Only 49 of 626 Equity Mutual Funds Delivered Positive Returns in Latest Week

Key Takeaways

• Of 626 equity mutual funds analysed for 28 September to 3 October, only 49 generated positive returns while 577 ended the period in negative territory. 
• International funds occupied all five of the highest-return positions, led by a fund-of-funds product with a 5.01% weekly gain. 
• The weak breadth coincided with declines in the Nifty 50, Sensex and several global equity indices during the period. 

Positive returns were scarce across equity mutual funds in the latest weekly dataset, with just 49 of 626 schemes ending the period in positive territory. 

The remaining 577 funds recorded negative returns between 28 September and 3 October 2026, according to an analysis based on ACE MF data. 

International funds dominated the small group that remained positive. 

Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF FoF led the table with a 5.01% return over the period. Mirae Asset S&P 500 Top 50 ETF FoF followed at 3.04%. 

Edelweiss US Technology Equity FoF returned 2.31%, while Invesco India – Invesco Global Consumer Trends FoF gained 1.59%. Mirae Asset Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF FoF completed the five highest-return schemes at 1.51%. 

The divergence broadly reflected differences between domestic and selected overseas equity markets during the week. 

The Nasdaq gained 1.38% and the S&P 500 rose 0.50%. In India, the Nifty 50 fell 1.57% and the Sensex declined 1.18%. 

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 2.71%, while the Dow Jones and Germany’s DAX declined 0.59% and 0.56%, respectively. 

At the other end of the mutual fund table, weekly losses reached 3.80%. Motilal Oswal Digital India Fund recorded the steepest decline cited in the study, followed by several consumption-themed schemes. 

The figures measure returns over a very short period and can be heavily affected by the specific markets, sectors and currencies to which each scheme is exposed. 

This was particularly visible among international funds. Their portfolios do not necessarily move with Indian benchmark indices, while rupee movements can also influence the domestic-currency returns of overseas-oriented schemes. 

The dataset nevertheless shows how broad the weakness was across equity mutual funds during the week: fewer than 8% of the 626 schemes analysed ended with positive returns. 

That proportion is a description of one week’s historical performance rather than a measure of longer-term fund quality or future return potential.