AHITX vs. VSGDX
AHITX (American Funds American High-Income Trust) and VSGDX (Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - AHITX is a High Yield Bonds fund managed by American Funds, while VSGDX is a Total Bond Market fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, AHITX returned 5.85%/yr vs 1.87%/yr for VSGDX. At a 0.13 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. AHITX charges 0.69%/yr vs 0.10%/yr for VSGDX.
Performance
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AHITX achieves a 1.88% return, which is significantly higher than VSGDX's 0.35% return. Over the past 10 years, AHITX has outperformed VSGDX with an annualized return of 5.85%, while VSGDX has yielded a comparatively lower 1.87% annualized return.
AHITX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.71%
- YTD
- 1.88%
- 6M
- 2.53%
- 1Y
- 7.47%
- 3Y*
- 9.03%
- 5Y*
- 4.34%
- 10Y*
- 5.85%
VSGDX
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- 0.23%
- YTD
- 0.35%
- 6M
- 0.67%
- 1Y
- 3.61%
- 3Y*
- 4.57%
- 5Y*
- 1.67%
- 10Y*
- 1.87%
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AHITX American Funds American High-Income Trust | 1.88% | 8.28% | 9.45% | 11.43% | -10.38% | 8.32% | 7.01% | 11.86% | -1.80% | 7.30% |
VSGDX Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Admiral Shares | 0.35% | 5.94% | 4.26% | 3.92% | -5.22% | -0.58% | 4.46% | 4.21% | 1.37% | 0.80% |
Correlation
The correlation between AHITX and VSGDX is 0.50, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.50 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.41 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 12, 2001 | 0.13 |
Over the past year, AHITX and VSGDX have become more correlated (0.50) than their long-term average of 0.13, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
AHITX vs. VSGDX — Risk / Return Rank
AHITX
VSGDX
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American High-Income Trust (AHITX) and Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Admiral Shares (VSGDX). 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.
| AHITX | VSGDX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.58 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.03 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.49 | 1.35 | +0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.20 | 2.69 | +0.51 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 14.19 | 9.21 | +4.98 |
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Drawdowns
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AHITX drawdown since its inception was -34.81%, which is greater than VSGDX's maximum drawdown of -7.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AHITX and VSGDX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AHITX | VSGDX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.81% | -7.29% | -27.52% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.41% | -1.35% | -1.06% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -3.96% | -1.35% | -2.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -13.93% | -7.29% | -6.64% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -21.22% | -7.29% | -13.93% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.30% | -0.67% | +0.37% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.67% | -0.73% | -1.94% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.54% | 0.39% | +0.15% |
Volatility
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Volatility Comparison
American Funds American High-Income Trust (AHITX) has a higher volatility of 1.04% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Admiral Shares (VSGDX) at 0.83%. This indicates that AHITX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VSGDX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AHITX | VSGDX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.04% | 0.83% | +0.21% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.66% | 1.65% | +1.01% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.45% | 2.18% | +1.27% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 4.99% | 2.69% | +2.30% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.48% | 2.17% | +3.31% |
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Expense Ratio Comparison
AHITX has a 0.69% expense ratio, which is higher than VSGDX's 0.10% expense ratio.
Dividends
AHITX vs. VSGDX - Dividend Comparison
AHITX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.29%, more than VSGDX's 3.96% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AHITX American Funds American High-Income Trust | 6.29% | 6.26% | 6.25% | 5.87% | 4.17% | 4.27% | 5.81% | 6.19% | 6.31% | 5.99% | 5.05% | 6.92% |
VSGDX Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Admiral Shares | 3.96% | 3.79% | 3.56% | 3.42% | 1.78% | 1.45% | 1.78% | 2.42% | 2.02% | 1.46% | 1.43% | 1.30% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AHITX and VSGDX have a correlation of 0.50, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AHITX has higher volatility (1.04%) compared to VSGDX (0.83%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AHITX dropped -34.81% vs VSGDX's -7.29%.
AHITX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.24 vs 1.66), 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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