Comparing Mutual Funds? Here’s What Investors Miss When They Only Look at Returns.

When comparing mutual fund schemes, the most common metric investors rely on is returns . It feels intuitive — if a fund has delivered higher returns in the past, it must be better. But here’s the reality: returns are the result, not the process. What actually shapes those numbers are hidden drivers like portfolio allocation, market-cap exposure, diversification, churn, and the fund manager’s investment philosophy. Two funds in the same category can have similar short-term returns, but behave very differently in the long run or during market volatility. If you want to make informed investment decisions, you need to dig deeper. Here’s why looking beyond returns matters when evaluating mutual funds across categories. Flexi-Cap Funds: Same Freedom, Different Strategies Flexi-cap funds enjoy the flexibility to invest across large, mid, and small caps. But that freedom means no two funds are alike. · Allocation tilt: Some f...