Have a mix of both growth and value-oriented funds in your portfolio

There are certain phases in the market when growth stocks do well and others in which value stocks outperform

Value funds have not done too well in the recent past. Among diversified equity fund categories, only the more volatile categories like mid-cap and small-cap funds have done worse than them over the past year. However, when you view their returns over the very long term, say, 10 years, these funds have done quite well. Experts say the current underperformance may be partly attributed to market cycles. There are certain phases in the market when growth stocks do well and others in which value stocks (and hence funds based on them) outperform. Don’t get deterred by the poor run of these funds in recent times. Make sure that besides diversifying across asset classes and market caps, you also diversify across fund management styles. Have a mix of both growth and value-oriented funds in your portfolio.