Franklin India Prima Plus Fund - Analyst Review

From being at top of its category to crashing the most, Franklin India Prima Plus has seen it all. Today, the fund depends largely on safe blue chip companies & is suitable for all types of investors

Its mild-mannered approach makes it a suitable holding for investors who like its smooth ride. Its dominant strength lies in a high-quality portfolio. For example, the fund has largely stayed away from sky-rocketing real estate plays. Many would call it a missed opportunity, but that is where the fund adds value - it does not buy into fads easily.

Maintaining a strong focus on fundamentals is the fund's top priority. It invests in a portfolio of around 50 stocks and the top holdings are almost always well-known blue chip stocks. Right from January 2000, the fund has held an average 70 per cent of its portfolio in large caps.

This has not been the case all along though. Launched around the peak of the IPO boom in September 1994, it started off as a stock collector and had nearly 200 stocks in its kitty by March 1996. The relentless cleaning took years before it could pare it down to 40 stocks (January 2001).

Thanks to big bets in technology, the fund trampled its benchmark and peers in 1998 and 1999. But it could not sidestep this landmine. When the tech bubble burst in 2000, it fell harder at (-)31.89 (category average: (-)24.27 per cent).

The fund's middling performance after that has been easier to swallow. It can now be branded as a well-diversified, large-cap fund with low volatility and decent returns. Because of this, the fund may never deliver eye-popping returns. But at the same time, it will never make you regret your decision of investing in it.From being at top of its category to crashing the most, Franklin India Prima Plus has seen it all. Today, the fund depends largely on safe blue chip companies & is suitable for all types of investors

Its mild-mannered approach makes it a suitable holding for investors who like its smooth ride. Its dominant strength lies in a high-quality portfolio. For example, the fund has largely stayed away from sky-rocketing real estate plays. Many would call it a missed opportunity, but that is where the fund adds value - it does not buy into fads easily.

Maintaining a strong focus on fundamentals is the fund's top priority. It invests in a portfolio of around 50 stocks and the top holdings are almost always well-known blue chip stocks. Right from January 2000, the fund has held an average 70 per cent of its portfolio in large caps.

This has not been the case all along though. Launched around the peak of the IPO boom in September 1994, it started off as a stock collector and had nearly 200 stocks in its kitty by March 1996. The relentless cleaning took years before it could pare it down to 40 stocks (January 2001).

Thanks to big bets in technology, the fund trampled its benchmark and peers in 1998 and 1999. But it could not sidestep this landmine. When the tech bubble burst in 2000, it fell harder at (-)31.89 (category average: (-)24.27 per cent).

The fund's middling performance after that has been easier to swallow. It can now be branded as a well-diversified, large-cap fund with low volatility and decent returns. Because of this, the fund may never deliver eye-popping returns. But at the same time, it will never make you regret your decision of investing in it.

(Source: Value Research)