Two funds walk into a table. Only the numbers talk.
Union Short Term Fund vs Nippon India Ultra Short Term Fund
Pick two or three funds. We’ll tell you in plain words which grew faster, which was calmer, which costs less and what your money would have become. Figures are for the Direct plan, Growth option, where a fund has one.
- AUnion Short Term Fund
Union Mutual Fund- Ultra Short Duration Fund
- Direct plan
- Moderate Risk
NAV ₹11.12 on 13 Nov 2026
- BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund
Nippon India Mutual Fund- Ultra Short Duration Fund
- Direct plan
- Moderate Risk
NAV ₹4,869.8 on 13 Nov 2026
The short version
Who comes out ahead on each measure, over the 1 year all of them have been around.
Grew faster
BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund
Nippon India Ultra Short Term Fund returned 6.9% in the last year, against 4.1% for Union Short Term Fund. ₹1 lakh invested 1 year ago would be about ₹1.07 Lakh today, against ₹1.04 Lakh.
Smoother ride
BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund
Nippon India Ultra Short Term Fund swung the least: about 0.4% a year either way, against 1.2% for Union Short Term Fund. Lower means fewer scary days.
Fell less in a crash
No fair winner yet
At its worst, Union Short Term Fund fell 0.5% from its peak, against 5.2% for Nippon India Ultra Short Term Fund. On ₹1 lakh, that's a dip to ₹94,758 at the bottom for Nippon India Ultra Short Term Fund. Could you have held on?
Not a fair fight: we only have data for Union Short Term Fund (from Feb 2025), so it has not been through the 2020 crash the others fell in.
What your money would have become
The same amount, put into each fund on the same day.
The dashed line is the ₹10,000 you put in. Above it is profit, below it is loss.
- AUnion Short Term Fund₹10,414 from ₹10,000(4.1% a year)
- BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund₹10,688 from ₹10,000(6.9% a year)
A one-time ₹10,000 put in 1 year ago, valued at the latest NAV. This is what happened, not what will.
Strengths and watch-outs
Each fund judged against its own category, and against a 5-year SBI FD at 6.05%.
AUnion Short Term Fund
- Strength: Low cost: 0.35% a year
- Watch out: Swings more than most funds in its category
- Watch out: Small fund (₹111 Cr), often newer or less tested
- Watch out: Less than 3 years of history, too short to judge
BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund
- Strength: In the top quarter of its category over 5 years (#1 of 22)
- Strength: Beat a 5-year SBI FD: 7.1% a year over 5 years, against 6.05%
- Strength: Low cost: 0.34% a year
- Watch out: Fell harder than its category in the worst crash
All the numbers
The stronger figure in each row is marked Best. Under each return is the fund’s rank in its category and the category average.
| Measure | AUnion Short Term Fund | BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund |
|---|---|---|
| ReturnsHow much the fund grew. Beyond a year, this is per year (annualised). | ||
| 1 yearLast 12 months, the most noisy figure | 4.1%#25 of 25 · avg 6.4% | 6.9%Best#2 of 25 · avg 6.4% |
| 3 yearsPer year, over a full market mood swing | – | 7.5%#1 of 23 · avg 7.2% |
| 5 yearsPer year, the fairest single test | – | 7.1%#1 of 22 · avg 6.6% |
| RiskHow bumpy the ride was. This is what decides whether you stay invested. | ||
| Ups and downsVolatility: how far it swings in a typical year. Lower is calmer | 1.2%category avg 0.4% | 0.4%Bestcategory avg 0.4% |
| Worst fallThe biggest drop from a peak in 10 years. Lower is better | −0.5%data from 3 Feb 2025 only | −5.2%category avg −2.5% |
| Best 12 monthsIts strongest year | 7.5%data from 3 Feb 2025 only | 10.4% |
| Worst 12 monthsIts weakest year | 3.8%data from 3 Feb 2025 only | -0.1% |
| Odds of a gainShare of all 1-year holding periods that ended in profit | 100%data from 3 Feb 2025 only | 100% |
| Cost and sizeThe fee comes out of your returns every year, whether the fund does well or not. | ||
| Expense ratioYearly fee. Lower keeps more for you | 0.35% | 0.34%Best |
| Fund sizeMoney managed (AUM). Neither better nor worse | ₹111 Cr | ₹11,551 Cr |
| Minimum SIPSmallest monthly amount | ₹500 | ₹100Best |
| Lock-inTime before you can withdraw | None | None |
“Best” is not a recommendation: a fund that returned more usually took more risk to do it.
Which one fits you?
There is no best fund, only a better fit for what you need the money to do.
AUnion Short Term Fund
Might suit you if…
- you prefer its fund house or approach. On these numbers it is not the stand-out on any one measure
BNippon India Ultra Short Term Fund
Might suit you if…
- you want the stronger long-run growth and can sit through sharper falls
- a smoother ride matters more to you than the top return