ABALX vs. AWSHX
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX).
ABALX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975. AWSHX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 31, 1952.
Performance
ABALX vs. AWSHX - Performance Comparison
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ABALX vs. AWSHX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABALX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A | -2.86% | 18.45% | 14.63% | 13.65% | -12.13% | 15.75% | 10.85% | 18.60% | -3.35% | 14.69% |
AWSHX American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A | -5.27% | 17.20% | 19.02% | 17.21% | -8.45% | 28.44% | 7.69% | 24.86% | -6.16% | 20.03% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ABALX achieves a -2.86% return, which is significantly higher than AWSHX's -5.27% return. Over the past 10 years, ABALX has underperformed AWSHX with an annualized return of 8.98%, while AWSHX has yielded a comparatively higher 11.82% annualized return.
ABALX
- 1D
- -0.14%
- 1M
- -6.82%
- YTD
- -2.86%
- 6M
- 0.85%
- 1Y
- 15.33%
- 3Y*
- 13.40%
- 5Y*
- 8.00%
- 10Y*
- 8.98%
AWSHX
- 1D
- -0.03%
- 1M
- -7.89%
- YTD
- -5.27%
- 6M
- -3.14%
- 1Y
- 10.70%
- 3Y*
- 15.28%
- 5Y*
- 10.91%
- 10Y*
- 11.82%
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ABALX vs. AWSHX - Expense Ratio Comparison
ABALX has a 0.56% expense ratio, which is lower than AWSHX's 0.58% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
ABALX vs. AWSHX — Risk / Return Rank
ABALX
AWSHX
ABALX vs. AWSHX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX). 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.
| ABALX | AWSHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.43 | 0.76 | +0.67 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.09 | 1.19 | +0.90 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.17 | +0.12 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 0.96 | +1.04 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.51 | 4.37 | +4.15 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| ABALX | AWSHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.43 | 0.76 | +0.67 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.77 | 0.78 | -0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.85 | 0.73 | +0.12 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.79 | 0.62 | +0.17 |
Correlation
The correlation between ABALX and AWSHX is 0.95, 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
ABALX vs. AWSHX - Dividend Comparison
ABALX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.54%, less than AWSHX's 10.67% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABALX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A | 8.54% | 8.27% | 6.87% | 2.05% | 2.30% | 4.30% | 4.35% | 3.49% | 5.49% | 4.72% | 4.24% | 5.60% |
AWSHX American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A | 10.67% | 10.08% | 10.06% | 6.14% | 6.31% | 6.05% | 3.06% | 6.19% | 4.36% | 7.26% | 6.37% | 6.25% |
Drawdowns
ABALX vs. AWSHX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ABALX drawdown since its inception was -40.20%, smaller than the maximum AWSHX drawdown of -53.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ABALX and AWSHX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ABALX | AWSHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -40.20% | -53.95% | +13.75% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.33% | -10.37% | +3.04% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.76% | -18.64% | -0.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.34% | -34.65% | +12.31% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -7.03% | -8.37% | +1.34% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.86% | -6.43% | +2.57% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.73% | 2.29% | -0.56% |
Volatility
ABALX vs. AWSHX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) is 3.26%, while American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX) has a volatility of 3.58%. This indicates that ABALX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AWSHX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ABALX | AWSHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.26% | 3.58% | -0.32% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.74% | 7.98% | -1.24% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.11% | 15.18% | -4.07% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.42% | 14.09% | -3.67% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.61% | 16.31% | -5.70% |