118,800 Icici Bank Ltd.
Derivatives | SHORT5% -₹1,171 Cr 8,595,300
↓ -1,682,800 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 24 | ICICIBANK5% ₹1,165 Cr 8,595,300
↓ -1,682,800 Reliance Industries Ltd.
Derivatives | SHORT4% -₹1,090 Cr 7,784,500
↑ 1,093,000 Reliance Industries Ltd (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 21 | RELIANCE4% ₹1,086 Cr 7,784,500
↑ 1,093,000 HDFC Liquid Dir Gr
Investment Fund | -4% ₹1,013 Cr 1,891,412
↓ -297,684 Bharti Airtel Ltd.
Derivatives | SHORT3% -₹705 Cr 3,571,050
↑ 742,900 Bharti Airtel Ltd (Communication Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 23 | BHARTIARTL3% ₹703 Cr 3,571,050
↑ 742,900
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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