- ISIN
- US82524A1025
- CUSIP
- 82524A102
- Issuer
- American Funds
- Inception Date
- Oct 2, 2006
- Category
- Short-Term Bond
- Min. Investment
- $250
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
Share Price Chart
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Performance
ASBAX Performance Chart
American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America (ASBAX) is up 0.4% since the beginning of the year. ASBAX is currently trading at $10 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of ASBAX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,083.
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Returns By Period
American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America (ASBAX) has returned 0.35% so far this year and 3.16% over the past 12 months.
American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -0.00%
- YTD
- 0.35%
- 6M
- 0.77%
- 1Y
- 3.16%
- 3Y*
- 4.01%
- 5Y*
- 1.60%
- 10Y*
- 1.61%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -2.64%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- YTD
- 7.86%
- 6M
- 7.47%
- 1Y
- —
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
ASBAX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Oct 4, 2006, ASBAX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.14%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 41.3 years.
Historically, 63% of months were positive and 37% were negative. The best month was Mar 2023 with a return of +1.5%, while the worst month was Sep 2022 at -1.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 13 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 9 months.
On a daily basis, ASBAX closed higher 25% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 13, 2023 with a return of +1.1%, while the worst single day was Jun 5, 2009 at -0.6%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.30% | 0.38% | -0.52% | 0.20% | 0.10% | -0.10% | 0.35% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.54% | 0.73% | 0.34% | 0.75% | -0.08% | 0.64% | -0.19% | 0.95% | 0.22% | 0.32% | 0.41% | 0.31% | 5.05% |
| 2024 | 0.53% | -0.43% | 0.43% | -0.40% | 0.67% | 0.55% | 1.09% | 0.97% | 0.86% | -0.59% | 0.32% | 0.24% | 4.31% |
| 2023 | 0.82% | -0.86% | 1.54% | 0.24% | -0.37% | -0.69% | 0.50% | 0.30% | -0.02% | 0.00% | 1.16% | 0.94% | 3.60% |
| 2022 | -0.57% | -0.17% | -1.36% | -0.74% | 0.24% | -0.62% | 0.42% | -0.76% | -1.46% | -0.08% | 0.70% | 0.19% | -4.16% |
| 2021 | 0.03% | -0.17% | -0.07% | 0.05% | 0.13% | -0.26% | 0.04% | -0.05% | -0.07% | -0.19% | -0.18% | -0.14% | -0.88% |
Benchmark Metrics
American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America has an annualized alpha of 2.66%, beta of 0.03, and R2 of 0.04 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since October 05, 2006.
- This fund captured 8.48% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -3.10%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of 0.03 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.04 this fund is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this fund's risk.
- R2 of 0.04 means this fund moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index - capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 2.66%
- Beta
- 0.03
- R²
- 0.04
- Upside Capture
- 8.48%
- Downside Capture
- -3.10%
Expense Ratio
ASBAX has an expense ratio of 0.66%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
ASBAX ranks 47 for risk / return — on par with similar mutual funds. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America (ASBAX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| ASBAX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | — | — | |
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | — | — | |
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | — | — |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.47 | — | — |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.06 | — | — |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Dividends
Dividend History
American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America provided a 3.76% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.36 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.36 | $0.37 | $0.38 | $0.27 | $0.10 | $0.04 | $0.21 | $0.16 | $0.17 | $0.12 | $0.08 | $0.12 |
Dividend yield | 3.76% | 3.87% | 3.99% | 2.88% | 1.02% | 0.42% | 2.08% | 1.66% | 1.70% | 1.21% | 0.83% | 1.21% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America. 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 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.14 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.37 |
| 2024 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.38 |
| 2023 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.27 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.10 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.04 |
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 American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America. 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 American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America was 6.29%, occurring on Oct 20, 2022. Recovery took 431 trading sessions.
The current American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America drawdown is 0.33%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -6.29%Oct 2022 | 1y 8mo | 1y 8mo | 3y 5moFeb 2021 - Jul 2024 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -2.17%Oct 2008 | 1mo 12d | 2mo 18d | 4moSep 2008 - Jan 2009 |
COVID crash2020 | -1.67%Mar 2020 | 18d | 1mo 7d | 1mo 25dMar 2020 - Apr 2020 |
2013 pullback2013 | -1.38%Sep 2013 | 4mo 5d | 8mo 27d | 1y 27dMay 2013 - May 2014 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -1.37%Jun 2008 | 4mo 21d | 2mo 28d | 7mo 19dJan 2008 - Sep 2008 |
Drawdown Indicators
| ASBAX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -6.29% | -9.10% | +2.81% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.24% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.24% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -6.23% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -6.29% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.33% | -2.97% | +2.64% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.68% | -1.13% | +0.45% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.34% | — | — |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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