The question, answered quickly
The Nifty 50 has slid through September. On Friday 25 September it closed at 23,140.50, only 3.62% above its 52-week low of 22,331.40, set on 30 March.
Equity funds are nowhere near that close to their lows. Of the 528 equity funds with a full year of NAVs, none closed at a 52-week low on 25 September. Three were within 2% of one, and 16 within 5%. The median fund was 15.46% above its 52-week low.
All figures are for each fund's Direct plan, Growth option, and compare the NAV of 25 September 2026 with the lowest and highest NAVs since 25 September 2025.
Why funds and the Nifty 50 disagree
For 495 of the 528 funds, the 52-week low was set in March or April, around the fall that ended on 30 March. Since then most have risen much further than the Nifty 50 has.
| Index | 25 Sep close | Above 52-week low | Below 52-week high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 23,140.50 | 3.62% | 12.11% |
| Nifty Midcap 150 | 22,437.00 | 15.47% | 4.68% |
| Nifty Smallcap 250 | 18,158.90 | 27.58% | 1.99% |
The Nifty 50 is close to its low and far from its high. The Nifty Smallcap 250 is the reverse: almost 28% above its March low and within 2% of the 52-week high it set on 8 September. Diversified equity funds, whose categories span every company size, mostly sit between the two.
Category by category
| Category | Funds | Within 5% of low | Median above 52-week low | Median below 52-week high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Cap | 33 | 4 | 8.50% | 7.49% |
| Dividend Yield | 10 | 2 | 9.06% | 4.73% |
| Value | 22 | 2 | 9.50% | 4.91% |
| ELSS | 38 | 2 | 12.06% | 5.12% |
| Large & Mid Cap | 33 | 1 | 13.58% | 4.52% |
| Flexi Cap | 40 | 0 | 15.36% | 4.03% |
| Focused | 28 | 1 | 15.37% | 4.83% |
| Mid Cap | 31 | 0 | 17.55% | 4.43% |
| Multi Cap | 32 | 0 | 19.35% | 3.14% |
| Small Cap | 31 | 0 | 32.17% | 2.03% |
| Sector & theme | 227 | 4 | 16.11% | 4.84% |
Large-cap funds are closest to their lows, like the Nifty 50, yet even their median is 8.50% above. Small-cap funds are the furthest: a median 32.17% above their lows and about 2% below their highs.
In fact, for 204 of the 301 diversified funds, the 52-week high was set in August or September. Many funds are much nearer a high than a low.
The funds closest to a low
| Fund (Direct, Growth) | Category | Above 52-week low | Low set on | Below 52-week high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samco Large Cap | Large Cap | 0.11% | 24 Sep 2026 | 9.19% |
| SBI Quant | Sector & theme | 0.99% | 31 Mar 2026 | 13.48% |
| Bandhan Multi-Factor | Sector & theme | 1.35% | 15 Sep 2026 | 12.52% |
| ICICI Prudential FMCG | Sector & theme | 2.04% | 15 Sep 2026 | 18.69% |
| ICICI Prudential Value | Value | 2.10% | 31 Mar 2026 | 11.01% |
| Samco Large & Mid Cap | Large & Mid Cap | 2.31% | 1 Apr 2026 | 7.23% |
| Sundaram Dividend Yield | Dividend Yield | 3.13% | 31 Mar 2026 | 8.67% |
| Franklin India Focused Equity | Focused | 3.15% | 31 Mar 2026 | 13.25% |
| Parag Parikh ELSS Tax Saver | ELSS | 3.81% | 31 Mar 2026 | 11.50% |
| Templeton India Value | Value | 3.97% | 31 Mar 2026 | 10.12% |
Only three of the 528 funds set their low this month: Samco Large Cap, Bandhan Multi-Factor and ICICI Prudential FMCG. The others in this table are near a low they set around the end of March and have not moved far from since.
ICICI Prudential FMCG stands out on the other side too, at 18.69% below its 52-week high of October 2025, the furthest of the ten.
What this does not tell you
A 52-week low is a backward-looking marker. Being near one says nothing about whether a fund will fall further or recover, and being far from one is no protection.
The window matters. Our lows are measured over the 52 weeks to 25 September. A fund launched within that year is left out, and one whose low came just before the window started would look further from it than it is.
Past prices are not a forecast. None of this is advice to buy or sell any fund.
Where to go from here
For how September's slide compares with March's, see the Nifty 50's best and worst days of 2026, and for how far funds had recovered in August, back above February.
The large-cap fund page and value fund page carry each fund's live numbers, and loss aversion is a useful read when prices drift lower.
Frequently asked questions
Are equity mutual funds at 52-week lows?
Almost none. On NAVs of 25 September 2026, none of 528 equity funds (Direct plan, Growth option) with a full year of NAVs closed at a 52-week low. Three were within 2% of one and 16 within 5%. The median fund was 15.46% above its 52-week low, which for almost all of them was set in late March 2026.
How far is the Nifty 50 from its 52-week low?
The Nifty 50 closed at 23,140.50 on 25 September 2026, 3.62% above its 52-week low of 22,331.40 on 30 March and 12.11% below its 52-week high of 26,328.55 on 2 January.
Which equity fund is closest to its 52-week low?
Samco Large Cap Fund's Direct Growth plan, whose NAV on 25 September 2026 was 0.11% above the 52-week low it set the day before. SBI Quant Fund was 0.99% above its low and Bandhan Multi-Factor Fund 1.35%.
This is commentary on published data, not investment advice. WealthTicker is not a SEBI-registered adviser or distributor. Figures are as of the dates stated and can be revised by their source.
Keep reading
Arbitrage funds vs liquid funds: the 2026 scorecard
The median arbitrage fund returned 6.68% in the year to 30 September 2026, against 6.46% for liquid funds. Where each came out ahead, and what it cost.
Balanced advantage funds in 2026's falling market
The Nifty 50 fell 13.4% from 31 December 2025 to 30 September 2026. The median balanced advantage fund lost 1.7%, and its worst dip was 8.7%.
Direct vs regular plans: the 1.16-point equity fee gap
A regular equity plan costs a median 1.16 points a year more than its direct twin, on AMFI's September 2026 data. Over ten years, direct ended 10.2% ahead.
