ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund Vs HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund and ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt fund both are a part of Balanced Fund equity category. These equity-oriented balanced funds invest a considerable stake of their corpus in equity and equity–related instruments and the remaining in fixed income instruments. The proportion of debt and equity investments is pre-determined and may change over time. Balanced funds are suitable for individuals seeking regular income along with capital appreciation over time. It is one of the good investment options for medium term. Though both HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund and ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund belong to the same category of balanced fund yet; there are numerous differences between both the schemes related to their current NAV, portfolio composition, performance, and so on. So, let us compare and check the differences between these schemes.

ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund (Erstwhile ICICI Prudential Balanced Fund)

ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund (earlier known as ICICI Prudential Balanced Fund) is a part ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund. It is an open-ended balanced fund which was launched on November 03, 1999. The scheme uses CRISIL Hybrid 35+65 – Aggressive Index as its benchmark to construct its portfolio. It also uses NIFTY 50 Index and 1 Year T Bill as its additional benchmark to construct its portfolio. As on March 31, 2018, the top holdings of ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund consisted of Tata Motors Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Federal Bank Limited, Axis Bank Limited, and Infosys Limited. ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund is managed by Mr. Sankaran Naren, Mr. Atul Patel, and Mr. Manish Banthia. Through diversification, the scheme aims to reduce risk and fluctuation in returns. It also aims to earn regular income along with capital appreciation over time.

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund (earlier known as HDFC Prudence Fund) is a part of HDFC Mutual Fund under the balanced category. This scheme was launched in the year 1994. It is an open-ended Mutual Fund scheme that uses CRISIL Balanced Fund Index as its benchmark to construct the portfolio. As on March 31, 2018, some of the major holdings of HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund’s portfolio included Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel Limited, State Bank of India, Axis Bank Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, and Vedanta Limited. Mr. Rakesh Vyas and Mr. Prashant Jain together manage HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund. The scheme aims for capital appreciation and regular income by generating income from a portfolio comprising of equity and debt instruments. It also aims for minimizing or prevention of capital erosion. Under normal circumstances, the fund aims to invest around 40-75% of its investment in equity instruments while the remaining 25-60% in fixed income instruments.

ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund Vs HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund

Though both ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund and HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund belong to the same category, however; there are differences between them. So, let us understand the differences between both the schemes in terms of AUM, Current NAV, performance, and Fincash Ratings. These parameters are divided into four sections, namely, Basics Section, Performance Section, Yearly Performance Section, and Other Details Section.

Basics Section

This elements forming part of basics section include Fincash Ratings, Category, and Current NAV. With respect to Fincash Ratings, it can be said that, ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund is a 4-Star Fund while HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund is a 3-Star Fund. The comparison of scheme category reveals that both the schemes belong to the same category that is, Hybrid Balanced – Equity. With respect to the current NAV of both the schemes, it can be said that HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund leads the race. As on April 11, 2018, the NAV of HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund was approximately INR 496 while the NAV of ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund was INR 127. The comparison of Basics Section is given below as follows.

Performance Section

In performance section, the Compounded Annual Growth Rate or CAGR returns are compared. These returns are compared at different time intervals such as 1 Month Return, 6 Month Return, 3 Year Return, and 5 Year Return. On a holistic note, it can be said that there is not much difference in the performance of both the schemes. However, in most of the time intervals, ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund has performed better. In certain instances, even HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund has done better. The summary comparison of performance section between both the schemes are tabulated as follows.

Yearly Performance Section

This section compares the absolute returns generated by both the schemes for a particular year. The comparison of yearly performance section shows that in most of the cases, ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund has done better as compared to HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund. The summary comparison of yearly performance section is tabulated as follows.

Other Details Section

It is the last section in the comparison of both the schemes. The parameters forming part of this section are AUM, Minimum Lumpsum Amount, Minimum SIP Amount, and exit load. The comparison of AUM shows that HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund leads the race. As on February 28, 2018, the AUM of HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund was approximately INR 37,836 Crores. On the other hand, the AUM of ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund was approximately INR 27,801 Crores. With respect to the SIP investment, the minimum SIP amount for HDFC’s scheme is INR 500 while for ICICI’s scheme is INR 1,000. However, the lumpsum invest for both the schemes is same, that is, INR 5,000. Also, the exit load for both the schemes is same. If the redemption is done within 1 Year from the date of purchase, then individuals need to pay 1% as exit load. However, in case of redemption after 1 Year there is no exit load attached. The table given below summarizes the comparison of other details section.

Growth of 10k Investments over the years