Nifty 50

Full form: National Stock Exchange Fifty

Investments

Nifty 50 is India's benchmark equity index of the top 50 companies by free-float market cap on NSE. Represents approximately 65% of total market capitalisation. 20-year CAGR approximately 14%.

In detail

Top sectors (2024): Financial services 32%, IT 14%, Oil & Gas 12%, Consumer goods 9%, Auto 6%. Never given negative returns over any 7-year SIP period historically. Maximum drawdown: -60% (2008). Average recovery time from 20%+ drawdown: 18-24 months.

Formula

Index value = Sum of free-float market cap of 50 stocks / Base market cap x 1000

Real-life example

🇮🇳 India example

Rs 10,000/month Nifty 50 SIP January 2004 to December 2024: total invested Rs 24L, value approximately Rs 1.35 Cr. XIRR approximately 14.2%.

Frequently asked questions

Nifty 50 vs Sensex?
Nifty 50 (NSE, 50 stocks). Sensex (BSE, 30 stocks). Nifty 50 more commonly used for MF benchmarking. Returns nearly identical over long periods.