Quant Small Cap Fund: Capitalising on the Growth of Small Companies

Quant Small Cap Fund is an actively managed Small Cap Fund that has recorded extraordinary performance in the last couple of years to stand among the top performers in the category across time frames.

Past performance is not an indicator of future returns
Data as on November 16, 2022
(Source: ACE MF)

Despite being small in size, Quant Small Cap Fund has registered extraordinary performance and handsomely rewarded its investors. In the last 2-year and 3-year period, Quant Small Cap Fund has outpaced the benchmark by a remarkable margin of 15-25 percentage points and also stood as the category topper. Its superior performance in the recent past has boosted its long-term returns. The fund has now found a place among top-performing schemes, boasting superior returns across time frames.

The volatility registered by the fund is higher than the category average as well as the benchmark. However, Quant Small Cap Fund has managed to reward investors remarkably for the level of risk taken. Its Sharpe ratio, a measure of risk-adjusted return, is currently the best in the category.

Investment strategy of Quant Small Cap Fund

Categorised as a Small Cap Fund, Quant Small Cap Fund is mandated to invest a minimum of 65% of its assets in stocks of small-cap companies, i.e., companies ranking 251st onwards in terms of market capitalisation. The fund also allocates around 20-30% of its assets in stocks of large-cap and mid-cap companies. Quant Small Cap Fund adopts a quantitative approach to select high-growth potential stocks based on relevant market, industry, sector and economic parameters. This quantitative approach is based on the fund house's proprietary VLRT framework, viz. Valuations, Liquidity, Risk, and Timing. Here are the key features of the framework:

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Valuation Analytics: Knowing the difference between price and value

Liquidity Analytics: Understanding the flow of money across asset classes

Risk Appetite Analytics: Perceiving what drives market participants to certain actions and reactions

Time: Being aware of the cycles that govern how the other three dimensions interact

This framework enables the scheme to understand the various investment trends, thereby allowing it to select high-growth potential stocks. The fund holds many of its stocks with a short-term view, and as a result, Quant Small Cap Fund usually has recorded a high turnover of 70-500% in the last two years.

Quant Small Cap Fund usually holds a well-diversified portfolio of 55-60 stocks at any point in time. As of October 31, 2022, the fund held 57 stocks in its portfolio, with the top 10 stock holdings accounting for around 44.8% of its assets. Two large-cap stocks viz. ITC and Ambuja Cements currently form the fund's top holdings, along with small-cap names such as IRB Infrastructure Developers, HFCL, RBL Bank, and The India Cements, among others.

In the last one year, Quant Small Cap Fund benefitted the most from its holdings in ITC, Shree Renuka Sugars, EID Parry (India), The India Cements, and KSB, among others. It booked profits in ICICI Bank, Easy Trip Planners, Hindustan Aeronautics, L&T, Grindwell Norton, and Linde India, among others.

The top 5 sectors in Quant Small Cap Fund's portfolio accounted for around 57.2% of its assets. It holds higher weightage in Consumption, Cement, Engineering, Transportation, Banks, and Pharma. Media, Chemicals, Telecom, and Textiles figure among the other prominent sectors in the fund's portfolio.

Suitability

Quant Small Cap Fund stood strong during the 2020 market crash, wherein it outpaced the benchmark and many of its peers. Moreover, the fund topped the category returns in the ensuing bull phase, thereby generating significant alpha for its investors. Quant Small Cap Fund is quick in its approach to shift allocation between market caps and sectors depending on the market conditions.

With significant exposure to stocks in the small-cap and mid-cap segments coupled with the active investment approach followed by the scheme, the volatility registered is higher than the benchmark and many of its peers. Nonetheless, the remarkable returns generated by the fund have helped it score high on risk-reward parameters.

The aggressive investment mandate followed by Quant Small Cap Fund makes it suitable only for investors with a very high risk appetite and an investment horizon of at least 7-10 years.

Warm Regards,
Divya Grover
Research Analyst

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Note:  This write up is for information purpose and does not constitute any kind of investment advice or a recommendation to Buy / Hold / Sell a fund. Returns mentioned herein are in no way a guarantee or promise of future returns. As an investor, you need to pick the right fund to meet your financial goals. If you are not sure about your risk appetite, do consult your investment consultant/advisor. Mutual Fund Investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

DISCLOSURE AS PER SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (RESEARCH ANALYSTS) REGULATIONS, 2014

About the Company including business activity

Quantum Information Services Private Limited (QIS) was incorporated on December 19, 1989.

QIS was promoted by Mr Ajit Dayal with an objective of providing value-based information/views on news related to equity markets, the economy in general, sector analysis, budget review and various personal products and investments options available to the Public. It was the first company to start equity research on an institutional level.

'PersonalFN' is a service brand of QIS and was started in the year 1999. In 1999, the Company registered the Domain name www.personalfn.com for providing information on mutual funds and personal financial planning, financial markets in general, etc. and services related to financial planning and research in various financial instruments including mutual funds, insurance and fixed income products to customers. It offers asset allocation and researched investment recommendations through its financial planning services.

Quantum Information Services Private Limited (QIS) is registered as Investment Adviser under SEBI (Investment Adviser) Regulations, 2013 and having Registration No.: INA000000680. In terms of the second proviso to Regulation 3 (1) of SEBI (Research Analysts) Regulations, 2014 the Company is not required to obtain Certificate of registration from SEBI.

Disciplinary history

There are no outstanding litigations against the Company, its subsidiaries and its Directors.

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Details of associates

1. Money Simplified Services Private Limited;

2. PersonalFN Insurance Services India Private Limited;

3. Equitymaster Agora Research Private Limited;

4. Common Sense Living Private Limited;

5. Quantum Advisors Private Limited;

6. Quantum Asset Management Company Private Limited;

7. HelpYourNGO.com India Private Limited;

8. HelpYourNGO Foundation;

9. Natural Streets for Performing Arts Foundation;

10. Primary Real Estate Advisors Private Limited;

11. HYNGO India Private Limited;

12. Suresh Lulla;

13. I V Subramaniam.

1. ‘subject company’ is a scheme on which a buy/sell/hold view or target price is given/changed in this Research Report;

2. Neither QIS, it's Associates, Research Analyst or his/her relative have any financial interest in the subject Company;

3. Neither QIS, it's Associates, Research Analyst or his/her relative have actual/beneficial ownership of one per cent or more securities of the subject Company, at the end of the month immediately preceding the date of publication of the research report;

4. Neither QIS, it's Associates, Research Analyst or his/her relative has any other material conflict of interest at the time of publication of the research report except that QIS (PersonalFN) is, as per SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations 1996, an associate / group Company of Quantum Asset Management Company Private Limited and Trustees and Sponsor of Quantum Mutual Fund (QMF) and to that extent there may be conflict of interest while recommending any schemes of QMF. However, any such recommendation or reference made is based on the standard evaluation and selection process, which applies uniformly for all Mutual Fund Schemes. The payment of commission (upfront / annualized & trail), if any, for any Schemes by QMF to QIS (PersonalFN) is also at arm's length and as per prevailing market practices.

1. Neither QIS nor it's Associates have received any compensation from the subject Company in the past twelve months;

2. Neither QIS nor it's Associates have managed or co-managed public offering of securities for the subject Company;

3. Neither QIS nor it's Associates have received any compensation for investment banking or merchant banking or brokerage services from the subject Company;

4. Neither QIS nor it's Associates have received any compensation for products or services other than investment banking or merchant banking or brokerage services from the subject company in the past twelve months.

5. Neither QIS nor it's Associates have received any compensation or other benefits from the subject Company or third party in connection with the research report

1. The Research Analyst has not served as an officer, director or employee of the subject Company.

2. QIS or the Research Analyst has not been engaged in market making activity for the subject Company.

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Quantum Information Services Private Limited CIN: U65990MH1989PTC054667 Regd. & Corp. Office: 103, Regent Chambers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021

Email:info@personalfn.com Website: www.personalfn.com Tel.: 022 61361200 Fax.: 022 61361222 SEBI-registered Investment Adviser. Registration No. INA000000680, SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulation, 2013