HDFC Defence Fund vs HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund
HDFC Defence Fund (Direct) and HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund (Direct) head to head: growth of ₹100, returns across every window, risk, cost, and portfolio overlap — every figure computed from AMFI NAV history, nothing supplied by a fund house. Both are Sectoral/ Thematic schemes — see the best sectoral & thematic mutual funds for the full ranking.
Head to head
NAVs as of 30 Oct 2026
Growth of ₹100 (rebased over the selected window)
Common period 04 Oct 2023 – 30 Oct 2026, limited by HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund. Every series is rebased to ₹100 at the start of this window. Benchmark lines are the category index WealthTicker measures against, which is not always the benchmark the scheme itself declares — the fund page’s Scheme Info names that one.
View as table
| Date | HDFC Defence Fund | HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund | Nifty India Defence TRI | Nifty Healthcare TRI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Oct 2023 | ₹100.00 | ₹100.00 | ₹100.00 | ₹100.00 |
| 06 Jan 2024 | ₹131.35 | ₹117.10 | ₹130.76 | ₹115.27 |
| 08 Apr 2024 | ₹147.88 | ₹126.07 | ₹155.42 | ₹128.33 |
| 11 Jul 2024 | ₹210.87 | ₹139.36 | ₹256.43 | ₹137.89 |
| 12 Oct 2024 | ₹185.49 | ₹166.57 | ₹207.74 | ₹156.77 |
| 14 Jan 2025 | ₹166.72 | ₹165.63 | ₹188.20 | ₹150.30 |
| 17 Apr 2025 | ₹172.76 | ₹161.29 | ₹204.77 | ₹145.55 |
| 20 Jul 2025 | ₹206.81 | ₹180.19 | ₹253.44 | ₹155.93 |
| 21 Oct 2025 | ₹213.28 | ₹178.90 | ₹253.71 | ₹160.08 |
| 23 Jan 2026 | ₹194.34 | ₹169.26 | ₹234.14 | ₹148.82 |
| 26 Apr 2026 | ₹226.58 | ₹184.75 | ₹275.71 | ₹155.58 |
| 29 Jul 2026 | ₹250.50 | ₹219.15 | ₹287.84 | ₹178.54 |
| 30 Oct 2026 | ₹241.85 | ₹220.29 | ₹272.07 | ₹176.12 |
Portfolio overlap (same stocks held through more than one fund)
Some overlap is structural: SEBI defines large cap as the top 100 stocks by market capitalisation, so two large-cap funds are fishing the same pond by regulation. The bands below are measured per sleeve pairing rather than against one blanket threshold. How this is measured →
- 24 stocks only in HDFC Defence Fund
- 0 stocks in both — 0.0% of each portfolio by weight
- 38 stocks only in HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund
The more the circles overlap, the more the funds hold the same stocks.
HDFC Defence Fund and HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund share 0% of their equity book by weight.
| Metric | HDFC · Direct NAV ₹28.86 Very High risk ★★★★☆ | HDFC · Direct NAV ₹21.95 Very High risk ★★★★★ | Category median Sectoral/ Thematic · 257 funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| +13.79% | +23.12%Best in row | -3.58% | |
| +34.75%Best in row | +30.52% | +13.15% | |
| +36.39% | +29.32% | +11.70% | |
| +38.80%Best in row | +30.52% | +17.20% | |
| Risk | |||
| 25.93% | 14.25%Best in row | 15.61% | |
| 1.09 | 1.69Best in row | 0.43 | |
| 1.50 | 2.41Best in row | 0.57 | |
| -34.54% | -14.91% | -22.99% | |
| Nifty India Defence TRI | Nifty Healthcare TRI | — | |
| +0.23% | +8.98%Best in row | +2.53% | |
| 0.84 | 0.93 | 0.95 | |
| 86.7% | 105.4%Best in row | 98.1% | |
| 85.5% | 62.8%Best in row | 91.8% | |
| 0.90%Best in row | 1.05% | 1.15% | |
| ₹11,128Cr | ₹3,128Cr | ₹1,202Cr | |
| 1.00% | Up to 1.00% | — | |
| 8% | 36% | 52% | |
| Rahul Baijal · 1.5y | Nikhil Mathur · 3.1y | — | |
| 02 Jun 2023 | 04 Oct 2023 | — | |
| 24 | 38 | — | |
| 79.3% | 47.8% | — | |
| 1.7% | 3.2% | — | |
8 rows carry the same value for every fund — show
- 5Y return (CAGR)
- —
- 10Y return (CAGR)
- —
- 5Y SIP XIRR
- —
- 5Y rolling avg
- —
- 10Y rolling avg
- —
- Lock-in
- None
- Min SIP
- ₹100
- Min lumpsum
- ₹100
Best marks the strongest value in a row, and only where the gap is bigger than noise — a near-tie is left unmarked rather than dressed up as a result. SIP XIRR is a ₹10,000/month instalment over 5 years of real NAV history. Nothing here is supplied by a fund house. For research only — not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which fund has delivered higher returns — HDFC Defence Fund or HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund?
Over the last 3 years, HDFC Defence Fund returned +34.75% CAGR against HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund's +30.52%, computed from AMFI NAV history. Past returns don't guarantee future performance.
Which fund is cheaper — HDFC Defence Fund or HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund?
HDFC Defence Fund has the lower expense ratio: HDFC Defence Fund charges 0.90% a year against HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund's 1.05%. The expense ratio is deducted from the NAV daily, so a lower one compounds in the investor's favour.
Which fund is riskier — HDFC Defence Fund or HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund?
HDFC Defence Fund has shown higher volatility (+25.93% annualized vs HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund's +14.25%), measured as the annualized standard deviation of daily returns over the trailing 3 years. Worst 3-year drawdown: HDFC Defence Fund -34.54% vs HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund -14.91%.
Which fund manages more money — HDFC Defence Fund or HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund?
HDFC Defence Fund is the larger fund: HDFC Defence Fund manages ₹11,128Cr against HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund's ₹3,128Cr in assets. Size cuts both ways — scale lowers costs, but a very large fund can find it harder to move in and out of positions.
Are HDFC Defence Fund and HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund in the same category?
Yes — both are Sectoral/ Thematic schemes, so their returns, risk and cost are directly comparable against the same peer set.
Figures update daily from AMFI NAV history; ratings and ranks are WealthTicker’s own — see the methodology. This is data, not investment advice.