Clear, investment-grade insights explaining why Mirae Asset Small Cap Fund outperformed Bandhan Small Cap Fund in the last one year, despite Bandhan’s strong long-term record.
Performance Snapshot (Context)
-
Bandhan Small Cap Fund
-
3-Year CAGR: 32.50% p.a.
-
5-Year CAGR: 25.94% p.a.
-
1-Year Return: 9.51%
-
-
Mirae Asset Small Cap Fund
-
1-Year Return: 15.25% (significantly higher than Bandhan)
-
The divergence in recent performance is largely portfolio-structure driven, not a deterioration in Bandhan’s long-term strategy.
Sector Allocation Comparison (Small Cap Funds)
Sector-wise Portfolio Exposure (%)
| Sector | Mirae Asset Small Cap | Bandhan Small Cap | Key Observation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financials | 25.49 | 22.31 | Mirae higher exposure to NBFCs, insurers, financial plays |
| Industrials | 18.53 | 8.71 | Major tilt difference – Mirae aligned with capex cycle |
| Consumer Discretionary | 14.44 | 13.06 | Comparable exposure |
| Healthcare | 13.82 | 10.51 | Mirae benefited from pharma & diagnostics rally |
| Materials | 12.04 | 11.92 | Similar exposure |
| Technology | 7.36 | 6.67 | Slight Mirae edge |
| Real Estate | 2.18 | 7.40 | Bandhan overweight – sector underperformed recently |
| Consumer Staples | 1.69 | 4.25 | Bandhan defensive bias hurt returns |
| Energy & Utilities | 1.57 | 3.81 | Lower cyclicality in Mirae |
| Diversified | 0.01 | 2.47 | Bandhan more spread-out |
Why Mirae Asset Small Cap Fund Outperformed (Key Insights)
1️⃣ Stronger Alignment with India’s Capex & Manufacturing Cycle
Mirae’s 18.53% allocation to Industrials, compared with just 8.71% for Bandhan, proved decisive.
-
Capital goods, engineering, defence ancillaries and infrastructure-linked small caps outperformed sharply over the last year.
-
Bandhan’s underweight here directly limited upside participation.
→ Clear performance tailwind for Mirae
2️⃣ Lower Exposure to Defensive & Low-Momentum Sectors
Bandhan maintained higher allocations to Consumer Staples, Utilities and Real Estate—sectors that:
-
Lagged during the recent risk-on, earnings-driven rally
-
Offered stability, but not alpha
Mirae stayed light on defensives, keeping the portfolio growth-oriented.
→ Mirae benefited from higher portfolio beta
3️⃣ Real Estate Overweight Hurt Bandhan in the Short Term
Bandhan’s 7.40% exposure to Real Estate (vs 2.18% for Mirae) worked against it.
-
Small-cap real estate stocks saw selective profit booking
-
Rising funding costs and valuation concerns capped returns
→ Tactical drag on Bandhan’s 1-year performance
4️⃣ Better Participation in Healthcare & Financial Small Caps
Mirae held higher Healthcare exposure (13.82%) and Financials (25.49%), sectors that:
-
Delivered earnings visibility
-
Benefited from domestic demand and balance-sheet cleanups
Bandhan’s relatively lower exposure reduced upside capture.
5️⃣ Portfolio Concentration vs Stability Trade-off
-
Mirae Asset Small Cap Fund: More focused, cyclical, growth-led positioning
-
Bandhan Small Cap Fund: More balanced and risk-controlled allocation
In a momentum-driven year, concentration paid off.
Bottom Line for Investors
-
Mirae Asset Small Cap Fund
-
Better suited for cyclical upswings
-
Higher volatility, higher short-term alpha potential
-
-
Bandhan Small Cap Fund
-
Strong long-term compounding credentials
-
Slightly conservative allocation helped protect downside but capped 1-year upside
-
Key Takeaway:
👉 Mirae’s recent outperformance is tactical and cycle-driven, not structural superiority.
👉 Bandhan remains a solid long-term small-cap compounder, but lagged in a year favouring industrials and capex-heavy themes.
Quicklinks


February 10, 2026
admin



