American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) has returned -3.02% so far this year and 14.48% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, BALCX has returned 8.21% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Mar 15, 2001, BALCX's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.58%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 10.0 years.

Historically, 64% of months were positive and 36% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +7.8%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -12.0%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.

On a daily basis, BALCX closed higher 52% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +6.7%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -7.1%.

American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C has an annualized alpha of 2.17%, beta of 0.59, and R² of 0.93 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since March 16, 2001.

• This fund participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (65.45%) than losses (64.19%) — typical of diversified or defensive assets.
• This fund generated an annualized alpha of 2.17% versus S&P 500 Index — delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
• Beta of 0.59 indicates this fund moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index — a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.

BALCX has a high expense ratio of 1.31%, indicating above-average management fees.

BALCX ranks 77 for risk / return — better than 77% 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.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C provided a 7.83% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.82 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.

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.

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C. 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 American Balanced Fund Class C was 40.88%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 491 trading sessions.

The current American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C drawdown is 7.08%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.