AFTEX vs. ABALX
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund (AFTEX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX).
AFTEX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Oct 2, 1979. ABALX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975.
Performance
AFTEX vs. ABALX - Performance Comparison
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AFTEX vs. ABALX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFTEX American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund | -0.65% | 4.88% | 2.28% | 5.96% | -9.68% | 1.87% | 4.73% | 7.42% | 0.78% | 5.83% |
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% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AFTEX achieves a -0.65% return, which is significantly higher than ABALX's -2.86% return. Over the past 10 years, AFTEX has underperformed ABALX with an annualized return of 2.08%, while ABALX has yielded a comparatively higher 8.98% annualized return.
AFTEX
- 1D
- 0.16%
- 1M
- -2.60%
- YTD
- -0.65%
- 6M
- 0.77%
- 1Y
- 3.69%
- 3Y*
- 3.27%
- 5Y*
- 0.79%
- 10Y*
- 2.08%
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%
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AFTEX vs. ABALX - Expense Ratio Comparison
AFTEX has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is lower than ABALX's 0.56% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
AFTEX vs. ABALX — Risk / Return Rank
AFTEX
ABALX
AFTEX vs. ABALX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund (AFTEX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX). 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.
| AFTEX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.96 | 1.43 | -0.46 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.31 | 2.09 | -0.78 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 1.29 | -0.03 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.05 | 2.00 | -0.95 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.52 | 8.51 | -4.99 |
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
| AFTEX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.96 | 1.43 | -0.46 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.21 | 0.77 | -0.56 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.55 | 0.85 | -0.30 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.42 | 0.79 | +0.63 |
Correlation
The correlation between AFTEX and ABALX is 0.08, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
AFTEX vs. ABALX - Dividend Comparison
AFTEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.04%, less than ABALX's 8.54% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFTEX American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund | 3.04% | 3.98% | 2.90% | 2.22% | 1.75% | 2.31% | 2.43% | 2.83% | 2.86% | 3.30% | 2.90% | 3.21% |
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% |
Drawdowns
AFTEX vs. ABALX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AFTEX drawdown since its inception was -14.55%, smaller than the maximum ABALX drawdown of -40.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFTEX and ABALX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AFTEX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -14.55% | -40.20% | +25.65% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.51% | -7.33% | +2.82% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -14.55% | -18.76% | +4.21% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -14.55% | -22.34% | +7.79% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.60% | -7.03% | +4.43% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.67% | -3.86% | +2.19% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.34% | 1.73% | -0.39% |
Volatility
AFTEX vs. ABALX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds Tax Exempt Bond Fund (AFTEX) is 1.00%, while American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) has a volatility of 3.26%. This indicates that AFTEX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ABALX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AFTEX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.00% | 3.26% | -2.26% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.63% | 6.74% | -5.11% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.58% | 11.11% | -6.53% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.72% | 10.42% | -6.70% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.77% | 10.61% | -6.84% |