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<item> <title>My Stock Portfolio Analysis: Mar 2026</title> <link>https://freefincal.com/my-stock-portfolio-analysis-mar-2026/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:30:56 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[M. Pattabiraman]]></dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freefincal.com/?p=343821</guid> <description><![CDATA[This article compares my stock portfolio with an equivalent investment in a Nifty index fund...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img src="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg" class="type:primaryImage" /></figure><p>This article compares my stock portfolio with an equivalent investment in a Nifty index fund and the Nifty 100 Low Volatility 30 TR index. We post this comparison each month. Before we begin, new readers need to understand the context of these investments.</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> We recently added a new tool to the <a href="https://freefincal.com/freefincal-investor-circle/">freefincal investor circle</a> – <a href="https://freefincal.com/identify-stocks-with-earnings-power-with-this-new-tool/">Identify stocks with earnings power with this new tool</a>. <strong>See results: </strong><a href="https://freefincal.com/earnings-power-valuation-of-my-portfolio-stocks/">Earnings power valuation of my portfolio stocks</a>.</p> <p>I started direct equity investing only after achieving a comfortable level of financial independence and ensuring my son’s future portfolio is reasonably secure. At the time of writing, its value accounts for approximately 8.41% of my equity MF retirement portfolio and 4.95% of my total retirement portfolio.</p> <p>Therefore, I invested without the fear of performance. There is no experimentation or research in the stock selection strategy. That is often a waste of time and, therefore, a waste of true wealth. I continue to invest in the same way.</p> <p><strong>Caution: </strong>No part of this article should be treated as investment advice. I started investing in stocks <strong>after</strong> establishing my <a href="https://freefincal.com/gms-course-faq/">goal-based investing</a> strategy. Readers should appreciate that I began investing in stocks after achieving financial independence. Therefore, I have no pressure when picking stocks, as mentioned here. Please conduct your research and purchase accordingly, guided by your circumstances.</p> <p>My goal is to buy stocks with practically zero research. I also continue to invest in mutual funds as usual.</p> <p>I have purchased mutual funds every month, regardless of market levels, and I will strive to replicate this approach with direct equity if I have the money. Additionally, see ‘<a href="https://freefincal.com/17-years-of-mutual-fund-investing-my-journey-and-lessons-learned/">17 Years of Mutual Fund Investing: My Journey and Lessons Learned</a>.’</p> <p>Time is not just money; Time is unquantifiable money. Time wasted on stock or mutual fund analysis, on deciding when to invest, etc., is an unquantifiable loss. So, I aim to buy a fund or stock within a minute.</p> <p>No skills are required for any aspect of my portfolio. I compensate for the lack of knowledge with discipline. Randomness (also known as luck) plays a significant role in the returns (or lack thereof) shown below.</p> <p>After evaluating the performance of low-volatility indices, I gained confidence in my ability to invest in stocks. I told myself I would not do any stock analysis or research. I would conduct a quick check of the company’s health and a brief volatility review before making a buy decision. If I cannot buy a stock within a few minutes, I am wasting time and money (in that order).</p> <p>The stock portfolio is part of my retirement portfolio basket and provides dividends. It could serve as an emergency fund as a last resort. Maybe I will find another use for it in the future.</p> <p>In FY 2020-21, the total annual dividend income from this portfolio (pre-tax) was approximately 30% of my current monthly expenses. In FY 2021-2022, it increased to about 56%. In FY 2022-23, the percentage increased to approximately 70%. In FY 2023-2024, the rate was approximately 88%. In FY 2024-2025, the rate was approximately 100%.</p> <p>The next goal is to receive one month’s expenses as a total quarterly dividend (post-tax!). I do not consciously reinvest dividends. Younger people should. It matters little as long as the overall investment made each month continues to grow healthily: <a href="https://freefincal.com/how-13-years-of-tracking-investments-helped-me-build-wealth/">How 13 years of tracking investments helped me build wealth</a>.</p> <p>This stock portfolio is part of my overall retirement portfolio. I am striving to build the <a href="https://freefincal.com/build-retirement-portfolio/">ideal retirement portfolio</a>. Also, see <a href="https://freefincal.com/how-to-build-a-second-income-source-that-will-last-a-lifetime/">How to build a second income source that will last a lifetime</a>.</p> <figure id="attachment_61249" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-61249" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ideal-retirement-portfolio.png"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-61249" src="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ideal-retirement-portfolio.png" alt="Elements of an ideal retirement portfolio" width="1104" height="891" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-61249" class="wp-caption-text">Elements of an Ideal Retirement Portfolio</figcaption></figure> <h2>Stock picking strategy</h2> <ol> <li>Choose stocks with little or no evaluation or analysis.</li> <li>Choose low-volatility stocks with sound financial health (low debt is a minimum requirement)</li> <li>Do not be afraid to pick expensive stocks at fair prices and valuations. Note: Value investing may sound intelligent and enticing, but it is riskier. I neither have the age to take such a risk nor the qualitative insights to pick stocks that the market has shunned, but they will be discovered sooner rather than later. To appreciate the risk associated with value investing and why it is more qualitative than quantitative, see this analysis: <a href="https://freefincal.com/icici-value-discovery-exit/">Is it time to exit ICICI Value Discovery & Quantum Long Term Equity?</a></li> <li>When in doubt, ask your wife when she is about to fall asleep in the afternoon.</li> <li>Do not fear dividends (or dividend taxation). <ul> <li>What matters primarily is company health. Whether it is a dividend payer or not is incidental. It doesn’t make sense to reject a company just because it pays huge dividends! It makes no sense to sell a stock because its dividend payout has increased.</li> <li>All stockholders who have held their shares for many years will receive dividends, regardless of whether they like them. Unlike mutual funds, there is no choice.</li> <li>Dividends are not “extra” returns/performance; they represent real profit. It can serve as a source of income for an older investor, helping <a href="https://freefincal.com/build-retirement-portfolio/">build the ideal retirement portfolio</a>. <em>Younger investors will never understand this, and that is fine.</em></li> </ul> </li> <li>Peaceful sleep is the best form of realised gains, hence the importance of low volatility and business health (not all stocks in my portfolio will check all these boxes at all times).</li> <li>This is the <a href="https://freefincal.com/category/stock-portfolio-update/">archive of previous portfolio updates</a>.</li> </ol> <h2>Stock Portfolio Analysis</h2> <p><strong>Update:</strong> We recently added a new tool to the <strong><a href="https://freefincal.com/freefincal-investor-circle/">freefincal investor circle</a> – <a href="https://freefincal.com/identify-stocks-with-earnings-power-with-this-new-tool/">Identify stocks with earnings power with this new tool</a>. </strong></p> <p><strong>See results: </strong><a href="https://freefincal.com/earnings-power-valuation-of-my-portfolio-stocks/">Earnings power valuation of my portfolio stocks</a></p> <p>This is the portfolio evolution.</p> <figure id="attachment_343824" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-343824" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-343824" title="Historical stock portfolio value as of Mar 12th, 2026" src="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg" alt="Historical stock portfolio value as of Mar 12th, 2026" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg 1280w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-300x169.jpg 300w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-644x362.jpg 644w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Historical-stock-portfolio-value-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-343824" class="wp-caption-text">Historical stock portfolio value as of Mar 12th, 2026</figcaption></figure> <p>As of Mar 12th 2026, all results are computed using <a href="https://freefincal.com/track-your-mutual-fund-and-stock-investments-with-this-google-sheet/"><strong>our Google Sheets-based stock and MF portfolio trackers</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p> <figure id="attachment_343825" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-343825" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stock-portfolio-weights-and-returns-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-343825" title="Stock portfolio weights and returns as of Mar 12th, 2026" src="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stock-portfolio-weights-and-returns-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg" alt="Stock portfolio weights and returns as of Mar 12th, 2026" width="1195" height="561" srcset="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stock-portfolio-weights-and-returns-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg 1195w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stock-portfolio-weights-and-returns-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-300x141.jpg 300w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stock-portfolio-weights-and-returns-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-644x302.jpg 644w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stock-portfolio-weights-and-returns-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-768x361.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1195px) 100vw, 1195px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-343825" class="wp-caption-text">Stock portfolio weights and returns as of Mar 12th, 2026</figcaption></figure> <p><span >Please note: (1) Although investments started in 2014, most of the money invested is from July 2020. </span>(2) Due to other priorities, I did not invest between November 2021 and April 2022. I did not invest between Oct 2022 and Dec 2025</p> <p>The portfolio weights have drifted naturally. When I can invest, I invest in stocks that have gained the most since I started investing in them (within the portfolio).</p> <ul> <li>Dividend Return = Total Dividends divided by Total Investment</li> <li>Capital Gain (CG) Returns = Total CG divided by Total Investment</li> <li>Total Return = Dividend Return + CG Return.</li> <li>CAGR = ( 1 + Total Return ) ^ ( 1 / Avg. Years) – 1</li> <li>The average investment duration for the entire portfolio is <strong>5.27 </strong>years. This is the average of all purchase investment tenures, weighted by investment amount.</li> <li>CAGR is computed only if the average years = > 1. XIRR should be taken seriously only if the average number of years is => 1.</li> <li>All returns are before tax.</li> <li>The portfolio is compared with identical investments in the UTI Nifty 50 Index Fund (direct plan!).</li> </ul> <p>Many people and portals mistakenly treat dividends as cash payouts while calculating XIRR. This is not the universally accepted academic and regulatory convention. Only the investor’s purchases and redemptions should be used in the XIRR calculation. Dividends should be treated as reinvested (a rule also mandated by SEBI), and other corporate actions should be handled accordingly. The freefincal stock tracker aligns with SEBI regulations for all corporate actions (dividends, splits, buybacks, etc.)</p> <h2>Comparison with benchmarks</h2> <p>The Nifty 100 low vol 30 is a better benchmark for this portfolio. However, we can only compare it with the index, not the ETF (from ICIC), which was launched only in 2017.</p> <p>Stock portfolio (absolute return)* 20.96%<br /> UTI Nifty index fund (absolute return)* 74.56%<br /> Nifty Low Vol 30 TRI (absolute return)* 89.63%<br /> Stock portfolio CAGR 3.68%<br /> UTI Nifty Index fund CAGR 11.15%<br /> Nifty Low Vol 30 TRI CAGR 12.91%<br /> Stock Portfolio XIRR (incl all corporate actions like dividends and splits) 3.76%<br /> UTI Nifty Index fund XIRR 12.44%<br /> Nifty Low Vol 30 TRI XIRR 14.15%<br /> The gain from dividends is 9.79%</p> <p>* Total return and CGAR include liquidated holdings (see <a href="https://freefincal.com/category/stock-portfolio-update/">monthly update archive</a>s for details).</p> <figure id="attachment_343841" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-343841" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Absolute-return-of-stock-portfolio-vs-UTI-Nifty-Index-Fund-vs-Nifty-100-Low-Vol-30-TRI-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-343841" title="Absolute return of stock portfolio vs UTI Nifty Index Fund vs Nifty 100 Low Vol 30 TRI as of Mar 12th, 2026" src="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Absolute-return-of-stock-portfolio-vs-UTI-Nifty-Index-Fund-vs-Nifty-100-Low-Vol-30-TRI-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg" alt="Absolute return of stock portfolio vs UTI Nifty Index Fund vs Nifty 100 Low Vol 30 TRI as of Mar 12th, 2026" width="1044" height="597" srcset="https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Absolute-return-of-stock-portfolio-vs-UTI-Nifty-Index-Fund-vs-Nifty-100-Low-Vol-30-TRI-as-of-Mar-12th-2026.jpg 1044w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Absolute-return-of-stock-portfolio-vs-UTI-Nifty-Index-Fund-vs-Nifty-100-Low-Vol-30-TRI-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-300x172.jpg 300w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Absolute-return-of-stock-portfolio-vs-UTI-Nifty-Index-Fund-vs-Nifty-100-Low-Vol-30-TRI-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-644x368.jpg 644w, https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Absolute-return-of-stock-portfolio-vs-UTI-Nifty-Index-Fund-vs-Nifty-100-Low-Vol-30-TRI-as-of-Mar-12th-2026-768x439.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1044px) 100vw, 1044px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-343841" class="wp-caption-text">Absolute return of stock portfolio vs UTI Nifty Index Fund vs Nifty 100 Low Vol 30 TRI as of Mar 12th, 2026</figcaption></figure> <p><span ><span >The</span> underperformance does not bother me much because the stock portfolio is a small portion of my retirement corpus, and I treat it as a future source of income. </span>Please do your research and invest.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://freefincal.com/my-stock-portfolio-analysis-mar-2026/">My Stock Portfolio Analysis: Mar 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freefincal.com">freefincal</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">343821</post-id> </item>
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