- CUSIP
- 399874403
- Issuer
- American Funds
- Inception Date
- Dec 1, 1973
- Category
- Large Cap Growth Equities
- Index Tracked
- No Index (Active)
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Growth
Share Price Chart
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Performance
GFAFX Performance Chart
American Funds Growth Fund of America Class F-1 (GFAFX) is up 10.4% since the beginning of the year. GFAFX is currently trading at $88 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of GFAFX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,785.
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Returns By Period
American Funds Growth Fund of America Class F-1 (GFAFX) has returned 10.42% so far this year and 27.06% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, GFAFX has achieved an annualized return of 15.95%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.75% per year.
American Funds Growth Fund of America Class F-1
- 1D
- 0.38%
- 1M
- 7.35%
- YTD
- 10.42%
- 6M
- 10.68%
- 1Y
- 27.06%
- 3Y*
- 25.23%
- 5Y*
- 12.29%
- 10Y*
- 15.95%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 0.13%
- 1M
- 5.25%
- YTD
- 11.16%
- 6M
- 11.43%
- 1Y
- 28.20%
- 3Y*
- 21.12%
- 5Y*
- 12.66%
- 10Y*
- 13.75%
GFAFX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 2, 2002, GFAFX's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +0.95%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 6.1 years.
Historically, 62% of months were positive and 38% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +14.3%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -17.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, GFAFX closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Dec 18, 2014 with a return of +13.5%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -11.5%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.60% | -2.33% | -6.44% | 11.38% | 7.45% | 0.38% | 10.42% | ||||||
| 2025 | 5.17% | -3.76% | -7.54% | 1.84% | 8.35% | 6.89% | 1.98% | 1.72% | 2.97% | 2.48% | -0.89% | -0.07% | 19.66% |
| 2024 | 1.76% | 7.27% | 3.10% | -4.37% | 4.07% | 4.28% | -0.08% | 2.23% | 3.01% | -0.43% | 6.72% | -2.01% | 27.96% |
| 2023 | 9.80% | -1.99% | 3.31% | 0.70% | 2.67% | 7.00% | 4.16% | -1.76% | -4.65% | -3.11% | 10.88% | 6.38% | 37.15% |
| 2022 | -10.00% | -3.65% | 2.96% | -12.02% | -2.09% | -9.44% | 10.19% | -3.41% | -8.58% | 4.54% | 4.54% | -6.54% | -30.78% |
| 2021 | -0.01% | 1.60% | 0.87% | 5.45% | -0.66% | 3.38% | 0.98% | 3.58% | -3.48% | 8.67% | -2.83% | 0.82% | 19.24% |
Benchmark Metrics
American Funds Growth Fund of America Class F-1 has an annualized alpha of 3.01%, beta of 0.95, and R2 of 0.89 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 03, 2002.
- This fund captured 109.56% of S&P 500 Index gains but only 97.25% of its losses - a favorable profile for investors.
- This fund generated an annualized alpha of 3.01% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
- With beta of 0.95 and R2 of 0.89, 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
- 3.01%
- Beta
- 0.95
- R²
- 0.89
- Upside Capture
- 109.56%
- Downside Capture
- 97.25%
Expense Ratio
GFAFX has an expense ratio of 0.65%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
GFAFX ranks 36 for risk / return — below 36% of mutual funds on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Growth Fund of America Class F-1 (GFAFX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| GFAFX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.85 | 2.39 | -0.53 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.53 | 3.25 | -0.73 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.43 | -0.10 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.04 | 3.11 | -1.08 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.95 | 14.38 | -6.43 |
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 Growth Fund of America Class F-1 provided a 9.73% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $8.56 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $8.56 | $8.56 | $6.65 | $4.64 | $1.97 | $6.01 | $2.87 | $3.62 | $5.08 | $3.43 | $2.76 | $3.64 |
Dividend yield | 9.73% | 10.75% | 9.01% | 7.41% | 4.02% | 8.16% | 4.28% | 7.14% | 11.96% | 6.98% | 6.60% | 8.86% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for American Funds Growth Fund of America Class F-1. 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 | $8.56 | $8.56 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $6.65 | $6.65 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4.64 | $4.64 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.97 | $1.97 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $6.01 | $6.01 |
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 Growth Fund of America Class F-1. 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 Growth Fund of America Class F-1 was 51.87%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 889 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -51.87%Mar 2009 | 1y 4mo | 3y 6mo | 4y 10moNov 2007 - Sep 2012 |
Bear market2022 | -36.41%Oct 2022 | 11mo 1d | 1y 4mo | 2y 3moNov 2021 - Mar 2024 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -32.18%Oct 2002 | 9mo 5d | 1y 2mo | 1y 11moJan 2002 - Dec 2003 |
COVID crash2020 | -30.37%Mar 2020 | 1mo 2d | 3mo 10d | 4mo 12dFeb 2020 - Jul 2020 |
2025 selloff2025 | -21.57%Apr 2025 | 1mo 19d | 2mo 17d | 4mo 6dFeb 2025 - Jun 2025 |
Drawdown Indicators
| GFAFX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -51.87% | -56.78% | +4.91% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.79% | -9.10% | -4.69% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -21.57% | -18.90% | -2.67% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.41% | -25.43% | -10.98% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -36.41% | -33.92% | -2.49% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -8.62% | -10.72% | +2.10% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.53% | 1.97% | +1.56% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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