Savvy Default
Our view on the fund, the AMC, the strategy, the performance & the investment team.
IME's Review of Savvy Default
| Fund Rating | Strategy Rating | Performance Rating |
|---|---|---|
Upgrade | Upgrade | Upgrade |
View on the Fund
The strategy could be considered for investment; however, we maintain a cautious stance due to their lack of long-term credibility and significant allocation to small caps. While their trailing 5-year returns are impressive, they have a weak recent performance across 1yr, which warrants careful consideration.
Strategy
Value Price Approach
Fund's Strategy View
The strategy follows a concentrated approach, maintaining a portfolio of 12-18 stocks, with a strong emphasis on small-cap companies. It adopts a "value price approach," targeting businesses in the early stages of market discovery that are attractively valued.
Fund Performance
The fund has outperformed peers & is amongst the top performing schemes in this category in the last 5 year trailing returns.
Trailing Performance
| 1yr | 3yr | 5yr | Since Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savvy Default | -10.1 | 24.7 | 28.3 | 21.8 |
| S&P BSE 500 | 6.5 | 15 | 15 | 14.1 |
| Alpha over Broad Mkt BM | -16.6 | 9.7 | 13.3 | 7.7 |
| Nifty Midcap 150 | 8.3 | 22.8 | 22.2 | |
| Alpha over Category BM | -18.4 | 1.9 | 6.1 |
Performance as of: 31-Jan-26 | Inception Date: 20-Mar-17 | Performance are post-fees, pre-taxes. Global funds denominated in USD or fund currency.
Investment team
Samir Patel | 4-star rated FM
Founder | 29 yrs Experience | 9 yrs at current firm
Past Experience: Savvy Securities, Covansys, Tata Infotech
Samir began his career at Tata Infotech in 1997 and later worked as an IT consultant at Covansys in the USA until 2003. His US exposure honed his investment perspective. After earning an MBA from ISB in 2004, he transitioned full-time into the stock market, exploring broking, trading, and advisory. In 2012, he shifted focus to long-term investment advisory, becoming SEBI-registered in 2014. Following three years in advisory, he launched discretionary PMS in 2017.
IME's Review of Savvy PMS
| AMC Rating | Pedigree Rating | Team Rating | Philosophy Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Upgrade | Upgrade | Upgrade | Upgrade |
View on AMC
Savvy may be a suitable option for investors with an aggressive risk appetite. While they are still relatively new and lack an extended track record, their performance to date shows promise, making them an appealing candidate. However, given their focus on small-cap investments and the potential for a market correction following the current strong small-cap rally, coupled with the absence of a long-term performance history, caution is advised. We recommend considering their fund only if you are prepared to handle market volatility.
AMC's Pedigree
Savvy is steadily maturing in both age and scale. While they lack an extensive long-term track record, they have demonstrated promising potential, reflecting positively on their growing pedigree.
AMC Team
Samir Patel has honed his skills in fund management and stock selection through his previous roles and is now leveraging that expertise effectively. While he may not come with the highest pedigree in the industry, he has demonstrated commendable credibility and delivered results that reflect his potential.
Investment Philosophy
Savvy has outlined an investment philosophy centered on identifying growth companies with favorable valuations, particularly those in the early stages of market discovery. Their "value price approach" focuses on acquiring high-quality businesses at attractive entry points While they maintain flexibility in market cap allocation, their current emphasis lies on small-cap companies.
AMC Background
Savvy PMS, based in Mumbai, operates as a founder-driven PMS structure. Savvy’s AMC identity is built around fundamental equity investing, with an emphasis on direct company analysis rather than distribution-led products or thematic overlays.
The investment platform is led by Samir V. Patel, co-founder and portfolio manager, holds an MBA from ISB Hyderabad and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai. His professional background spans technology roles in India and the United States with firms such as Tata Infotech and Covansys, before transitioning into capital markets post-2004. His career trajectory across broking, trading, advisory, and finally portfolio management has shaped Savvy’s pragmatic, market-aware investment culture. Julesh Shah, co-founder, is a commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai with extensive experience in broking, trading, and advisory, and has been responsible for operational stability and execution discipline since the firm’s inception.
Investment Philosophy
Savvy Capital’s investment philosophy is centered on long-term ownership of growth-oriented businesses purchased at favorable valuations, with a typical investment horizon of three to five years. The firm believes that meaningful wealth creation in equities occurs when both earnings and valuation multiples expand over time, particularly in companies that are still early in the market discovery cycle. As a result, the strategy currently exhibits a strong bias toward small-cap companies, where inefficiencies in information and coverage provide greater scope for mispricing.
The philosophy combines elements of growth investing with a clearly articulated value discipline. Savvy does not pursue growth at any price; instead, each investment is evaluated against an internally determined “value price.” New positions are initiated only when market prices are below this value threshold, ensuring that capital is deployed with an embedded margin of safety. This valuation anchor is central to risk management and is applied consistently across client portfolios, which are designed to converge toward a common model portfolio over time.
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