AMBFX vs. VBAIX
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX) and Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares (VBAIX).
AMBFX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Aug 5, 2008. VBAIX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Dec 1, 2000.
Performance
AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Performance Comparison
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AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AMBFX American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 | -2.82% | 18.67% | 15.25% | 13.81% | -11.93% | 16.00% | 11.06% | 19.45% | -2.69% | 14.85% |
VBAIX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares | -4.19% | 13.60% | 17.78% | 17.55% | -16.87% | 14.20% | 16.40% | 21.79% | -2.83% | 13.86% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AMBFX achieves a -2.82% return, which is significantly higher than VBAIX's -4.19% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with AMBFX having a 9.33% annualized return and VBAIX not far behind at 9.08%.
AMBFX
- 1D
- -0.14%
- 1M
- -6.81%
- YTD
- -2.82%
- 6M
- 0.93%
- 1Y
- 15.54%
- 3Y*
- 13.72%
- 5Y*
- 8.28%
- 10Y*
- 9.33%
VBAIX
- 1D
- -0.08%
- 1M
- -5.44%
- YTD
- -4.19%
- 6M
- -2.39%
- 1Y
- 10.88%
- 3Y*
- 12.60%
- 5Y*
- 6.93%
- 10Y*
- 9.08%
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AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
AMBFX has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than VBAIX's 0.06% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
AMBFX vs. VBAIX — Risk / Return Rank
AMBFX
VBAIX
AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX) and Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares (VBAIX). 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.
| AMBFX | VBAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.45 | 1.01 | +0.44 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.12 | 1.50 | +0.61 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.30 | 1.22 | +0.08 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.03 | 1.31 | +0.72 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.67 | 6.21 | +2.46 |
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
| AMBFX | VBAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.45 | 1.01 | +0.44 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.80 | 0.63 | +0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.88 | 0.81 | +0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.72 | 0.62 | +0.10 |
Correlation
The correlation between AMBFX and VBAIX is 0.97, 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
AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Dividend Comparison
AMBFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.75%, more than VBAIX's 5.86% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AMBFX American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 | 8.75% | 8.47% | 7.40% | 2.20% | 2.52% | 4.50% | 4.56% | 4.19% | 6.20% | 4.85% | 4.46% | 5.81% |
VBAIX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares | 5.86% | 6.01% | 8.01% | 4.36% | 2.84% | 3.20% | 2.65% | 2.29% | 2.33% | 1.96% | 2.10% | 2.10% |
Drawdowns
AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AMBFX drawdown since its inception was -35.05%, roughly equal to the maximum VBAIX drawdown of -35.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AMBFX and VBAIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AMBFX | VBAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -35.05% | -35.82% | +0.77% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.34% | -7.80% | +0.46% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.65% | -21.52% | +2.87% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.31% | -22.77% | +0.46% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -7.00% | -5.84% | -1.16% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.61% | -4.45% | +0.84% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.72% | 1.64% | +0.08% |
Volatility
AMBFX vs. VBAIX - Volatility Comparison
American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX) has a higher volatility of 3.26% compared to Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares (VBAIX) at 3.07%. This indicates that AMBFX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBAIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AMBFX | VBAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.26% | 3.07% | +0.19% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.73% | 5.93% | +0.80% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.10% | 11.28% | -0.18% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.42% | 11.06% | -0.64% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.62% | 11.19% | -0.57% |