- ISIN
- US04035F1075
- CUSIP
- 04035F107
- Issuer
- Ariel Investments
- Inception Date
- Jun 30, 2005
- Category
- Mid Cap Value Equities
- Min. Investment
- $1,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Mid-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Value
Share Price Chart
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Performance
ARFFX Performance Chart
Ariel Focus Fund (ARFFX) is up 8.4% since the beginning of the year. ARFFX is currently trading at $19 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of ARFFX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,465.
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Returns By Period
Ariel Focus Fund (ARFFX) has returned 8.39% so far this year and 32.79% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, ARFFX has returned 10.63% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.71% annually.
Ariel Focus Fund
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.37%
- YTD
- 8.39%
- 6M
- 7.71%
- 1Y
- 32.79%
- 3Y*
- 17.24%
- 5Y*
- 7.93%
- 10Y*
- 10.63%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -1.44%
- 1M
- -1.45%
- YTD
- 7.60%
- 6M
- 6.25%
- 1Y
- 20.90%
- 3Y*
- 19.20%
- 5Y*
- 11.54%
- 10Y*
- 13.71%
ARFFX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jul 5, 2005, ARFFX's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.72%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 8.1 years.
Historically, 61% of months were positive and 39% were negative. The best month was Apr 2009 with a return of +17.4%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -23.0%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, ARFFX closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +11.2%, while the worst single day was Mar 12, 2020 at -10.4%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7.59% | 4.91% | -4.94% | 2.52% | -0.89% | -0.58% | 8.39% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.96% | -3.23% | -3.53% | -5.26% | 4.81% | 5.49% | 7.47% | 7.92% | 4.12% | -5.02% | 2.19% | 2.54% | 21.00% |
| 2024 | -2.74% | 3.52% | 6.73% | -5.35% | 3.50% | -1.36% | 10.87% | -1.01% | 0.78% | 0.12% | 7.20% | -8.00% | 13.39% |
| 2023 | 7.42% | -1.58% | -5.08% | 0.35% | -5.68% | 7.74% | 5.11% | -4.66% | -6.06% | -6.16% | 8.11% | 9.48% | 6.98% |
| 2022 | -0.77% | 0.18% | 4.59% | -6.05% | 3.28% | -13.17% | 8.40% | -4.37% | -10.71% | 12.95% | 2.78% | -3.45% | -9.12% |
| 2021 | 2.09% | 8.51% | 5.15% | 4.90% | 3.13% | -3.86% | -1.03% | 0.58% | -4.27% | 4.76% | -5.08% | 5.54% | 21.14% |
Benchmark Metrics
Ariel Focus Fund has an annualized alpha of -1.21%, beta of 0.96, and R2 of 0.82 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since July 05, 2005.
- This fund participated in 111.75% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 102.98% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- With beta of 0.96 and R2 of 0.82, this fund moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index - much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.
- Alpha
- -1.21%
- Beta
- 0.96
- R²
- 0.82
- Upside Capture
- 102.98%
- Downside Capture
- 111.75%
Expense Ratio
ARFFX has a high expense ratio of 1.00%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
ARFFX ranks 75 for risk / return — better than 75% of mutual funds on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ariel Focus Fund (ARFFX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| ARFFX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.66 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.05 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.32 | +0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.18 | 2.46 | +1.73 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.50 | 10.92 | -0.42 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Ariel Focus Fund provided a 11.70% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.21 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $2.21 | $2.21 | $0.37 | $0.49 | $1.17 | $0.56 | $0.35 | $0.14 | $0.84 | $0.79 | $0.13 | $1.46 |
Dividend yield | 11.70% | 12.68% | 2.27% | 3.33% | 8.30% | 3.30% | 2.41% | 1.03% | 7.61% | 5.76% | 1.04% | 13.91% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Ariel Focus Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.21 | $2.21 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.37 | $0.37 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.26 | $0.22 | $0.49 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.01 | $0.16 | $1.17 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.42 | $0.14 | $0.56 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Ariel Focus Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Ariel Focus Fund was 57.66%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 980 trading sessions.
The current Ariel Focus Fund drawdown is 4.31%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -57.66%Mar 2009 | 1y 9mo | 3y 10mo | 5y 8moJun 2007 - Jan 2013 |
COVID crash2020 | -43.22%Mar 2020 | 2mo 2d | 8mo 16d | 10mo 18dJan 2020 - Dec 2020 |
2016 bear market2016 | -26.97%Feb 2016 | 8mo 25d | 9mo 28d | 1y 6moMay 2015 - Dec 2016 |
2023 bear market2023 | -24.50%Oct 2023 | 1y 6mo | 8mo 23d | 2y 2moApr 2022 - Jul 2024 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -24.39%Dec 2018 | 3mo 1d | 1y 2d | 1y 3moSep 2018 - Dec 2019 |
Drawdown Indicators
| ARFFX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -57.66% | -56.78% | -0.88% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.02% | -9.10% | +1.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -23.39% | -18.90% | -4.49% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.50% | -25.43% | +0.93% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -43.22% | -33.92% | -9.30% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.31% | -3.21% | -1.10% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.43% | -10.71% | +1.28% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.19% | 2.04% | +1.15% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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