DSP Short Term Fund
DSP Mutual Fund · Best Short Duration Mutual Funds
This is the Regular plan of DSP Short Term Fund — bought through a distributor, whose commission is paid out of its expense ratio. Income is distributed, which is why this NAV sits below the growth plan of the same fund.
This is the IDCW (dividend) option — it pays its earnings out as dividends rather than reinvesting them, so every payout steps the NAV down and the return figures below leave those payouts out. Your actual return was higher by whatever was distributed. That’s expected for a payout plan, not missing data.
View the Growth plan for compounded returns (+6.74% 3Y CAGR)NAV history
Scorecard
★★☆☆☆2/5 vs 61 of 63 Short Duration Fund peers- Performance 60%
- Risk 15%
- Cost 10%
- Downside 15%
How this is computed
Each verdict is computed from this fund's own metrics against its sub-category — the number behind it is shown, not a black-box rating. The stars weight the same ground 60/15/10/15 (performance/risk/cost/downside) across every fund in the peer group. Ranked within Short Duration Fund (same plan and option). 61 of the 63 Short Duration Funds in this cohort carry the full record the stars need, so they are the ones ranked against.
3Y CAGR +0.22% · ranks 42 of 63 Short Duration Funds
Volatility 6.3% vs 2.0% category avg
1.0% expense vs 0.9% category avg
86% of rolling 3Y windows were positive
Strengths & concerns
Generated from this fund's own numbers against its sub-category — each point names the figure behind it.
Strengths
No standout strengths identified.
Concerns
- 1-year return (-0.40%) trails the Short Duration Fund average (+2.09%)
- 3-year return (+0.22%) trails the Short Duration Fund average (+3.12%)
- 5-year return (+0.30%) trails the Short Duration Fund average (+2.94%)
- Ranks #54 of 63 on 1-year return in its Short Duration Fund cohort
- More volatile than its Short Duration Fund peers (6.3% vs 2.0%)
Key Metrics
Scheme Info
DefinitionsPeriod returns (<1Y, absolute — not annualized)
DefinitionsAnnualized returns (≥1Y — CAGR)
DefinitionsAdvanced metrics — risk
Risk (trailing 3Y)
DefinitionsBenchmark ratios
Not shown for Short Duration Fund — a debt, arbitrage or cash-like fund isn't measured against an equity index, so alpha/beta vs one would be noise rather than signal.
Fund vs category average (Short Duration Fund)
| Period | Fund | Category avg. | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1M abs | +0.30% | +0.18% | +0.12% |
| 3M abs | +2.52% | +1.46% | +1.06% |
| 6M abs | -2.66% | +0.84% | -3.50% |
| 1Y CAGR | -0.40% | +2.09% | -2.49% |
| 3Y CAGR | +0.22% | +3.12% | -2.90% |
| 5Y CAGR | +0.30% | +2.94% | -2.64% |
Category average across peers in Short Duration Fund (62 of 63 carry a figure for at least one period), same plan and option, excluding this fund. Under-1-year figures are absolute; 1Y and beyond are annualised (CAGR).
Not sure what a figure means? The glossary explains every metric, and the methodology shows the formulas.
Category rank
Vs 63 peers in Short Duration Fund
Rolling returns
Return for every possible 1Y holding period, not just today’s
233 overlapping 1Y windows, sampled monthly across the fund’s history.
Backtest this fund
What a SIP or one-time investment would have grown to over this fund’s real NAV history.
60 monthly installments of ₹10,000 into DSP Short Term Fund, valued at the latest NAV. XIRR annualizes for each installment’s timing.
Calendar-year returns
What the fund actually returned in each year, not the smoothed average.
| Year | Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026part | -2.12% | |
| 2025 | -0.16% | |
| 2024 | +0.69% | |
| 2023 | +3.17% | |
| 2022 | -0.64% | |
| 2021 | -3.99% | |
| 2020 | +3.45% | |
| 2019 | +2.85% | |
| 2018 | +0.09% | |
| 2017 | -1.80% |
January–December, from this fund's NAV history. Absolute return, not annualised. “part” marks a year the fund didn't run end to end — its first year, the current year so far, or one it stopped reporting in.
Taxation
Taxed as debtThis is a debt / non-equity fund. Since April 2023 there is no long-term or indexation benefit — every rupee of gain is added to your income and taxed at your income-tax slab rate, whatever the holding period.
Your income-tax slab — no LTCG or indexation benefit
Pick your slab to see the rate that applies to you.
Applies to capital gains on redemption. Excludes IDCW/dividend tax, STT, surcharge and cess, and pre-2018 equity grandfathering. For research only — consult a tax advisor before filing.
Worst falls, and the wait to get back
How far this fund has dropped from a high, and how long it took to reclaim it.
- -7.7%08 Jan 2021 → 06 May 2022
Fell over 16 months, back to the old high on 31 Mar 2024 — 1.9 years under water after the low.
- -7.4%27 Mar 2017 → 17 May 2018
Fell over 14 months, back to the old high on 02 Dec 2019 — 1.5 years under water after the low.
- -7.2%28 Mar 2016 → 29 Mar 2016
Fell over 1 day, back to the old high on 23 Jan 2017 — 10 months under water after the low.
Measured on this fund’s own NAV history, peak to trough to the day it regained the peak. Falls shallower than 5% are left out. A recovery date is when the NAV got back, not when any particular investor did — that depends on when they bought.
Fund size over time
Quarterly average AUM · AMFIDown +10% from its peak of ₹3,670Cr in January - March 2026. Size matters most where the mandate is narrow — a large small-cap or a very large flexi-cap book is harder to move without moving the price.
DSP in the news
Headlines about the fund house, not this scheme in particular — highlights only; tap through to read the full story at the source.
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Returns and risk are computed from NAV history and may differ slightly from other portals due to methodology (rolling vs point-to-point, dividend treatment). For research only — not investment advice.
About Debt funds
Debt funds lend money to governments and companies and earn interest. They're generally steadier than equity funds; their risk comes from interest-rate moves and, for some, the creditworthiness of borrowers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NAV of DSP Short Term Fund?
As of 20 Aug 2026, the NAV of DSP Short Term Fund is ₹12.33 per unit. NAV (net asset value) is the fund's per-unit price, published once each business day.
What returns has DSP Short Term Fund delivered?
DSP Short Term Fund has returned -0.40% over 1 year, +0.22% per year over 3 years, +0.30% per year over 5 years and +0.81% per year since inception. Figures beyond one year are annualised (CAGR) and are computed from AMFI NAV history, so they may differ slightly from other portals.
What is the expense ratio of DSP Short Term Fund?
DSP Short Term Fund charges an expense ratio of 0.96% per year. This annual fee is already deducted from the NAV, so the returns you see are net of it.
What are the top holdings of DSP Short Term Fund?
Its largest holdings are GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 37426 GOI 11MY36 6.94 FV RS 100 (9.4%), CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LOAN 23277 GOI 22SP33 FLT FV RS 100 (4.5%), NATIONAL BANK FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT SR 26F 7.44 BD 17JL29 FVRS1LAC (4.3%), BHARTI TELECOM LIMITED SR XXV 7.35 NCD 15OT27 FVRS1LAC (3.9%) and India Universal Trust AL1 Sec. Debt 8.20 20/09/2030 (3.8%). Holdings are disclosed monthly and change over time.
How risky is DSP Short Term Fund?
It is rated low to moderate on SEBI's risk-o-meter, its trailing-3Y volatility (annualised) is 6.3% and its worst peak-to-trough fall in our sample was -7.7%. Higher volatility means the NAV swings more; the drawdown shows how far it has fallen from a peak historically.
What does the Sharpe ratio of -1.00 mean?
The Sharpe ratio is return earned per unit of total risk, above a 6.5% risk-free rate. DSP Short Term Fund's -1.00 means it has not compensated investors for its volatility over the window. Higher is better.
What is the benchmark of DSP Short Term Fund?
DSP Short Term Fund is benchmarked against the CRISIL Short Duration Debt A-II Index. Its alpha and beta on this page are measured against that index.
Who manages DSP Short Term Fund?
DSP Short Term Fund is managed by Shantanu Godambe and Karan Mundhra at DSP.
How is DSP Short Term Fund taxed?
DSP Short Term Fund is a debt / non-equity fund. Since April 2023 there is no long-term or indexation benefit — capital gains are added to your income and taxed at your income-tax slab rate regardless of how long you held the units.