Whenever we hear about equity investment, the first thing we hear is, equities are good for a long-term investment. However, various people do carry negative views with respect to equity investment. So, let us understand why and how equity is a good investment for long-term, the myths behind equity investment, and parameters to be checked while Investing in equity and the concept of Equity Funds.
Now, let us focus on the performance of Sensex since its inception with the help of the graph given below.

(as on 3rd January, 2018, Source- BSE Limited)
The given graph of Sensex shows that there is an overall increase in since its inception in 1979. The date on which the data taken is as of January 03, 2018. Till date since 1979, the Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is approximately 16.39%. However, it does not mean that Sensex has seen only upward movements. However, the biggest growth that Sensex has witnessed is between the period 1979-1994 when the markets grew from 100 to 3,927 points. People who had invested during this period would have earned considerable profits. In addition, these investors also did not face much negative returns as others did. Resultantly, these people would have definitely earned. The second best phase in which investors had earned returns were during 2003-2007, but the increase during this period was not as effective as the first phase.
So, do you think that the Market has always witnessed a good pace? It has also witnessed downturns. Some of the worst spells where the Sensex was showing a downturn were during September 1994 - 1999, 2000 - 2003, and 2008 - 2010. Any individual who would have invested during this period would have definitely been negative. However, again, if these investors would have held their investments long, they would have definitely earned profits. As we can see in the map, the downturn period is not much visible.
So, after understanding the myths about equity, let's now see how to select the stocks.
As mentioned earlier, equity investment has a number of myths associated with it. So, let us look at some of the prevalent myths behind equity investment.
The first myth which people believe while investing in shares is; if a company has done well in the past, it will also do well in the future. Though this thought can give some comfort level yet; it is not completely true. It’s because; a company’s success always depends on the environment in which it performs and whether it is able to adapt itself to the changing business conditions. If it is not able to do so then; the company will not be in a position, to perform in the future.
Therefore, people should conduct a self-analysis before investing in the shares of any company. They should check the company's past performance, its future potentials, the Industry conditions in which it performs, and other related parameters.
The second presumption people feel is they cannot earn by equity investment as it is based on sheer luck. However, as mentioned in the earlier paragraph, people need to understand that the variation of average returns reduces with the increase in the holding tenure. This is because, in the long-term, the fluctuation of the short-term Volatility reduces and the chances of making losses are also lower. Resultantly, the variations in the Earnings start to decrease with the increase in the tenure. This concept is explained with the help of the table given below.
| Investing Tenure | Average Returns (%) | Deviation of Returns From Average (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | 18 | ± 34 |
| 3 Year | 13 | ± 16% |
| 5 Year | 13 | ± 13% |
| 7 Year | 13 | ± 10% |
| 10 Year | 13 | ± 9% |
| 12 Year | 13 | ± 8% |
| 14 Year | 12 | ± 7% |
It is one of the prevalent myths among individuals. A lot of people feel that they cannot earn by investing in shares. Individuals in a lot of instances feel; though the share markets are showing uptrend; yet I am not able to make my fortune. However, this isn’t true.
*One has to understand equity investing is a zero-sum game. Therefore, one person’s profit is another person’s loss. However, the outcome of whether you made a profit or ended up in a loss is decided upon the time you enter and exit the market. *
It would be again reiterated that, the key to success in equity investments is its long-term holding. One of the world’s renowned investor Warren Buffet built his empire not just because of investing. Instead, he has earned the wealth because of holding the investments for a long-term. In case of long-term investing, even a small sum of money invested gives a larger return. People who remain invested for a very long time can amass a fortune even with a small investment. The following graph shows how the probability of losses decreases with an increase in the investment tenure.

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It is the most important step. People while investing in equities need to stick to certain basic rules. Some of these rules are listed below as follows.
The primary rule of investing is; invest in financial instruments that you understand and not the ones which you don’t. Hence, people should do a complete analysis of the shares in which they want to invest. They should go through its annual reports, check its future prospects and so on. Additionally, one should not be biased in their stock selection process.Also, many people do follow a herd behavior when it comes to investing, which should not be the case. It is not a good idea. People forming part of the herd, enter when the market is at its peak and sell when it forms a bottom. Therefore, be careful that you don’t buy the shares when all are entering a buy Call and do not sell when everyone goes on a selling spree.
The important role in the case of investing is diversification, which is the key to success as it helps to reduce the level of risk. As rightly quoted that “Don’t hatch all your eggs in one basket;” similarly your investment should be distributed across numerous stocks in a predefined ratio. Diversification, in this context, means that people investing the corpus in different shares of various companies with respect to capitalization, sectors, and other parameters. This is because there are situations where mid-cap shares tend to outperform large-cap shares. So, one needs to have a constant watch on how a share is performing.
It’s rightly said that, to err is human. Similarly, while investing in stock markets, many people do commit mistakes. The mistake in this context is investing in shares where you have bad deals. However, the most important part is to rectify the wrong investment by rebalancing your Portfolio. It is important to monitor your equity investment in a timely manner. This will help to identify which stocks to sell and which ones to retain. Rebalancing the portfolio always helps to get rid of the bad stocks and thereby people can earn more Income.
Thus, from the above pointers, it can be said that whenever you choose to invest in equities, you need to spend a lot of time in share markets rather than the market timing. Also, people should always understand the company before investing in its shares so that their investment money is safe and paves way for wealth creation.
*List of top funds managing assets for 5 years of above & have returneded best Annualized Returns (CAGR).
(Erstwhile Sundaram Select Midcap Fund) To achieve capital appreciation by investing
in diversified stocks that are generally termed
as mid-caps. Below is the key information for Sundaram Mid Cap Fund Returns up to 1 year are on To generate long term capital appreciation from a portfolio that is predominantly in equity and equity related instruments Research Highlights for HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund Below is the key information for HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund Returns up to 1 year are on An Open-ended growth scheme with the objective of long term growth of capital, through a portfolio with a target allocation of 90% equity and 10% debt and money market securities. Research Highlights for Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund Below is the key information for Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund Returns up to 1 year are on An Open ended Growth Scheme with the objective to achieve long term growth of capital at controlled level of risk by investing primarily in ‘Mid-Cap’ Stocks. The level of risk is somewhat higher than a fund focused on large and liquid stocks. Concomitantly, the aim is to generate higher returns than a fund focused on large and liquid stocks. Research Highlights for Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund Below is the key information for Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund Returns up to 1 year are on (Erstwhile Motilal Oswal MOSt Focused Midcap 30 Fund) The investment objective of the Scheme is to achieve long term capital appreciation by investing in a maximum of 30 quality mid-cap companies having long-term competitive advantages and potential for growth. However, there can be no assurance or guarantee that the investment objective of the Scheme would be achieved. Research Highlights for Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund Below is the key information for Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The primary objective for Franklin IndiaTaxshield is to provide medium to long term growth of capital along with income tax rebate Research Highlights for Franklin India Taxshield Below is the key information for Franklin India Taxshield Returns up to 1 year are on The primary investment objective of the Scheme is to seek to generate continuous returns by actively investing in equity and equity related securities of
companies in the Banking Sector and companies engaged in allied activities related to Banking Sector. The AMC will have the discretion to completely or
partially invest in any of the type of securities stated above with a view to maximize the returns or on defensive considerations. However, there can be no
assurance that the investment objective of the Scheme will be realized, as actual market movements may be at variance with anticipated trends. Research Highlights for Nippon India Banking Fund Below is the key information for Nippon India Banking Fund Returns up to 1 year are on To generate returns through a combination of dividend income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in a well-diversified portfolio of value stocks. Value stocks are those, which have attractive valuations in relation to earnings or book value or current and/or future dividends. Research Highlights for ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund Below is the key information for ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The primary investment objective of the scheme is to seek to generate consistent returns by investing in equity and equity related or fixed income securities of Pharma and other associated companies. Research Highlights for Nippon India Pharma Fund Below is the key information for Nippon India Pharma Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The primary investment objective of the scheme is to generate long term capital appreciation by investing predominantly in equity and equity related instruments of small cap companies and the secondary objective is to generate consistent returns by investing in debt and money market securities. Research Highlights for Nippon India Small Cap Fund Below is the key information for Nippon India Small Cap Fund Returns up to 1 year are on 1. Sundaram Mid Cap Fund
Sundaram Mid Cap Fund
Growth Launch Date 30 Jul 02 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹1,381.72 ↑ 20.69 (1.52 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹13,293 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Mid Cap AMC Sundaram Asset Management Company Ltd Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.75 Sharpe Ratio -0.01 Information Ratio 0.13 Alpha Ratio -1.77 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-12 Months (1%),12 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Sundaram Mid Cap Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -4.8% 3 Month -5.2% 6 Month -0.8% 1 Year 11.5% 3 Year 24% 5 Year 21.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 23.3% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 4.1% 2023 32% 2022 40.4% 2021 4.8% 2020 37.5% 2019 11.8% 2018 -0.3% 2017 -15.4% 2016 40.8% 2015 11.3% Fund Manager information for Sundaram Mid Cap Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Sundaram Mid Cap Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 2. HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund
HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund
Growth Launch Date 2 Jan 01 NAV (14 Jan 22) ₹595.168 ↑ 0.28 (0.05 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹1,318 on 30 Nov 21 Category Equity - ELSS AMC HDFC Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 2.25 Sharpe Ratio 2.27 Information Ratio -0.15 Alpha Ratio 1.75 Min Investment 500 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load NIL Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value
Purchase not allowed Returns for HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month 4.4% 3 Month 1.2% 6 Month 15.4% 1 Year 35.5% 3 Year 20.6% 5 Year 17.4% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 21.4% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 Fund Manager information for HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for HDFC Long Term Advantage Fund as on 30 Nov 21
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 3. Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund
Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund
Growth Launch Date 27 Aug 98 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹1,833.45 ↑ 13.27 (0.73 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹25,098 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Multi Cap AMC Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co Ltd Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.68 Sharpe Ratio 0.41 Information Ratio 0.82 Alpha Ratio 3.22 Min Investment 1,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-365 Days (1%),365 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -3.4% 3 Month -2.7% 6 Month 2.5% 1 Year 13.6% 3 Year 18.3% 5 Year 15.5% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 20.9% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 11.2% 2023 18.5% 2022 26% 2021 -1.1% 2020 30.3% 2019 16.1% 2018 8.5% 2017 -4.1% 2016 33.5% 2015 15.2% Fund Manager information for Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 4. Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund
Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund
Growth Launch Date 3 Oct 02 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹773.34 ↑ 11.45 (1.50 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹6,301 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Mid Cap AMC Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.89 Sharpe Ratio -0.02 Information Ratio -0.6 Alpha Ratio -1.66 Min Investment 1,000 Min SIP Investment 1,000 Exit Load 0-365 Days (1%),365 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -5% 3 Month -5.1% 6 Month -3.5% 1 Year 9.2% 3 Year 20.4% 5 Year 19.1% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 20.4% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 4.4% 2023 22% 2022 39.9% 2021 -5.3% 2020 50.4% 2019 15.5% 2018 -3.7% 2017 -16% 2016 44.8% 2015 5.7% Fund Manager information for Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Aditya Birla Sun Life Midcap Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 5. Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund
Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund
Growth Launch Date 24 Feb 14 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹92.507 ↑ 0.94 (1.03 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹36,880 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Mid Cap AMC Motilal Oswal Asset Management Co. Ltd Rating ☆☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.56 Sharpe Ratio -0.79 Information Ratio 0.1 Alpha Ratio -18.12 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-1 Years (1%),1 Years and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -7.6% 3 Month -12.8% 6 Month -9.5% 1 Year -3.2% 3 Year 22.7% 5 Year 25.5% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 20.4% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 -12.1% 2023 57.1% 2022 41.7% 2021 10.7% 2020 55.8% 2019 9.3% 2018 9.7% 2017 -12.7% 2016 30.8% 2015 5.2% Fund Manager information for Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 6. Franklin India Taxshield
Franklin India Taxshield
Growth Launch Date 10 Apr 99 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹1,446.14 ↑ 13.12 (0.92 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹6,693 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - ELSS AMC Franklin Templeton Asst Mgmt(IND)Pvt Ltd Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.81 Sharpe Ratio -0.22 Information Ratio 0.45 Alpha Ratio -5.39 Min Investment 500 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load NIL Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Franklin India Taxshield
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -4.1% 3 Month -5.4% 6 Month -3.1% 1 Year 6.2% 3 Year 17.8% 5 Year 17.3% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 20.4% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 2.1% 2023 22.4% 2022 31.2% 2021 5.4% 2020 36.7% 2019 9.8% 2018 5.1% 2017 -3% 2016 29.1% 2015 4.7% Fund Manager information for Franklin India Taxshield
Name Since Tenure Data below for Franklin India Taxshield as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 7. Nippon India Banking Fund
Nippon India Banking Fund
Growth Launch Date 26 May 03 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹656.577 ↑ 7.12 (1.10 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹7,778 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Sectoral AMC Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. Rating ☆☆☆ Risk High Expense Ratio 1.89 Sharpe Ratio 0.85 Information Ratio 0.56 Alpha Ratio -0.93 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-1 Years (1%),1 Years and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Nippon India Banking Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -1% 3 Month -0.5% 6 Month 2.7% 1 Year 21.8% 3 Year 18.7% 5 Year 19.9% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 20.2% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 17.4% 2023 10.3% 2022 24.2% 2021 20.7% 2020 29.7% 2019 -10.6% 2018 10.7% 2017 -1.2% 2016 44.1% 2015 11.5% Fund Manager information for Nippon India Banking Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Nippon India Banking Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 8. ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund
ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund
Growth Launch Date 16 Aug 04 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹485.87 ↑ 2.61 (0.54 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹61,272 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Value AMC ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.55 Sharpe Ratio 0.74 Information Ratio 0.97 Alpha Ratio 5.8 Min Investment 1,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-12 Months (1%),12 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -2.7% 3 Month -1.1% 6 Month 3.5% 1 Year 13.5% 3 Year 20.4% 5 Year 21.9% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 19.8% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 13.8% 2023 20% 2022 31.4% 2021 15% 2020 38.5% 2019 22.9% 2018 0.6% 2017 -4.2% 2016 23.8% 2015 4.6% Fund Manager information for ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 9. Nippon India Pharma Fund
Nippon India Pharma Fund
Growth Launch Date 5 Jun 04 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹487.136 ↑ 0.94 (0.19 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹8,265 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Sectoral AMC Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. Rating ☆☆ Risk High Expense Ratio 1.81 Sharpe Ratio -0.52 Information Ratio -0.79 Alpha Ratio -1.59 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-1 Years (1%),1 Years and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Nippon India Pharma Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -4.5% 3 Month -5.3% 6 Month -8.2% 1 Year 2.3% 3 Year 20.6% 5 Year 14.2% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 19.7% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 -3.3% 2023 34% 2022 39.2% 2021 -9.9% 2020 23.9% 2019 66.4% 2018 1.7% 2017 3.6% 2016 7.6% 2015 -10.6% Fund Manager information for Nippon India Pharma Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Nippon India Pharma Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity 10. Nippon India Small Cap Fund
Nippon India Small Cap Fund
Growth Launch Date 16 Sep 10 NAV (28 Jan 26) ₹157.628 ↑ 2.23 (1.44 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹68,287 on 31 Dec 25 Category Equity - Small Cap AMC Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. Rating ☆☆☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.44 Sharpe Ratio -0.42 Information Ratio -0.02 Alpha Ratio -1.23 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-1 Years (1%),1 Years and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value Returns for Nippon India Small Cap Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 28 Jan 26 Duration Returns 1 Month -6.3% 3 Month -9.2% 6 Month -8.8% 1 Year 0.7% 3 Year 20.2% 5 Year 25.3% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 19.5% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2024 -4.7% 2023 26.1% 2022 48.9% 2021 6.5% 2020 74.3% 2019 29.2% 2018 -2.5% 2017 -16.7% 2016 63% 2015 5.6% Fund Manager information for Nippon India Small Cap Fund
Name Since Tenure Data below for Nippon India Small Cap Fund as on 31 Dec 25
Equity Sector Allocation
Sector Value Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity
Research Highlights for Sundaram Mid Cap Fund