BALCX vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
BALCX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993.
Scroll down to visually compare performance, riskiness, drawdowns, and other indicators and decide which better suits your portfolio: BALCX or SPY.
Performance
BALCX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BALCX achieves a 14.21% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 26.08% return. Over the past 10 years, BALCX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 7.38%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.10% annualized return.
BALCX
14.21%
-0.19%
8.11%
19.92%
7.90%
7.38%
SPY
26.08%
1.77%
13.59%
32.24%
15.62%
13.10%
Key characteristics
| BALCX | SPY | |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio | 2.41 | 2.70 |
| Sortino Ratio | 3.41 | 3.60 |
| Omega Ratio | 1.45 | 1.50 |
| Calmar Ratio | 3.24 | 3.90 |
| Martin Ratio | 15.90 | 17.52 |
| Ulcer Index | 1.27% | 1.87% |
| Daily Std Dev | 8.36% | 12.14% |
| Max Drawdown | -40.25% | -55.19% |
| Current Drawdown | -1.47% | -0.85% |
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BALCX vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
BALCX has a 1.31% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Correlation
The correlation between BALCX and SPY is 0.95, 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.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
BALCX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Performance Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.
Dividends
BALCX vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
BALCX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.49%, more than SPY's 1.18% yield.
| TTM | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BALCX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C | 1.49% | 1.67% | 0.91% | 0.48% | 0.63% | 1.20% | 1.25% | 1.02% | 1.02% | 1.46% | 6.92% | 0.82% |
SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.18% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% | 1.87% | 1.81% |
Drawdowns
BALCX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BALCX drawdown since its inception was -40.25%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BALCX and SPY. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
BALCX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) is 2.41%, while SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 3.98%. This indicates that BALCX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.