Net Asset Value (NAV) (2024)

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Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding the Net Asset Value (NAV)

Last Updated February 20, 2024

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What is Net Asset Value?

Net Asset Value (NAV) estimates the market value of an investment fund, namely mutual funds, and is equal to the total value of assets held minus the total liabilities.

Net Asset Value (NAV) (1)

Table of Contents

  • How to Calculate Net Asset Value (NAV)
  • Net Asset Value Formula
  • Mutual Fund Net Asset Value Calculation Example
  • NAV Per Unit vs. Market Price: ETFs Example
  • Net Asset Value (NAV) in REIT Valuation

How to Calculate Net Asset Value (NAV)

The net asset value (NAV) commonly appears in the context of mutual funds, as the metric serves as the basis for setting the mutual fund share price.

NAV on a per-unit basis represents the price at which units (i.e. ownership shares) in the mutual fund can be purchased or redeemed, which is typically done at the end of each trading day.

A mutual fund’s NAV is a function of the market value of all securities held in its portfolio.

  • Portfolio Value Increases ➝ NAV Increases
  • Portfolio Value Decreases ➝ NAV Declines

However, just as in the case of valuing individual public equities, the past performance of a mutual fund is not reflective of future performance.

Fund investors must ask, “Will the mutual fund’s strategy continue to perform well into the future?”

In addition, the mutual fund’s objective, risk/return profile, and time horizon must align with the criteria of the investor, rather than solely evaluating funds based on their NAV.

Net Asset Value Formula

The NAV of a mutual fund is calculated by subtracting the total liabilities from its total assets.

Net Asset Value (NAV) = Fund AssetsFund Liabilities

Since NAV is typically expressed on a unit price basis, i.e. per share, NAV must be divided by the total number of units outstanding.

Net Asset Value (NAV) Per Unit = (Fund Assets Fund Liabilities) ÷ Number of Units Outstanding

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Mutual Fund Net Asset Value Calculation Example

For example, if a mutual fund’s total holdings are valued at $100 million with liabilities of $20 million, the fund’s NAV is equal to $80 million.

  • Net Asset Value (NAV) = $100m – $20m = $80m

Now that we’ve subtracted what the fund owes (liabilities) from the value of what the fund owns (assets), the next step is to divide by the total number of units outstanding.

If we assume the mutual fund has 2 million units outstanding, the NAV per share comes out to $40.00.

  • NAV Per Share = $80 million ÷ 2 million

NAV Per Unit vs. Market Price: ETFs Example

Oftentimes, there is a disconnect between the net asset value (NAV) and market price.

For example, the NAV of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) is based on its underlying securities, whereas the ETF market price is based on supply/demand in the market.

Net Asset Value (NAV) in REIT Valuation

So far, we’ve discussed net asset value (NAV) in the context of mutual funds, but another use-case of NAV is in real-estate investing – e.g. real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Here, NAV is equal to the fair market value (FMV) of real estate assets minus any outstanding debt, fixed costs, and capital expenditures (Capex).

  1. Value Net Operating Income (NOI) Generating Assets in Real Estate Portfolio
  2. Value Side-Income Streams – e.g. Ancillary Income, Management Fees, Joint Venture (JV) Income
  3. Reduce NAV by Required Costs (e.g. Overhead) and Future Expected Capital Expenditures (Capex)
  4. Add “Non-Operating” REIT Assets – e.g. Cash, Construction-in-Progress
  5. Subtract Outstanding Debt Obligation and Non-Equity Claims

After the final step, the end result is the NAV-derived equity value, which can be divided by shares outstanding to compare to its market share price.

The book values of U.S. REITs are not marked up to their fair market value (FMV) – but the NAV model adjusts the balance sheet of a REIT to reflect the FMV of assets with capitalization rate (“cap rate”) assumptions.

Thus, the net asset value (NAV) is the preferred valuation approach in real estate transactions.

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Net Asset Value (NAV) (2024)

FAQs

Net Asset Value (NAV)? ›

"Net asset value," or "NAV," of an investment company is the company's total assets minus its total liabilities. For example, if an investment company has securities and other assets worth $100 million and has liabilities of $10 million, the investment company's NAV will be $90 million.

Is higher NAV better or lower? ›

The notion that a Mutual Fund's performance is inversely related to its NAV is a misconception. NAV is simply the per unit value of the fund and it does not reflect its quality or potential. For example, a fund with an NAV of Rs 22 is not necessarily superior or inferior to one with an NAV of Rs 85.

What is NAV and formula? ›

NAV=(Assets – Liabilities) / Total Shares

Net Asset Value is calculated as Net Asset of the Scheme / Outstanding Units. In this case, the net asset of the schemes may be estimated as the market value of the investments, receivables, other accrued income, and other assets.

What is a good NAV for a mutual fund? ›

What is Considered as a Good NAV? There is no specific value that can be considered as a good Net Asset Value for mutual funds, as it depends on various factors such as the investment objective, fund category, and investment strategy.

What is the NAV net asset value of an ETF? ›

The NAV is determined by adding up the combined value of all the ETF's individual holdings plus its cash and is usually expressed on a per-share basis. The price of an ETF share generally stays very close to NAV but if the share price is below the NAV, then the ETF is said to be trading at a discount.

What does NAV tell you? ›

NAV stands for net asset value. In finance, it is used to evaluate the value of a firm or an investment fund by subtracting its liabilities from assets.

Is it good to invest when NAV is down? ›

You should not buy a mutual fund with a lower NAV. You should factor in many details like past performance, AUM size, alpha, beta, etc, while investing in a mutual fund. But NAV shouldn't be looked at.

What is NAV in layman's terms? ›

The performance of a particular scheme of a Mutual Fund is denoted by Net Asset Value (NAV). In simple words, NAV is the market value of the securities held by the scheme. Mutual Funds invest the money collected from investors in securities markets.

What happens if NAV increases? ›

The NAV does not have any impact on your returns. For example, a high or low NAV does not make your returns higher or lower. If you study the growth or degrowth in NAV for any fund, it tells you the fund's growth pattern and helps you make better decisions.

What is a good net asset value per share? ›

What is a good net asset value per share? Generally, a good NAV per share is relatively high concerning the company's share price. This indicates that the company's assets are valuable, and the market undervalues its shares. This can be a good opportunity for investors to buy shares in the company at a discount.

Do mutual funds sell at NAV? ›

The shares of mutual funds are very liquid, easily traded, and can be bought or sold on any day the market is open. An order will be executed at the next available net asset value (NAV), which is determined after the market close each trading day.

What is an example of NAV? ›

Example of NAV Calculation

Assume that a mutual fund has $100 million worth of total investments in different securities, which is calculated based on the day's closing prices for each asset. It also has $7 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand, as well as $4 million in total receivables.

Which mutual fund has highest NAV today? ›

Equity Hybrid Debt Solution Oriented Others Filter
Scheme NamePlanNAV
Kotak Multi Asset Allocator Fund of Fund - Dynamic - Direct Plan - GrowthDirect Plan222.937
ICICI Prudential Thematic Advantage Fund (FOF) - Direct Plan - GrowthDirect Plan195.879
ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF - Direct Plan - GrowthDirect Plan32.522
29 more rows

Is high NAV good or bad? ›

A higher NAV indicates a profit, whereas a lower NAV indicates a loss for the fund on that given day.

What is the difference between price and NAV? ›

Market price is the price at which ETF shares can be bought and sold during trading hours. The NAV is an equation that involves adding up the total of a fund's assets and then subtracting liabilities and dividing the result by the number of outstanding shares.

How to calculate NAV in mutual fund? ›

The net asset value of mutual fund scheme is an indication of the market value per unit and is calculated after deducting the liabilities from total asset value divided. To get NAV per unit, this figure is divided by the number of units outstanding.

What is a good NAV ratio? ›

Normally, if P/NAV is lower than 1, it is a good sign.

What happens when NAV increases? ›

Role of NAV in the Performance of a Fund

As mentioned above, the NAV of mutual funds can be used to track the past performance of any mutual fund scheme. The NAV does not have any impact on your returns. For example, a high or low NAV does not make your returns higher or lower.

Should NAV be higher than share price? ›

If the fund is in high demand and low supply, the market price will typically exceed the NAV. If there is low demand and much supply, the market price will usually be lower than the NAV.

Is discount to NAV good or bad? ›

If investment trust shares are trading at a discount to NAV it can give the impression that the shares are cheap because the fund isn't worth investing in. Although this isn't always the case, boards don't want investors to be put off by a discount that is too wide.

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