DSP Arbitrage fund
This is the Regular plan of DSP Arbitrage fund — bought through a distributor, whose commission is paid out of its expense ratio. Income is retained in the fund, so it shows up as NAV rather than as a payout.
NAV history
Scorecard
★★★☆☆3/5 vs 26 of 38 Arbitrage 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 Arbitrage Fund (same plan and option). 26 of the 38 Arbitrage Funds in this cohort carry the full record the stars need, so they are the ones ranked against.
3Y CAGR +6.50% · ranks 17 of 26 Arbitrage Funds
Volatility 1.1% vs 1.3% category avg
1.8% expense vs 2.2% category avg
100% 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
- Less volatile than its Arbitrage Fund peers (1.1% vs 1.3%)
- Low expense ratio (1.81%) vs the Arbitrage Fund average of 2.20%
- Consistent — positive in 100% of rolling 3-year windows
Concerns
No significant concerns identified.
Key Metrics
Scheme Info
DefinitionsPeriod returns (<1Y, absolute — not annualized)
DefinitionsAnnualized returns (≥1Y — CAGR)
DefinitionsAdvanced metrics — risk
Fund vs category average (Arbitrage Fund)
| Period | Fund | Category avg. | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1M abs | +0.18% | +0.19% | -0.01% |
| 3M abs | +1.30% | +1.31% | -0.01% |
| 6M abs | +2.81% | +2.79% | +0.02% |
| 1Y CAGR | +5.83% | +5.85% | -0.02% |
| 3Y CAGR | +6.50% | +6.48% | +0.02% |
| 5Y CAGR | +5.97% | +5.93% | +0.04% |
Category average across peers in Arbitrage Fund (up to 38 funds with data), 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 38 peers in Arbitrage Fund
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 Arbitrage 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 | +4.26% | |
| 2025 | +6.20% | |
| 2024 | +7.47% | |
| 2023 | +7.11% | |
| 2022 | +4.07% | |
| 2021 | +3.42% | |
| 2020 | +4.05% | |
| 2019 | +6.41% | |
| 2018part | +5.27% |
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 equityThis is an equity-oriented fund (≥65% in Indian equities), so gains get the concessional capital-gains rates below — they do not add to your income-tax slab.
Flat, on the whole gain
On gains above ₹1.25 L per financial year
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.
Asset allocation
As on 31 Aug 2026 · AMC disclosure- Equity68.62%
- Debt17.99%
- Other10.98%
- Cash & Equivalents2.41%
Cash & cash-like: 11.93% — the 2.41% above plus treasury bills, certificates of deposit, commercial paper and TREPS, which the allocation files under Debt but the market counts as cash-equivalent.
Fund size over time
Quarterly average AUM · AMFIDown +6% from its peak of ₹6,863Cr 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.
Net flow is an estimate: AMFI publishes a quarterly average AUM, not a closing balance, and it covers every plan and option of this scheme together, so it is a read on direction and rough size rather than a cash-flow statement.
AMC Profile
DSP Mutual Fund is run by DSP Asset Managers, part of the DSP Group, a Mumbai financial firm whose broking lineage runs back to 1860. The house operated as a joint venture with BlackRock — and Merrill Lynch before it — until the DSP family bought out the foreign stake in 2018.
Fund Managers
KNKaivalya NadkarniStart date not disclosed
Charted Accountant (CA), B.Com.
Over 6 years of experience as detailed under: From Sept 2024 to Present - Equity Dealing - DSP Asset Managers Private Limited From Sept 2018 to August 2024 - Equity Dealing, Fund Management & Fund Accounting - ICICI Prudential AMC
- DSP Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund
- DSP Equity Savings Fund
- DSP Value Fund
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- DSP Global Innovation Overseas Equity Omni FoF - Direct Plan - Growth
- DSP Income Plus Arbitrage Omni FoF - Direct Plan - Growth
- DSP US Specific Debt Passive FoF - Direct Plan - Growth
- DSP US Specific Equity Omni FoF - Direct Plan - Growth
- DSP World Gold Mining Overseas Equity Omni FoF - Direct Plan - Growth
- DSP World Mining Overseas Equity Omni FoF - Direct Plan - Growth
KMKaran MundhraStart date not disclosed
BCOM. Charted Accountant (CA)
Over 16 years of experience as under: From April 01, 2023 onwards- Fund manager- DSPAM From May 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023- Fund manager- DSPIM From July 2016 to April 30, 2021- Dealer, Fixed Income – DSPIM. From February 2016 to July 2016 – Manager – Fixed Income - DSPIM From April 2012 to January 2016 – Manager - Fund Accounting – DSPIM
Fund manager, benchmark and dealing terms from this scheme's SEBI-filed Scheme Information Document on AMFI. Each manager's qualifications and role are reconciled across every filing this fund house makes for them, including its Statement of Additional Information. Total AUM via AMFI.
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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 Arbitrage funds
Arbitrage funds profit from small price gaps between the cash and futures markets rather than from market direction. Returns are usually modest and cash-like, but they are taxed as equity.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NAV of DSP Arbitrage fund?
As of 01 Oct 2026, the NAV of DSP Arbitrage fund is ₹16.01 per unit. NAV (net asset value) is the fund's per-unit price, published once each business day.
What returns has DSP Arbitrage fund delivered?
DSP Arbitrage fund has returned +5.83% over 1 year, +6.50% per year over 3 years, +5.97% per year over 5 years and +5.56% 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 Arbitrage fund?
DSP Arbitrage fund charges an expense ratio of 1.81% 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 Arbitrage fund?
DSP Arbitrage fund's largest holdings are DSP Money Market Fund (11.0%), HDFC Bank Limited (4.7%), Reliance Industries Limited (4.5%), Vodafone Idea Limited (3.6%) and Axis Bank Limited (2.4%). Holdings are disclosed monthly and change over time.
How risky is DSP Arbitrage fund?
DSP Arbitrage fund is rated moderately high on SEBI's risk-o-meter, its trailing-3Y volatility (annualised) is 1.1% and its worst peak-to-trough fall in our sample was -0.6%. 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 0.00 mean?
The Sharpe ratio is return earned per unit of total risk, above a 6.5% risk-free rate. DSP Arbitrage fund's 0.00 means it has rewarded its volatility with excess return. Higher is better.
What is the benchmark of DSP Arbitrage fund?
DSP Arbitrage fund is benchmarked against the Nifty 50 Arbitrage Index. Its alpha and beta on this page are measured against that index.
Who manages DSP Arbitrage fund?
DSP Arbitrage fund is managed by Kaivalya Nadkarni and Karan Mundhra at DSP.
How is DSP Arbitrage fund taxed?
DSP Arbitrage fund is an equity-oriented fund, so its capital gains get concessional rates: short-term gains (units held under 1 year) are taxed at 20%, and long-term gains (held 1 year or more) at 12.5% above a ₹1.25 lakh per-year exemption. These rates apply on redemption and don't add to your income-tax slab.