ABALX vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
ABALX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993.
Performance
ABALX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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ABALX vs. SPY - 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% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | -4.37% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ABALX achieves a -2.86% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -4.37% return. Over the past 10 years, ABALX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 8.98%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.98% 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%
SPY
- 1D
- 2.91%
- 1M
- -4.94%
- YTD
- -4.37%
- 6M
- -1.82%
- 1Y
- 17.59%
- 3Y*
- 18.19%
- 5Y*
- 11.69%
- 10Y*
- 13.98%
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ABALX vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
ABALX has a 0.56% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
ABALX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
ABALX
SPY
ABALX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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 | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.43 | 0.93 | +0.50 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.09 | 1.45 | +0.64 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.22 | +0.07 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 1.53 | +0.48 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.51 | 7.30 | +1.21 |
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 | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.43 | 0.93 | +0.50 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.77 | 0.69 | +0.08 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.85 | 0.78 | +0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.79 | 0.56 | +0.22 |
Correlation
The correlation between ABALX and SPY is 0.92, 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. SPY - Dividend Comparison
ABALX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.54%, more than SPY's 1.14% 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% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.14% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
Drawdowns
ABALX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ABALX drawdown since its inception was -40.20%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ABALX and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ABALX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -40.20% | -55.19% | +14.99% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.33% | -12.05% | +4.72% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.76% | -24.50% | +5.74% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.34% | -33.72% | +11.38% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -7.03% | -6.24% | -0.79% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.86% | -9.09% | +5.23% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.73% | 2.52% | -0.79% |
Volatility
ABALX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) is 3.26%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 5.31%. This indicates that ABALX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ABALX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.26% | 5.31% | -2.05% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.74% | 9.47% | -2.73% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.11% | 19.05% | -7.94% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.42% | 17.06% | -6.64% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.61% | 17.92% | -7.31% |