1. A longer investment horizon curtails the chances of negative returns. If someone had invested in NIFTY 50 for 10 more years, they would not have received a negative return.
2. NIFTY 50 return in the last five years is 19.8% (CAGR).
3. NIFTY 50 return in the last 10 years is 11.52% (CAGR).
4. NIFTY 50 return in the last 15 years is 10.73% (CAGR).
5. NIFTY 50 return in the last 20 years is 13.59% (CAGR).
6. NIFTY 50 return in the last 25 years is 12.08% (CAGR).
7. NIFTY 50 return in the last 30 years is 11.45% (CAGR).

1. Financials & Consumption Dominate – NIFTY Financial Services, Bank, and Consumer Durables consistently outperform across short, medium, and long-term horizons.

2. Cyclicals Shine in Medium Term – Sectors like Realty, PSU Bank, and Metal deliver strong 3-5 year returns but exhibit volatility over longer periods.

3. Defensives Offer Stability – Healthcare and FMCG provide steady returns, making them resilient choices during market fluctuations.

4. Media Struggles, IT Faces Challenges – NIFTY Media remains the worst performer, while IT lags in the medium term due to global slowdown pressures.

In the below subsection, we will do a detailed performance analysis of NIFTY Small Cap Indexes which will include their return and risk analysis since 2005. This analysis will also help mutual fund investors in the risk-return profile of small-cap mutual funds as there is a dearth of data related to small-cap mutual funds which goes back up to 2005.