Conservative Hybrid Fund
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Debt cushion & equity upside
BusinessLineยท 2025-09-13 15:50
Core Viewpoint - Conservative hybrid funds are designed for investors with a low to moderate risk profile, offering a mix of debt and equity investments to balance stability and growth potential [1] Fund Overview - ICICI Prudential Regular Savings Fund (IRSF) has consistently delivered debt-plus returns, achieving a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% over the last 10 years [2] - The fund maintains an equity allocation of 15-24% over the past five years, adjusting according to market conditions, while the remainder is invested in debt instruments [2] Equity Strategy - The fund employs a dual strategy of top-down macroeconomic analysis and bottom-up contrarian stock picking, focusing on economic cycles and mean reversion [3] - Current sector allocations show significant overweight in life insurance and utilities, while consumer discretionary and capital goods are underweighted due to high valuations [4] Market Capitalization Bias - Approximately two-thirds of the equity allocation is in large-cap stocks, with 13% in large-caps, 3% in mid-caps, and 6% in small-caps [5] Debt Portfolio Management - The debt portfolio is dynamically managed, including government securities, AAA-rated corporate debt, and selective non-AAA papers to enhance yield [6] - The portfolio duration is moderate, with a Macaulay Duration of 1.25-3.5 years, and current allocations include 20% in government securities, 18% in AAA-rated corporates, and 30% in non-AAA papers [7] Non-AAA Debt Exposure - Non-AAA assets play a crucial role in boosting yield, with 4% in A-rated instruments and 26% in AA-rated holdings, while maintaining a conservative average maturity of 1-1.25 years [8] Performance Metrics - The fund's three-year rolling return analysis shows an average annualized return of 9.5%, outperforming the category average of 8.8% [10] - As of August 31, 2025, the fund's debt portfolio has a yield to maturity (YTM) of 7.4%, exceeding the category average of 6.9% [11] Risk Profile - The fund has an annualized standard deviation of 2.9%, lower than the category average of 3.5%, making it suitable for medium risk appetite investors with a minimum investment horizon of five years [12]