AFMBX vs. BWBIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX) and Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX).

AFMBX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975. BWBIX is managed by Baron Capital Group, Inc.. It was launched on Dec 28, 2017.

Performance

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX) and Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
AFMBX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3	-2.79%	18.82%	15.36%	13.89%	-11.83%	16.12%	11.17%	18.96%	-3.85%
BWBIX Baron WealthBuilder Fund	-9.86%	10.23%	19.62%	25.77%	-32.58%	14.76%	62.85%	36.41%	-12.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AFMBX achieves a -2.79% return, which is significantly higher than BWBIX's -9.86% return.

AFMBX

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: -6.77%
• YTD: -2.79%
• 6M: 1.01%
• 1Y: 15.69%
• 3Y*: 13.85%
• 5Y*: 8.39%
• 10Y*: —

BWBIX

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -8.51%
• YTD: -9.86%
• 6M: -5.37%
• 1Y: 7.86%
• 3Y*: 10.63%
• 5Y*: 2.69%
• 10Y*: —

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

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

AFMBX has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than BWBIX's 0.05% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

AFMBX

American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3

BWBIX

Baron WealthBuilder Fund

Return for Risk

AFMBX vs. BWBIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

AFMBX

AFMBX Risk / Return Rank: 82
AFMBX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
AFMBX Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
AFMBX Omega Ratio Rank: 79
AFMBX Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
AFMBX Martin Ratio Rank: 85

BWBIX

BWBIX Risk / Return Rank: 16
BWBIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
BWBIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 17
BWBIX Omega Ratio Rank: 16
BWBIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 16
BWBIX Martin Ratio Rank: 17

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.

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX) and Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX). 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.

	AFMBX	BWBIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.46	0.41	+1.05
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.14	0.75	+1.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.10	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.05	0.46	+1.59
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.76	1.76	+7.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AFMBX Sharpe Ratio is 1.46, which is higher than the BWBIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AFMBX and BWBIX, 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

	AFMBX	BWBIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.46	0.41	+1.05
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.81	0.13	+0.68
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.84	0.47	+0.37

Correlation

The correlation between AFMBX and BWBIX is 0.84, 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

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Dividend Comparison

AFMBX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.86%, more than BWBIX's 8.44% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AFMBX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3	8.86%	8.57%	7.51%	2.27%	2.63%	4.60%	4.65%	3.78%	5.81%	4.94%
BWBIX Baron WealthBuilder Fund	8.44%	7.61%	0.77%	0.06%	3.21%	3.75%	1.24%	3.51%	0.14%	0.00%

Drawdowns

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AFMBX drawdown since its inception was -22.34%, smaller than the maximum BWBIX drawdown of -39.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFMBX and BWBIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	AFMBX	BWBIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-22.34%	-39.14%	+16.80%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.34%	-12.76%	+5.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.58%	-39.14%	+20.56%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.98%	-11.65%	+4.67%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.25%	-11.88%	+8.63%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.72%	3.35%	-1.63%

Volatility

AFMBX vs. BWBIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX) is 3.26%, while Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX) has a volatility of 4.45%. This indicates that AFMBX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BWBIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AFMBX	BWBIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.26%	4.45%	-1.19%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.74%	11.07%	-4.33%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.10%	19.80%	-8.70%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.42%	21.17%	-10.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.16%	23.30%	-12.14%