The number
The Nifty Low Volatility 50 fell 10.98% in 2026 to 1 October. The Nifty 50 fell 14.19%. Over three years the low-volatility index returned 7.54% a year to the Nifty 50's 4.52%.
These are price-index returns computed from NSE's closing values, to 1 October 2026. They exclude dividends. Returns over a year are compounded annual rates. For the Nifty 50's own valuation see our Nifty 50 P/E post.
Four indices side by side
| Index | 1 Oct 2026 | Third quarter | 2026 so far | 1 year | 3 years (a year) | 5 years (a year) | 10 years (a year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 22,421.95 | -6.05% | -14.19% | -9.72% | 4.52% | 5.04% | 10.04% |
| Nifty Low Volatility 50 | 22,880.65 | -5.26% | -10.98% | -7.55% | 7.54% | 6.75% | 10.65% |
| Nifty100 Low Volatility 30 | 18,587.95 | -5.56% | -12.03% | -7.21% | 7.33% | 6.42% | 10.59% |
| Nifty Dividend Opportunities 50 | 5,420.00 | -4.93% | -15.12% | -8.72% | 5.60% | 7.68% | 9.89% |
Third quarter runs from 30 June to 1 October; 2026 so far from 31 December 2025.
- This year and the last twelve months: the two low-volatility indices fell 3.2 and 2.2 points less than the Nifty 50 so far in 2026, and 2.2 and 2.5 points less over the year.
- Over three, five and ten years: both low-volatility indices are ahead of the Nifty 50 on every window shown, though by less as the window lengthens: 3.0 points a year over three years, 1.7 over five and 0.6 over ten for the Low Volatility 50.
- The dividend index: it fell the most in 2026 (15.12%), led the table over five years (7.68%) and trailed the Nifty 50 over ten (9.89% against 10.04%).
Where each index stands against its high
The Nifty 50's record close is 26,328.55 on 2 January 2026 and it is 14.8% below that. The other three set their highs earlier, on 27 September 2024, and are below them by:
- Nifty Low Volatility 50: 14.0%
- Nifty100 Low Volatility 30: 14.3%
- Nifty Dividend Opportunities 50: 22.4%
The Nifty 50 closed at 26,178.95 on 27 September 2024; it is down 14.35% from that date, almost exactly what the two low-volatility indices have lost. Measured from that day, the low-volatility indices have not protected anything. The 2026 gap reflects where the Nifty 50 stood at the start of the year: it ended 2025 at 26,129.60, almost exactly its September 2024 close, and has fallen since.
What they cost to own
The low-volatility indices are not cheap on earnings. On 1 October 2026:
| Index | P/E | P/B | Dividend yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 19.19 | 2.75 | 1.23% |
| Nifty Low Volatility 50 | 22.41 | 3.49 | 1.35% |
| Nifty100 Low Volatility 30 | 23.46 | 3.56 | 1.28% |
| Nifty Dividend Opportunities 50 | 12.29 | 2.23 | 2.40% |
The Low Volatility 50's P/E is 1.17 times the Nifty 50's. The dividend index trades at 12.29 times earnings and yields 2.40%, nearly twice the Nifty 50's yield. Its lowest P/E since March 2021 was 10.90.
What this does not tell you
Price returns are not total returns. Dividends are left out, which understates the dividend index most, and the figures say nothing about what a fund tracking each index would have earned after costs.
Indices are not products. You cannot buy an index; funds that track these have a cost and a tracking gap. Our post on smart-beta index funds looks at that side.
The window decides. The low-volatility lead is clear over three years and thin over ten. Measured from September 2024 it disappears.
It is not a forecast. Low volatility describes the past behaviour of the shares in the index; it is not a promise about the next fall.
Where to go from here
The Nifty Dividend Opportunities 50 valuation page has its daily P/E history, and our Nifty dividend yield post covers the broad index's yield. The guide to factor investing and smart beta explains how these indices are built.
Frequently asked questions
Did low-volatility indices fall less than the Nifty 50 in 2026?
Yes. To 1 October 2026 the Nifty Low Volatility 50 was down 10.98% for the year, the Nifty100 Low Volatility 30 down 12.03% and the Nifty 50 down 14.19%. The Nifty Dividend Opportunities 50 fell more, 15.12%. These are price returns.
Have low-volatility indices beaten the Nifty 50 over the long run?
Over three years, five years and ten years the Nifty Low Volatility 50's price return was higher: 7.54% a year against 4.52% over three, 6.75% against 5.04% over five and 10.65% against 10.04% over ten.
Are these returns what an investor in an index fund would have earned?
No. They are price-index returns from NSE's published closing values, which leave out dividends, fund costs and tracking difference. They compare the indices with each other, not with any fund.
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
Nifty 50 returns over 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 years
The Nifty 50 returned 10.14% a year on price, about 11.5% with dividends, in the ten years to 30 September 2026. Every period, and why the last five stand out.
Nifty 50 year-by-year returns since 2008
The Nifty 50 rose in 15 of the 18 calendar years from 2008 to 2025, but fell more than 10% inside 14 of them. Every year's return and its worst fall.
Anatomy of a market correction: 19 years of Nifty falls
Ten Nifty 50 falls of 10% or more since 2007: how deep, how long, how fast they healed, and why the best days arrive in the middle of the worst.