AGTHX vs. IJR
AGTHX (American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A) and IJR (iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF) are both funds - AGTHX is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund actively managed by Capital Group, while IJR is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. AGTHX is actively managed, while IJR is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, AGTHX returned 15.79%/yr vs 11.21%/yr for IJR. Their correlation of 0.82 suggests significant overlap in exposure. AGTHX charges 0.59%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for IJR.
Performance
AGTHX vs. IJR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AGTHX achieves a 6.60% return, which is significantly lower than IJR's 19.86% return. Over the past 10 years, AGTHX has outperformed IJR with an annualized return of 15.79%, while IJR has yielded a comparatively lower 11.21% annualized return.
AGTHX
- 1D
- 0.27%
- 1M
- 0.45%
- YTD
- 6.60%
- 6M
- 7.72%
- 1Y
- 21.49%
- 3Y*
- 22.87%
- 5Y*
- 11.31%
- 10Y*
- 15.79%
IJR
- 1D
- 0.11%
- 1M
- 7.39%
- YTD
- 19.86%
- 6M
- 16.97%
- 1Y
- 37.16%
- 3Y*
- 15.09%
- 5Y*
- 6.35%
- 10Y*
- 11.21%
AGTHX vs. IJR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGTHX American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A | 6.60% | 19.73% | 28.02% | 37.22% | -30.75% | 19.32% | 37.83% | 28.16% | -3.15% | 26.14% |
IJR iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 19.86% | 5.89% | 8.63% | 16.06% | -16.20% | 26.58% | 11.28% | 22.82% | -8.51% | 13.15% |
Correlation
The correlation between AGTHX and IJR is 0.68, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.68 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.71 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.77 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.73 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 26, 2000 | 0.82 |
The correlation between AGTHX and IJR shifts across timeframes, from 0.68 (1 year) to 0.82 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
AGTHX vs. IJR — Risk / Return Rank
AGTHX
IJR
AGTHX vs. IJR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A (AGTHX) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| AGTHX | IJR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.86 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.28 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.36 | -0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.46 | 4.30 | -2.84 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.60 | 14.44 | -8.84 |
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Drawdowns
AGTHX vs. IJR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AGTHX drawdown since its inception was -51.91%, smaller than the maximum IJR drawdown of -58.15%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AGTHX and IJR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AGTHX | IJR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -51.91% | -58.15% | +6.24% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.76% | -8.68% | -5.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -21.57% | -28.02% | +6.45% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.38% | -28.02% | -8.36% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -36.38% | -44.36% | +7.98% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.49% | 0.00% | -3.49% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.19% | -9.27% | +0.08% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.59% | 2.58% | +1.01% |
Volatility
AGTHX vs. IJR - Volatility Comparison
American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A (AGTHX) has a higher volatility of 6.25% compared to iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) at 5.17%. This indicates that AGTHX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IJR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AGTHX | IJR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.25% | 5.17% | +1.08% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.77% | 11.93% | +0.84% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.00% | 17.67% | -1.67% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.37% | 21.44% | -1.07% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.75% | 22.93% | -3.18% |
AGTHX vs. IJR - Expense Ratio Comparison
AGTHX has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is higher than IJR's 0.06% expense ratio.
Dividends
AGTHX vs. IJR - Dividend Comparison
AGTHX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.03%, more than IJR's 1.42% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGTHX American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class A | 10.03% | 10.69% | 8.99% | 7.40% | 4.05% | 8.18% | 4.30% | 7.15% | 11.99% | 7.03% | 6.61% | 8.87% |
IJR iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 1.42% | 1.44% | 2.05% | 1.31% | 1.41% | 1.53% | 1.11% | 1.44% | 1.58% | 1.20% | 1.22% | 1.48% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AGTHX and IJR have a correlation of 0.68, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AGTHX has higher volatility (6.25%) compared to IJR (5.17%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AGTHX dropped -51.91% vs IJR's -58.15%.
IJR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.12 vs 1.26), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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