Investment Fund Glossary

The average yearly growth of an investment over multiple years, accounting for compounding.

A return of any period converted into a standard yearly rate, so funds can be compared fairly.

How much a fund's value has changed from the start of the current year to its latest price.

The return a fund earned above (or below) what its benchmark exposure and risk level would predict.

How widely a fund's returns swing around their average — the higher the number, the bumpier the ride.

The largest peak-to-trough loss a fund has experienced — "how bad would it have been at the worst possible timing?".

How much extra return above the risk-free rate a fund earned for each unit of volatility it took on.

A fund's sensitivity to its benchmark: beta of 1 moves with the market; above 1 amplifies its moves both ways.

The annual percentage deducted from fund assets to cover operating costs — taken from your units automatically, gain or lose.

The annual fee the fund manager charges for running the fund, as a % of assets — paid whether the fund gains or loses.

Funds investing in short-term, low-risk instruments — built to preserve capital and earn a modest return with high liquidity.

Funds that don't try to beat the market but to mirror it: they hold an index's components to match its return at low cost.

Listed funds owning income-producing real estate and distributing most profits — a way to own a slice of large properties with a small sum.

Funds investing under rules certified by a shariah board: no interest-bearing instruments, and specific sectors screened out.

The true value of one fund unit: assets minus liabilities divided by units outstanding — the price you buy and redeem at in open-ended funds.

The yardstick a fund is measured against: a market index representing its own category, revealing whether the manager added value.

How easily your investment converts to cash in hand: how long redemption takes, and at what cost.

Our own 0–100 summary score: a percentile ranking showing where a fund stands among peers on objective criteria like risk-adjusted return and fees.