The Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund is going through a rough patch, with its Net Asset Value (NAV) falling from ₦16.12B on 5 June 2026 to ₦14.29B by 3 July 2026, a drop of roughly ₦1.83B over five weeks. The most recent Week-to-Date (WTD) yield sits at -2.00%, which is notably worse than the median WTD yield of -0.43% across all 29 Balanced Funds in its category. Despite this short-term pressure, the fund still holds a strong Year-to-Date (YTD) yield of 35.01%, meaning investors who have been in the fund since the start of the year are still sitting on meaningful gains. The fund ranks #3 of 29 in its Balanced Funds category by NAV size, and #56 of 222 across all funds tracked overall, reflecting its relatively large scale with 8,518 unitholders.
Looking at the recent weekly pattern, three of the last five weeks have recorded negative WTD yields: -1.85%, -2.50%, and -2.00%, while the two positive weeks delivered modest gains of just 0.39% and 0.31%. This means the fund has been losing ground faster than it recovers it in the short term. A balanced fund, for context, typically holds a mix of shares (which can grow in value) and bonds or fixed-income assets (which provide steadier returns), aiming to offer moderate growth with lower risk than a pure equities fund. The current weakness may reflect broader market conditions affecting the equity portion of the portfolio, but the strong 35.01% YTD figure shows that much of the year's earlier gains remain intact despite the recent slide.
Key insight: While the fund's short-term performance has weakened significantly, with a -2.00% WTD yield well below the category median of -0.43%, its 35.01% YTD yield shows that long-term holders are still substantially ahead for the year.
