BALCX vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and State Street 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.
Performance
BALCX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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BALCX vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BALCX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C | -1.33% | 17.58% | 14.00% | 12.97% | -12.77% | 14.87% | 10.06% | 17.66% | -4.09% | 14.02% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | -3.65% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BALCX achieves a -1.33% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -3.65% return. Over the past 10 years, BALCX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 8.40%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 14.06% annualized return.
BALCX
- 1D
- 1.75%
- 1M
- -4.96%
- YTD
- -1.33%
- 6M
- 1.67%
- 1Y
- 16.04%
- 3Y*
- 13.35%
- 5Y*
- 7.46%
- 10Y*
- 8.40%
SPY
- 1D
- 0.75%
- 1M
- -4.28%
- YTD
- -3.65%
- 6M
- -1.42%
- 1Y
- 18.14%
- 3Y*
- 18.48%
- 5Y*
- 11.86%
- 10Y*
- 14.06%
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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.
Return for Risk
BALCX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
BALCX
SPY
BALCX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) and State Street 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.
| BALCX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.48 | 0.96 | +0.52 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.17 | 1.49 | +0.68 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.23 | +0.07 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.29 | 1.53 | +0.76 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.52 | 7.27 | +2.25 |
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
| BALCX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.48 | 0.96 | +0.52 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.72 | 0.70 | +0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.79 | 0.79 | +0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.58 | 0.56 | +0.02 |
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.
Dividends
BALCX vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
BALCX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.69%, more than SPY's 1.13% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BALCX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C | 7.69% | 7.61% | 6.37% | 1.54% | 1.53% | 3.60% | 3.68% | 2.79% | 4.67% | 4.17% | 3.51% | 4.81% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.13% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
Drawdowns
BALCX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BALCX drawdown since its inception was -40.88%, 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.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BALCX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -40.88% | -55.19% | +14.31% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.36% | -12.05% | +4.69% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.22% | -24.50% | +5.28% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.38% | -33.72% | +11.34% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.45% | -5.53% | +0.08% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.48% | -9.09% | +4.61% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.78% | 2.54% | -0.76% |
Volatility
BALCX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds American Balanced Fund Class C (BALCX) is 3.88%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 5.35%. 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.
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Volatility by Period
| BALCX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.88% | 5.35% | -1.47% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.96% | 9.50% | -2.54% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.19% | 19.06% | -7.87% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.44% | 17.06% | -6.62% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.62% | 17.92% | -7.30% |