Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF leads 3-month returns 2026

What put the fund in focus

Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF has emerged as the top performer in the overseas fund-of-funds (FOF) mutual fund category on a three-month basis. ACE MF data dated June 28 showed the scheme delivering a 37.8% return over three months, placing it ahead of peers in the same overseas FOF set. The next two funds cited in the same data set were Edelweiss US Technology Equity FOF with 24.2% and Kotak Global Emerging Market Overseas Equity Omni FOF with 23.3% for the three-month period. The strong three-month showing has renewed investor attention on international passive strategies routed via Indian mutual fund structures. It also comes at a time when overseas exposure in mutual funds remains a closely watched segment due to allocation limits and varying global equity cycles. The fund’s positioning is straightforward: it is a fund-of-fund that invests in a single underlying ETF linked to the Nasdaq-100.

Category ranking based on ACE MF (June 28)

The ranking that placed Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF at the top was presented alongside a table of performance and assets under management (AUM). In that snapshot, the fund’s three-month return was 37.8% and its AUM was listed at Rs 8,583.3 crore. The same table showed a -1.5% one-month return, 38.8% six-month return, 75.0% one-year return, and 38.8% three-year return for the scheme. Only one fund row was visible in the provided table extract, so the remaining “top 5” entries are not reproduced here.

How the scheme is structured

The scheme is described as an open-ended fund-of-fund that seeks returns by investing in units of the Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 ETF. The underlying ETF, in turn, aims to deliver investment returns that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index, subject to tracking error. The benchmark referenced for the fund is the Nasdaq 100 Total Return Index, and “NASDAQ - 100 TRI” is also cited in the provided details. This structure matters because investor experience in a FOF depends on both the underlying index movement and the ETF’s execution, including tracking error and costs. In practice, FOF investors do not directly hold the Nasdaq-100 constituents; they hold the mutual fund, which holds the ETF units. That makes the transparency and efficiency of the ETF an important part of the overall outcome.

Key fund details: age, NAV, and AUM

Multiple fund snapshots were provided for the Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF, including Direct and Regular plan references. The Direct Growth plan NAV was stated as approximately Rs 68.4286 as of June 29, 2026, and the scheme was described as about 7 years and 7 months old. The launch date was listed as November 29, 2018. AUM for the scheme was repeatedly shown around Rs 8,583 crore, including Rs 8,583.28 crore as of May 31, 2026. One dataset also described the fund as “Very High risk” and explicitly noted there is no lock-in period. These elements are important for investors comparing international equity exposure options within Indian mutual fund wrappers.

Performance numbers: what the different snapshots show

The same fund is shown with different return figures across the provided extracts, reflecting different sources and calculation formats. One table of “Annualized Returns” showed 3-month returns of 39.78, 6-month returns of 40.34, and 1-year returns of 70.08 for the fund, alongside category averages of 15.06 (3 months), 15.96 (6 months), and 37.98 (1 year). Another comparison table showed 3-month performance at 40.0% for “this fund” versus 15.78% for the category average, and 6-month performance at 40.1% versus 18.54%. A separate “Returns of Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF Direct - Growth” table showed 3 months at 24.26% and 6 months at 46.12%, with category averages of 11.93% and 10.64%, respectively. The ACE MF category leader snapshot highlighted 37.8% for three months as of June 28. The key takeaway is that, across the provided data cuts, the fund is consistently shown outperforming the category average over short and medium horizons, even though the exact percentage differs by dataset.

Costs and plan-specific differences

Expense ratio figures also vary across the provided extracts, and the plan type matters when interpreting them. One snapshot listed an expense ratio of 0.48% (and noted a 1.32% category figure in the same line), while another Direct plan description cited an expense ratio of 0.19%. A different dataset stated that as of June 29, 2026, the Direct Growth plan had an expense ratio of 0.77%. Since these are all explicitly present but inconsistent across sources, they should be treated as plan and platform-specific disclosures rather than a single definitive number. For investors, the practical implication is to verify the expense ratio on the latest scheme documents for the chosen plan (Direct vs Regular) before investing. In a FOF structure, investors should also account for the underlying ETF’s expense ratio in addition to the FOF’s cost layer.

Underlying ETF snapshot: MON100 metrics shared

The underlying instrument referenced is Motilal Oswal NASDAQ 100 ETF (often shown as MON100). The ETF snapshot included a price of Rs 324.22 with a one-day move of -1.60 (0.49%). The same table showed a 1-year return of +45.24%, an expense ratio of 0.59%, AUM of Rs 14,174 crore, and tracking error of 0.08%. Another line separately mentioned the Motilal Oswal NASDAQ 100 ETF share price on NSE as Rs 226.18, along with short-term percentage moves, indicating that the provided information includes more than one price snapshot or data context. The ETF’s role is central because the FOF’s performance is mechanically linked to the ETF’s movement, after costs and any tracking differences.

Category return comparison shown in the data

One “Category returns” table in the provided material showed returns of 45.24% over 1 year, 31.43% over 3 years, 21.11% over 5 years, and 23.91% for “All.” The same table listed category averages of 26.33% (1Y), 24.54% (3Y), and 15.65% (5Y). While the table label is generic, it is presented alongside the Nasdaq-100-linked context and helps frame the outperformance narrative shown elsewhere in the extracts. For readers, the core point is that the provided data indicates a substantial gap between the highlighted return numbers and the category average across multiple horizons. This is consistent with the general reality that Nasdaq-100 exposure can be more volatile and can meaningfully diverge from broader international equity categories, depending on the period.

Market impact: what the numbers imply for investors

The immediate market relevance is that Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF is being positioned as the category leader in overseas FOFs over the most recent three-month window cited (June 28 data). The AUM number of about Rs 8,583 crore indicates it is also among the larger schemes in its segment, which can matter for liquidity management at the fund level, even though the underlying holdings are ETF units. The short-term dip shown in the one-month number (-1.5% in the ACE MF snapshot, and around -3.47% to -3.58% in other extracts) highlights that returns have not been smooth even during a period of strong 3-month performance. Investors evaluating such a product are effectively taking a view on the Nasdaq-100, with associated concentration and currency-linked effects, although the latter is not quantified in the provided text. The fund’s “Very High risk” label, as shown in one snapshot, reinforces the suitability requirement for investors with high risk tolerance and longer holding periods.

Why this story matters in 2026

International fund-of-funds products remain a key route for Indian investors seeking overseas equity exposure without directly opening global brokerage accounts. A category-leading three-month return number, such as 37.8% cited for Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF, tends to draw inflows and comparisons, especially when peers are shown at 24.2% and 23.3% for the same period in the same dataset. But performance interpretation depends on data source, plan, and time window, as demonstrated by the multiple return tables presented in the material. The scheme’s clarity of mandate, investing in a Nasdaq-100 ETF with an index-tracking objective, reduces manager discretion but increases dependence on index cycles. The next key datapoints for investors to track, based on the information provided, are updated NAV disclosures, AUM trends, and the scheme’s ongoing linkage to the Nasdaq 100 Total Return Index.