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FUND PICK: Prudential ICICI Tax Plan

 

Returns in % as on December 01, 2005

FMCG funds continued to top equity categories on a one-year basis. The category returns for the past 12 month period amounted to 66.81 per cent. 
 

EQUITY FUNDS Average category returns (%)
	1 month	1 year
FMCG	8.51	66.81
Tax planning	12.15	58.53
Diversified	12.63	53.29
Auto	12.67	50.96
Banking	6.67	48.15
Technology	12.77	42.15
Index	12.52	39.30
Pharma	14.50	31.01
Petroleum	15.47	24.19

Tax planning (58.53 per cent) and diversified funds (53.29 per cent) were next in line, while petroleum sector funds (24.19 per cent) came last. 
 

LEADERS Tax planning funds
	1 month	1 year
SBI Magnum Tax Gain	12.19	119.61
HDFC Taxsaver Fund	14.31	89.83
Prudential ICICI Taxplan	10.44	76.01
ING Vysya Tax Saving	12.26	68.88
Taurus Libra Taxshield	11.09	67.10
Sundaram Taxsaver	12.82	64.89
HDFC Long Term  Adv.	13.82	64.29
Canequity Taxsaver	9.60	63.96
Birla Equity Plan	13.34	58.43

However, on a one-month basis, petroleum funds came out on top, with a return of 15.47 per cent, followed by pharma sector funds with 14.50 per cent. Tax planning funds posted 12.15 per cent on an average. 
 

LAGGARDS Tax planning funds
	1 month	1 year
LIC Tax Plan	10.56	27.77
Principal Personal Taxsaver	9.84	33.30
Franklin India Index Tax	13.55	37.84
Birla SunLife Capital Tax	12.40	39.66
Escorts Tax Plan	11.31	46.90
PRINCIPAL Tax Savings	15.53	51.78
Tata Tax Saving Fund	10.29	52.03
Franklin India Taxshield	15.49	52.93
UTI Equity Tax Savings	12.40	55.60
Source: www.mutualfundsindia.com

SBI Magnum Tax Gain was the best performing tax planning scheme with a one-year return of 119.61 per cent. HDFC Tax saver fund was the second best at 89.83 per cent.