Mutual funds provide a simple and accessible way for investors to pool their money together and invest in a variety of assets like stocks, bonds, and other securities.
By allowing you to invest in a diverse portfolio under the supervision of qualified fund managers, these funds lower risk and give you access to markets that may be challenging for you to invest in on your own. This investment vehicle has become popular for retirement savings, offering both professional management and diversification. Let’s learn more about the best mutual funds in UAE, their returns, and how they work.
A mutual fund is a financial vehicle that pools money from multiple investors to buy a diversified portfolio of assets. These funds are designed to meet specific investment objectives—such as growth, income, or matching market indexes.
When you invest in a mutual fund, your money is combined with that of other investors, creating a large pool of capital. This pooled money is then invested in a range of assets according to the fund’s objectives.
For example, a growth-oriented mutual fund might invest in high-potential stocks, while an income-focused fund might hold bonds to provide steady returns.
Fund managers make investment decisions, choosing which assets to buy or sell, and track the performance of the portfolio.
Each investor holds "units" in the fund, which represent a portion of the total portfolio. The value of these units changes based on the performance of the assets within the fund.
The price per unit is called the Net Asset Value (NAV), which is calculated daily by dividing the total market value of the fund's assets by the total number of outstanding units
Mutual funds in the UAE offer several key benefits for investors —
Looking to boost your portfolio? Check out some of the best SIP options for NRIs available.
UAE Mutual funds returns are generated in three ways —
Mutual funds in UAE carry several risks, depending on the type of assets they hold —
Each of these risks can affect the fund's performance. Therefore, it's important to carefully consider the type of mutual fund and its risks before investing
Feature | Actively Managed Funds | Index Funds |
---|---|---|
Pros | Opportunity for outperformance | Low fees |
Defensive measures, can respond to market changes | Transparency (holdings are clear based on the index) | |
Tax management (harvesting losses to minimize taxes) | Tax efficiency (buy-and-hold strategy avoids large capital gains) | |
Cons | Expensive (higher fees due to research and management costs) | Lack of flexibility (restricted to a specific index) |
Active risk (potential for poor stock selection) | Performance constraints (won’t outperform the index) | |
Underperformance (historically, many active funds underperform) | No downside protection (falls in line with the market index) |
Here are the top investment options for you to compare and choose the right one —
Feature | Stocks | ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) | Mutual Funds |
---|---|---|---|
Risk | Concentrated in one firm | Diversified pool of assets | Diversified pool of assets |
Costs | Commission, bid-ask spread | Commission, premium/discount, expenditure ratio, and bid-ask spread | Early redemption costs, commission, sales load, and expense ratio |
When to Trade | Market hours, prices always change | Market hours, prices continuously fluctuate | Trades filled once a day after market hours, priced once per day based on NAV |
Tax Efficiency | Most control over capital gains | Less control over capital gains | Least control over capital gains |