BALCX vs. ESGU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU).

BALCX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975. ESGU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. It was launched on Dec 1, 2016.

Performance

BALCX vs. ESGU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BALCX vs. ESGU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BALCX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C	-3.02%	17.58%	14.00%	12.97%	-12.77%	14.87%	10.06%	17.66%	-4.09%	14.02%
ESGU iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF	-4.83%	16.90%	24.31%	25.79%	-20.27%	26.89%	22.54%	31.72%	-4.32%	21.07%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BALCX achieves a -3.02% return, which is significantly higher than ESGU's -4.83% return.

BALCX

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: -6.86%
• YTD: -3.02%
• 6M: 0.47%
• 1Y: 14.48%
• 3Y*: 12.70%
• 5Y*: 7.28%
• 10Y*: 8.21%

ESGU

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: -4.97%
• YTD: -4.83%
• 6M: -2.32%
• 1Y: 17.24%
• 3Y*: 17.48%
• 5Y*: 10.42%
• 10Y*: —

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

BALCX vs. ESGU - Expense Ratio Comparison

BALCX has a 1.31% expense ratio, which is higher than ESGU's 0.15% expense ratio.

BALCX

American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C

ESGU

iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF

Return for Risk

BALCX vs. ESGU — Risk / Return Rank

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

BALCX

BALCX Risk / Return Rank: 78
BALCX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
BALCX Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
BALCX Omega Ratio Rank: 74
BALCX Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
BALCX Martin Ratio Rank: 80

ESGU

ESGU Risk / Return Rank: 61
ESGU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
ESGU Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
ESGU Omega Ratio Rank: 61
ESGU Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
ESGU Martin Ratio Rank: 70

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.

BALCX vs. ESGU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU). 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.

	BALCX	ESGU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.35	0.92	+0.43
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.98	1.42	+0.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.21	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.88	1.45	+0.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.95	6.77	+1.18
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BALCX vs. ESGU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BALCX Sharpe Ratio is 1.35, which is higher than the ESGU Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BALCX and ESGU, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BALCX	ESGU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.35	0.92	+0.43
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.70	0.60	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.78	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.58	0.74	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between BALCX and ESGU is 0.91, 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

BALCX vs. ESGU - Dividend Comparison

BALCX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.83%, more than ESGU's 1.07% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BALCX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C	7.83%	7.61%	6.37%	1.54%	1.53%	3.60%	3.68%	2.79%	4.67%	4.17%	3.51%	4.81%
ESGU iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF	1.07%	0.99%	1.18%	1.43%	1.58%	1.06%	1.27%	1.32%	1.73%	1.82%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

BALCX vs. ESGU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BALCX drawdown since its inception was -40.88%, which is greater than ESGU's maximum drawdown of -33.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BALCX and ESGU.

Drawdown Indicators

	BALCX	ESGU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-40.88%	-33.87%	-7.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.36%	-12.35%	+4.99%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.22%	-26.15%	+6.93%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.38%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.08%	-6.59%	-0.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.48%	-4.96%	+0.48%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.74%	2.65%	-0.91%

Volatility

BALCX vs. ESGU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) is 3.28%, while iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) has a volatility of 5.42%. This indicates that BALCX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ESGU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BALCX	ESGU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.28%	5.42%	-2.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.75%	9.77%	-3.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.09%	18.75%	-7.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.41%	17.33%	-6.92%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.61%	18.70%	-8.09%