CALCULATE YOUR SIP RETURNS

How to Calculate NAV in SIP ?

6 min readby Angel One
Discover how to compute Net Asset Value (NAV) in Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) to monitor your investments and make informed financial decisions effectively.
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Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) have gained popularity among individuals aiming to grow wealth systematically. By allowing fixed contributions at regular intervals, SIPs offer a disciplined approach to mutual fund investments. Understanding the calculation of Net Asset Value (NAV) in SIPs is vital for accurately tracking investment performance.  

Key Takeaways 

  • Net Asset Value (NAV) represents the per-unit market value of a mutual fund, crucial for tracking SIP investment performance.  

  • Fund houses provide NAV at the time of investment and it forms the basis of the units allocated.  

  • A rising NAV indicates capital appreciation, while a falling NAV signals a potential decline in mutual fund value.  

  • Monitoring NAV in SIPs helps investors make informed investment decisions and achieve systematic long-term wealth creation. 

Understanding What is NAV in SIP 

The Net Asset Value (NAV) is essentially the per-unit price of a mutual fund scheme. Think of a mutual fund as a large pie: the NAV tells you the price of one single slice. 

 Mutual funds invest the money they collect from investors in various securities, such as stocks and bonds. To calculate the NAV, the fund first takes the total market value of all its investments (assets), subtracts all its liabilities (such as expenses), and then divides the resulting figure by the total number of outstanding units held by investors.  

NAV is calculated and declared at the end of every business day. It is the crucial figure that determines how many units you receive when you invest. Since the market value of the underlying assets changes daily, the NAV also fluctuates daily, which is why you may receive a different number of units for the same SIP amount each month. 

Calculating NAV in SIPs 

When you invest through a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), you are allotted fund units based on the NAV prevailing on the date your SIP instalment is processed. However, if you wish to calculate the NAV for your investment, here’s a quick look at how you can go about it:  

Information Gathering [H3] 

Begin by assembling relevant data, including the total investment amount, the current total units owned (available on your fund statement), and the fund's latest official NAV. 

Total Contribution Calculation 

Determine the overall SIP investment by multiplying the periodic amount by the number of contributions. 

Total Units Purchased  

To find the total number of units you own, add the units purchased with each contribution. To determine the units for each contribution, divide the amount invested by the NAV on that investment date.  

Current NAV Determination  

Calculate the present NAV by dividing the total fund assets by outstanding units.  

Investment Performance Evaluation 

Compare the initial NAV (or your average purchase price per unit) to the current NAV to evaluate SIP performance and the current market value of your holdings. Higher NAV suggests potential appreciation, while lower NAV indicates a possible decline. 

Example of NAV Calculation in SIP 

Let's illustrate the calculation of Net Asset Value (NAV) in a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) with a practical example:  

Suppose an investor initiates a SIP with a monthly contribution of ₹500 for 12 months. The NAV of the mutual fund at the time of the first contribution is ₹20. Here's how the NAV calculation unfolds:  

Total Contribution: The total contribution over 12 months is calculated as: 

Total Contribution = ₹500 * 12 = ₹6,000  

Total Units Purchased: Next, we determine the total number of units purchased based on the total contribution and the NAV at the time of investment: 

Total Units Purchased = ₹6,000 / ₹20 = 300 units  

Current NAV: Finally, to calculate the current NAV, we need to consider the total fund assets and outstanding units. Assuming no change in the total fund assets, we use the formula: 

Current NAV = Total Fund Assets / Outstanding Units  

Since we've invested for 12 months, let's assume the total fund assets have grown to ₹7,000. Therefore, the current NAV would be:   

Current NAV = ₹7,000 / 300 units = ₹23.33 per unit  

In this example, the investor has accumulated 300 units of the mutual fund through their SIP contributions. The current NAV of the mutual fund, based on the increased total fund assets, is calculated to be ₹23.33 per unit. This demonstrates how NAV is computed in SIPs and highlights its importance in evaluating investment performance over time. 

Conclusion

By understanding what is NAV in SIP, you can better assess the fund performance and evaluate your entire portfolio to make the necessary changes. An increase in NAV shows an increase in the value of capital, whereas a decline means the price of funds may decrease.  

Once you know what is NAV in SIP, you can make an informed decision based on the market trends, your risk tolerance and goals. NAV monitoring, together with Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs), enables systematic wealth creation, effective fund management, and long-term financial development.  

FAQs

The NAV fluctuation in SIP is driven by market volatility in the underlying asset of a mutual fund. Some of the factors that affect NAV in SIP include the movements of stock prices, changes in interest rates, inflation, economic policies and the general market sentiment. Also, the costs of funds and dividends paid influence NAV changes on a day-to-day basis.

NAV in SIP directly impacts the number of mutual fund units purchased during each SIP installation. When NAV is low, investors receive additional units, and when NAV is high, they receive fewer units. In the long run, as NAV in SIP increases, the value of cumulative units increases, and long-term returns are amplified by compounding.

A lower NAV in SIP does not mean that it is better; it just means the fund is new or the price is different. The possibility of returns does not hinge on NAV only, but on the performance of the fund.  

Daily NAV information is available to the investors either on the official site of the mutual fund house, on the sites of the financial platforms, and the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).  

 

Expense ratios are operational costs such as management fees, administrative and/or distribution costs of the fund, added to total assets, and then the  NAV in SIP is calculated. A higher expense ratio slightly reduces NAV, thereby impacting overall returns for investors. On the other hand, funds with lower expense ratios are more likely to deliver higher net returns over the long run, given similar performance

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