AMBFX vs. VSMIX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

AMBFX (American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2) and VSMIX (Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares) are both mutual funds - AMBFX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by American Funds, while VSMIX is a Short-Term Bond fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, AMBFX returned 10.47%/yr vs 18.06%/yr for VSMIX. Their correlation of 0.81 suggests significant overlap in exposure. AMBFX charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for VSMIX.

Performance

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX) and Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AMBFX achieves a 10.06% return, which is significantly lower than VSMIX's 31.47% return. Over the past 10 years, AMBFX has underperformed VSMIX with an annualized return of 10.47%, while VSMIX has yielded a comparatively higher 18.06% annualized return.

AMBFX

• 1D: 0.24%
• 1M: 4.00%
• YTD: 10.06%
• 6M: 10.70%
• 1Y: 25.21%
• 3Y*: 17.77%
• 5Y*: 9.94%
• 10Y*: 10.47%

VSMIX

• 1D: 3.56%
• 1M: 7.76%
• YTD: 31.47%
• 6M: 33.25%
• 1Y: 62.50%
• 3Y*: 33.02%
• 5Y*: 19.87%
• 10Y*: 18.06%

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

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AMBFX American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2	10.06%	18.67%	15.25%	13.81%	-11.93%	16.00%	11.06%	19.45%	-2.69%	14.85%
VSMIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares	31.47%	18.01%	24.82%	23.14%	4.58%	36.67%	11.14%	32.32%	-25.45%	18.47%

Correlation

The correlation between AMBFX and VSMIX is 0.76, 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	0.76
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.79
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.76
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 4, 2008	0.81

The correlation between AMBFX and VSMIX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.76 to 0.81 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

AMBFX vs. VSMIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

AMBFX

AMBFX Risk / Return Rank: 86
AMBFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
AMBFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
AMBFX Omega Ratio Rank: 84
AMBFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
AMBFX Martin Ratio Rank: 86

VSMIX

VSMIX Risk / Return Rank: 89
VSMIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
VSMIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
VSMIX Omega Ratio Rank: 80
VSMIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
VSMIX Martin Ratio Rank: 93

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.

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - 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 Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX). 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	VSMIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.96	3.21	-0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.14	3.98	+0.16
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.57	1.53	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.70	5.82	-2.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	16.73	20.62	-3.89
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AMBFX Sharpe Ratio is 2.96, which is comparable to the VSMIX Sharpe Ratio of 3.21. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AMBFX and VSMIX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AMBFX	VSMIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.96	3.21	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.95	0.86	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.98	0.68	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.78	0.49	+0.29

Drawdowns

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AMBFX drawdown since its inception was -35.05%, smaller than the maximum VSMIX drawdown of -57.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AMBFX and VSMIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	AMBFX	VSMIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.05%	-57.53%	+22.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.00%	-11.39%	+4.39%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-10.64%	-25.26%	+14.62%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.65%	-25.26%	+6.61%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.31%	-57.53%	+35.22%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.58%	-9.52%	+5.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.54%	3.20%	-1.66%

Volatility

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX) is 2.67%, while Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) has a volatility of 6.33%. This indicates that AMBFX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VSMIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AMBFX	VSMIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.67%	6.33%	-3.66%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.86%	15.87%	-9.01%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.73%	20.66%	-11.93%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.50%	23.18%	-12.68%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.67%	26.72%	-16.05%

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

AMBFX has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than VSMIX's 0.20% expense ratio.

Dividends

AMBFX vs. VSMIX - Dividend Comparison

AMBFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.72%, more than VSMIX's 6.49% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AMBFX American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2	7.72%	8.47%	7.40%	2.20%	2.52%	4.50%	4.56%	4.19%	6.20%	4.85%	4.46%	5.81%
VSMIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares	6.49%	8.53%	7.40%	4.71%	9.53%	15.84%	0.40%	2.37%	26.83%	15.94%	1.65%	10.91%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AMBFX and VSMIX in my portfolio?

AMBFX and VSMIX have a correlation of 0.76, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AMBFX or VSMIX?

VSMIX has higher volatility (6.33%) compared to AMBFX (2.67%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AMBFX dropped -35.05% vs VSMIX's -57.53%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VSMIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.21 vs 2.96), 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.