2024 was a significant year for Bangladesh, marked by various events. However, the market exhibited a clear downward trajectory, with the DSEX index declining by 16.44%. In contrast, growth mutual funds demonstrated commendable performance, generating notable returns. Some of the prominent growth funds analysis include Green Delta Dragon Enhanced Blue Chip GF (GDD EBCGF); CWT Emerging Bangladesh First Growth Fund (CWTEBFGF); CWT Sadharan Bima Growth Fund (CWT SMGF); EDGE AMC Growth Fund (EDGE AMC GF); IDLC Growth Fund (IDLC GF); UCB AML First Mutual Fund (UCB AML FMF); and VIPB Growth Fund (VIPB GF). The performance of these funds is presented in the chart for comparison.
Driven by high bank deposit rates and treasury returns, income funds performed exceptionally well in 2024. The analysis includes several prominent balanced funds, such as the EDGE High-Quality Income Fund (EDGE HQIF); IDLC Income Fund (IDLC IF); Shanta First Income Fund (Shanta FIF); and UCB Income Plus Fund (UCB IPF). The performance of these funds is presented in the chart for comparison.
UCB Income Plus Fund led with a 10.12% return, followed by Shanta First Income Fund at 9.84% and EDGE High-Quality Income Fund at 9.07%.
Balanced funds are an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the capital market while maintaining a steady cash flow. Our analysis covered several balanced funds, including CWT Opportunities Fund (CWT OF), EDGE Bangladesh Mutual Fund (EDGE BMF), IDLC Balanced Fund (IDLC BF), Shanta First Income Unit Fund (Shanta FIUF), VIPB Balanced Fund (VIPB BF), VIPB SEBL 1st Unit Fund (VIPB SEBL 1st UF), and VIPB NLI 1st Unit Fund (VIPB NLI 1st UF). The chart provides a comparative overview of their returns in 2024.
VIPB dominated the balanced fund segment. The VIPB Balanced Fund delivered the highest return at 4.91%, followed by the VIPB SEBL 1st Unit Fund at 3.81% and the VIPB NLI 1st Unit Fund at 3.44%.
For investors seeking options aligned with Islamic principles, Shariah funds are a good choice. Despite the DSES (Shariah Index of DSE) posting a -14.13% return in 2024, Shariah mutual funds have performed comparatively better. Our analysis includes notable Shariah funds such as CWT Community Bank Shariah Fund (CWT CBSF), EDGE Al-Amin Shariah Fund (EDGE Al-Amin SF), IDLC AML Shariah Fund (IDLC AML SF), Shanta Amanah Shariah Fund (Shanta Amanah SF), and UCB Taqwa Growth Fund (UCB Taqwa GF). The chart below highlights their performance for 2024.
UCB Taqwa Growth Fund delivered the highest return 2.64% in the shariah fund category.
Disclaimer: We have relied solely on publicly available data and have not included any unpublished information in this report. The calculations presented are our own and have not been provided by the respective institutions. If you notice any inaccuracies, please feel free to reach out to us.