AAFTX vs. VGELX
AAFTX (American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund) and VGELX (Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - AAFTX is a Target Retirement Date fund managed by American Funds, while VGELX is a Energy Equities fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, AAFTX returned 10.00%/yr vs 9.86%/yr for VGELX. Their 0.69 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. Both charge a 0.33% expense ratio.
Performance
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AAFTX achieves a 6.04% return, which is significantly lower than VGELX's 22.90% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with AAFTX having a 10.00% annualized return and VGELX not far behind at 9.86%.
AAFTX
- 1D
- 1.00%
- 1M
- -0.81%
- 6M
- 3.90%
- YTD
- 6.04%
- 1Y
- 13.51%
- 3Y*
- 13.18%
- 5Y*
- 7.15%
- 10Y*
- 10.00%
- ALL TIME*
- 7.86%
VGELX
- 1D
- 0.65%
- 1M
- 5.58%
- 6M
- 13.69%
- YTD
- 22.90%
- 1Y
- 32.82%
- 3Y*
- 25.70%
- 5Y*
- 23.85%
- 10Y*
- 9.86%
- ALL TIME*
- 9.06%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAFTX American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund | 6.04% | 16.77% | 12.40% | 16.50% | -16.53% | 15.20% | 17.23% | 22.81% | -5.48% | 20.68% |
VGELX Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares | 22.90% | 20.76% | 30.46% | 8.87% | 23.70% | 27.80% | -30.80% | 13.32% | -17.12% | 3.31% |
Correlation
The correlation between AAFTX and VGELX is 0.04, meaning there was essentially no consistent relationship between their historical price movements. Each responded to its own set of market drivers.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.04 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.29 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.45 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.56 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 2, 2007 | 0.69 |
Over the past year, the correlation between AAFTX and VGELX has dropped to 0.04 - well below their long-term average of 0.69, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
AAFTX vs. VGELX — Risk / Return Rank
AAFTX
VGELX
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund (AAFTX) and Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares (VGELX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
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.
| AAFTX | VGELX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.13 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.40 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.43 | -0.18 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.79 | 3.71 | -1.92 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.73 | 12.36 | -4.63 |
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Drawdowns
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AAFTX drawdown since its inception was -49.89%, smaller than the maximum VGELX drawdown of -65.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AAFTX and VGELX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AAFTX | VGELX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -49.89% | -65.22% | +15.33% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.99% | -8.75% | +1.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -10.58% | -12.30% | +1.72% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -23.31% | -19.72% | -3.59% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -26.72% | -61.13% | +34.41% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.29% | -1.99% | +0.70% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.75% | -19.05% | +12.30% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.62% | 2.62% | -1.00% |
Volatility
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund (AAFTX) is 2.26%, while Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares (VGELX) has a volatility of 4.88%. This indicates that AAFTX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VGELX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AAFTX | VGELX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.26% | 4.88% | -2.62% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.36% | 10.80% | -3.44% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.09% | 12.98% | -3.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.50% | 18.68% | -7.18% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.64% | 23.08% | -10.44% |
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both AAFTX and VGELX have an expense ratio of 0.33%.
Dividends
AAFTX vs. VGELX - Dividend Comparison
AAFTX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.65%, less than VGELX's 7.03% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAFTX American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund | 5.65% | 5.99% | 4.26% | 2.61% | 5.43% | 5.25% | 3.53% | 4.21% | 4.80% | 2.38% | 3.52% | 5.63% |
VGELX Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares | 7.03% | 4.79% | 34.15% | 6.91% | 4.71% | 3.70% | 4.54% | 3.38% | 3.07% | 3.05% | 1.91% | 2.70% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AAFTX and VGELX have a correlation of 0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VGELX has higher volatility (4.88%) compared to AAFTX (2.26%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AAFTX dropped -49.89% vs VGELX's -65.22%.
VGELX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.51 vs 1.38), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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