AALTX vs. ITDF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund (AALTX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF (ITDF).

AALTX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jan 31, 2007. ITDF is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Oct 17, 2023.

Performance

AALTX vs. ITDF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund (AALTX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF (ITDF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AALTX vs. ITDF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
AALTX American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund	-5.61%	20.06%	15.09%	12.73%
ITDF Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF	-1.48%	20.86%	16.15%	12.92%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AALTX achieves a -5.61% return, which is significantly lower than ITDF's -1.48% return.

AALTX

• 1D: -0.36%
• 1M: -9.04%
• YTD: -5.61%
• 6M: -2.70%
• 1Y: 15.05%
• 3Y*: 13.96%
• 5Y*: 7.36%
• 10Y*: 10.52%

ITDF

• 1D: 2.81%
• 1M: -6.25%
• YTD: -1.48%
• 6M: 1.38%
• 1Y: 20.07%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AALTX vs. ITDF - Expense Ratio Comparison

AALTX has a 0.33% expense ratio, which is higher than ITDF's 0.11% expense ratio.

AALTX

American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund

ITDF

Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF

Return for Risk

AALTX vs. ITDF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AALTX

AALTX Risk / Return Rank: 59
AALTX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
AALTX Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
AALTX Omega Ratio Rank: 57
AALTX Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
AALTX Martin Ratio Rank: 61

ITDF

ITDF Risk / Return Rank: 73
ITDF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ITDF Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
ITDF Omega Ratio Rank: 74
ITDF Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
ITDF Martin Ratio Rank: 77

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AALTX vs. ITDF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund (AALTX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF (ITDF). 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.

	AALTX	ITDF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.03	1.24	-0.21
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.55	1.83	-0.28
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.27	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.32	1.77	-0.45
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.82	8.13	-2.32
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AALTX vs. ITDF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AALTX Sharpe Ratio is 1.03, which is comparable to the ITDF Sharpe Ratio of 1.24. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AALTX and ITDF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AALTX	ITDF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.03	1.24	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.71	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.49	1.45	-0.96

Correlation

The correlation between AALTX and ITDF is 0.97, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AALTX vs. ITDF - Dividend Comparison

AALTX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.16%, more than ITDF's 1.67% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AALTX American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund	6.16%	5.81%	3.33%	2.36%	7.07%	4.32%	3.13%	4.17%	4.77%	2.36%	3.53%	4.85%
ITDF Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF	1.67%	1.65%	1.55%	0.85%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

AALTX vs. ITDF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AALTX drawdown since its inception was -50.02%, which is greater than ITDF's maximum drawdown of -15.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AALTX and ITDF.

Drawdown Indicators

	AALTX	ITDF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-50.02%	-15.67%	-34.35%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.98%	-11.43%	+1.45%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.68%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.30%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.45%	-6.77%	-2.68%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.23%	-1.54%	-5.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.27%	2.49%	-0.22%

Volatility

AALTX vs. ITDF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund (AALTX) is 4.45%, while Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2050 ETF (ITDF) has a volatility of 6.03%. This indicates that AALTX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ITDF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AALTX	ITDF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.45%	6.03%	-1.58%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.64%	9.34%	-0.70%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.60%	16.23%	-1.63%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.17%	13.89%	+0.28%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.80%	13.89%	+0.91%