Investors pour in Rs 30,350 crore in mid and small cap funds in the first half of 2024

Both mid-cap and small-cap mutual fund schemes have continued to attract significant investor interest, having garnered about Rs 30,350 crore in inflows during the April-September period of the current financial year. Last year, as data from AMFI showed, the total inflows in both these segments during the same period were only marginally higher at Rs 32,924 crore.

Data from Value Research suggests that mid-cap funds have generated 46.25% returns over the past year, while small-cap funds have yielded returns worth 44.17% during the same time. This is far better than their 3-year returns, which stand at 20.67% for midcaps and 21.64% for smallcaps. The returns further moderate over 5 years to 32.44% for small caps and 27.94% for midcaps.

Inflows in mid- and small-cap funds have only grown from strength to strength during the current year, despite market watchdog SEBI repeatedly highlighting the high risks both these categories entail. Between January and March 2024, small-cap funds saw inflows worth Rs 6,085.27 crore, while mid-cap funds were a little behind, garnering inflows worth Rs 4,887.05 crore.

Between April and June this year, small-caps saw inflows worth Rs 7,196.8 crore. At the same time, midcaps saw inflows worth Rs 6,926.60 crore.

In line with this increase in inflows, the number of investors (folios) in the two schemes shot up by 1.32 crore year-on-year to nearly 4 crore in the six-month period ended September 30, 2024. Since 2020, the small-cap universe (i.e., companies with a market cap of less than Rs 2000 crores) has grown nearly fourfold, offering investors a wide range of investment opportunities.

Data from Trust Mutual Fund also shows that small-cap funds have also emerged as great generators of long-term wealth. Between August 2014 and August 2024, the Nifty 100 total return index (TRI) has yielded a CAGR of 14.7%. In contrast, the Nifty smallcap 250 TRI has registered a CAGR of 18.2%

"Small caps will continue to grow at a faster rate for years to come. I expect the inflows to continue as Indians want to invest in the high-growth sectors. Small-cap funds should be seen as an integral part of one's portfolio allocation and not a tactical play," Trust Mutual Fund CEO Sandeep Bagla told PTI.

Individually, mid-cap funds saw an inflow of Rs 14,756 crore, and small-cap funds attracted Rs 15,586 crore in the first half of FY25. This aggregates the total inflow to Rs 30,342 crore, the data showed.

In addition, the stress test in March 2024 has also played a role, reinforcing confidence by ensuring that fund managers are prepared to handle market volatility, Feroze Azeez, Deputy CEO, Anand Rathi Wealth Ltd, said.

"With the mid-cap and small-cap segments projected to grow at 20 percent and 25 percent, respectively, in FY25, we expect inflows to remain strong, especially as SIP inflows continue to hit new peaks," he told media.