What are Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage Funds?

Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage Funds are hybrid funds, which are free to manage their exposure to equity and debt instruments without any caps or minimum exposure limits from the SEBI. These funds change their exposure to equity and debt instruments as per the changing equity valuations with the help of their in-house proprietary models. These models help their funds to eliminate human biases during investment decision making. They also maintain exposure to equity derivatives to implement hedging strategies and benefit from equity tax treatment during overvalued equity market conditions.

Advantages of Balanced Advantage Funds 

You can manage market volatility and aim to limit your losses when markets correct 

1. The strategy focuses on buying and selling assets based on valuations; for instance it may sell assets with high valuations and purchase assets that may be fairly valued depending on the schemes investment strategy. 
2. By investing across asset classes your portfolio risk is diversified. 
3. Performing asset classes can make up for the returns of underperforming ones.

Why invest in Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage Funds?

• Aims to deliver long-term returns closer to equity funds but with significant lower volatility
• Combines the features of potential capital appreciation, capital preservation and volatility control
• Aims to generate capital gains primarily through dynamic management of equity allocation as per varying market conditions
• Aims to provide stability and regular income through exposure to fixed income instruments
• Portfolio rebalancing decisions are usually based on a well-defined and time tested models without any biases
• Offers higher tax efficiency than asset allocation implemented by the investor himself.

  Who should invest in Dynamic Asset Allocation Funds?

  • Investors seeking to create long term wealth with lower volatility
  • Those seeking exposure to equity and debt asset classes with a dynamic asset allocation
  • Those wishing to participate in equity markets with a relatively conservative approach
  • Fresh mutual fund investors seeking to gain equity market exposure with lower volatility
  • Intermediate investors looking for an automated solution during over-valued or confusing market conditions.
  • Experienced investors seeking an automated asset allocation model from the fund house itself. 

Few Examples For Better Understanding 

Kotak Balanced Advantage 

• Uses a 2-factor model using Trend/Sentiment Data and Trailing NIFTY 50 P/E to make the most of ‘Buying Low and Selling High’ investment mantra
• The model measures the future of market conditions and removes behavioral & emotional biases from investing
• Other factors used for stock selection include fundamental attributes like P/B and market cap to GDP ratios

 Edelweiss Balanced Advantage Fund 

• Invests in equity & debt instruments on the basis of a predefined Asset Allocation Model called Procyclical Edelweiss Equity Health Indicator (EEHI) Model
• Actively participates in arbitrage opportunities to generate absolute alpha
• EEHI Model aims to capture the upside during the bull market and protect downside in bear markets
• EEHI Model is purely quantitative in nature built on two key pillars – Market Trend and Health of the Trend
• Equity portfolio of the fund comprises of high quality and consistently growing companies available at reasonable valuations
• Net equity exposure ranges from 30% to 80% of the fund portfolio
• Follows a growth-oriented multi-cap strategy
• Debt portfolio of the fund follows active duration management focused on accrual income
• Arbitrage strategy of the fund involves hedging, capture spreads & corporate actions 

 L&T Balanced Advantage Fund 

• Follows an active strategy to manage market volatility
• Increases the net equity allocation when the P/B & P/E multiples of the market is low and vice versa
• Sets its equity exposure based on an internal model
• Metrics used for deciding debt-equity allocation may also include interest rate cycle, dividend yield, earnings yield, market cap to GDP ratio, medium to long term outlook of the asset class, etc
• The stock selection process is supplemented with the proprietary G.E.M (Generation of Ideas, Evaluation of companies and Manufacturing and Monitoring of portfolios) investing process to invest in quality businesses having reasonable valuations and a strong management track record

 IDFC Dynamic Equity Fund 

• Uses a pre-defined model to indicate the range of active equity allocation based on P/E levels
• The range of equity allocation is reset once in a month based on the weighted P/E ratio of the Nifty 50 for the previous month-end
• Changes within the equity portfolio takes place dynamically on day to day basis
• Follows a multi-cap approach for the equity portfolio
• Prefers higher allocation to large caps during lower exposure to active equity
• Debt portfolio of the fund is actively managed focusing on high credit quality and following short-to-medium duration strategies for containing the duration risk

 DSP Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund 

• Core equity allocation is fixed on the basis of 2-factor asset allocation model using fundamental & technical analysis
• Equity allocation can range between 20% and 90% depending on the outcome of the asset allocation model with the rest of the corpus being allocated to debt and arbitrage instruments
• Combines P/B & P/E ratios of Nifty 50 TRI to determine the attractiveness of equity valuations
• Seeks to generate income through exposure to debt securities and by using arbitrage and other derivative strategies.

 Nippon India Balanced Advantage Fund 

• Uses an in-house proprietary Model following valuations & trend following to set the allocation for unhedged equity
• Aims to offer triple benefits of emotions-free asset allocation, lower downside risk through hedging and generation of long term alpha through active sector and stock selection
• Maintains a large cap oriented portfolio well-diversified across sectors
• Investment universe covers all listed large and midcap stocks having derivatives
• Uses a conservative approach for managing debt portfolio by focusing on shorter end of investment through a combination of liquid and short term fixed income securities
• Aims at realising ‘Alpha Potential’ in full market cycle through upside participation in rising markets and downside risk management in falling markets.

 Aditya Birla Sun Life Balanced Advantage Fund 

• Aims to buy in underpriced opportunities and sell out during overpriced situation
• Runs a well-tested P/E based model to determine its ‘Net Equity Exposure’
• Uses derivatives to reduce the net equity exposure during overvalued markets
• Uses fundamental research to select stocks with potential of adding alpha over a longer period of time
• Open to invest in opportunities available across the market capitalization
• Uses top-down approach to identify growth sectors and bottom-up approach to identify individual stocks.

 ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund 

• Invests primarily in equities and uses derivatives exposure to reduce the downside risk of the portfolio
• Uses an in-house asset allocation model based on long term historical mean Price to Book Value (P/BV) ratio
• Invest across market capitalisations for equity exposure
• Increases equity exposure during attractive valuations and reduces equity exposure expensive market valuations
• Invests in fixed income securities too to generate accrual income and capital appreciation

Invesco India Dynamic Equity Fund 

• Uses a pre-defined model to indicate the range of active equity allocation based on P/E levels
• The range of equity allocation is reset once in a month based on the weighted P/E ratio of the Nifty 50 for the previous month-end
• Changes within the equity portfolio takes place dynamically on day to day basis
• Follows a multi-cap approach for the equity portfolio
• Prefers higher allocation to large caps during lower exposure to active equity
• Debt portfolio of the fund is actively managed focusing on high credit quality and following short-to-medium duration strategies for containing the duration risk

 Motilal Oswal Dynamic Fund 

• Makes equity allocation on the basis of Motilal Oswal Value Index (MOVI)
• MOVI is calculated on the basis of PE, PB and dividend yield ratios of Nifty 50 Index
• Equity exposure can range between 65% and 100% of the overall fund portfolio
• Prefers a focused portfolio with high conviction stocks based on the principle of ‘Buy Right: Sit Tight’
• Invests in equities across market-capitalization and sectors
• Exposure to equity derivatives can go up to 35% of the overall fund portfolio
• Derivatives exposure is made using arbitrage strategy and hedged position
• Debt exposure can go up to 35% of the overall fund portfolio.

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Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.