BFCAX vs. AIQ

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

BFCAX (American Funds Corporate Bond Fund) and AIQ (Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF) are both funds - BFCAX is a Corporate Bonds fund managed by American Funds, while AIQ is a Artificial Intelligence fund tracking the Indxx Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index. Over the past 5 years, BFCAX returned -1.18%/yr vs 14.37%/yr for AIQ. Their 0.10 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. BFCAX charges 0.70%/yr vs 0.68%/yr for AIQ.

Performance

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) and Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BFCAX achieves a -1.33% return, which is significantly lower than AIQ's 15.79% return.

BFCAX

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: -1.81%
• 6M: -1.57%
• YTD: -1.33%
• 1Y: 0.69%
• 3Y*: 3.56%
• 5Y*: -1.18%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 2.20%

AIQ

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: -4.79%
• 6M: 13.32%
• YTD: 15.79%
• 1Y: 35.59%
• 3Y*: 26.21%
• 5Y*: 14.37%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 18.51%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
AIQ Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF	$120.56M	$130.50M	$165.49M
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund	-1.33%	6.67%	1.71%	6.85%	-16.51%	-2.15%	13.05%	13.21%	1.32%
AIQ Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF	15.79%	31.89%	24.11%	55.39%	-36.44%	17.09%	52.88%	39.94%	-14.05%

Correlation

The correlation between BFCAX and AIQ is 0.30, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.30
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.19
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.18
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 16, 2018	0.10

The correlation between BFCAX and AIQ shifts across timeframes, from 0.10 (all time) to 0.30 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

BFCAX vs. AIQ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

BFCAX

BFCAX Risk / Return Rank: 11
BFCAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
BFCAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 11
BFCAX Omega Ratio Rank: 10
BFCAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
BFCAX Martin Ratio Rank: 12

AIQ

AIQ Risk / Return Rank: 45
AIQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 46
AIQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
AIQ Omega Ratio Rank: 44
AIQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 45
AIQ Martin Ratio Rank: 44

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) and Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	BFCAX	AIQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.45	1.13	-0.68
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.66	1.60	-0.94
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.08	1.20	-0.13
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.62	1.60	-0.99
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.52	4.82	-3.30

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BFCAX Sharpe Ratio is 0.45, which is lower than the AIQ Sharpe Ratio of 1.13. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BFCAX and AIQ, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BFCAX drawdown since its inception was -23.01%, smaller than the maximum AIQ drawdown of -44.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BFCAX and AIQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	BFCAX	AIQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-23.01%	-44.66%	+21.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.11%	-20.19%	+17.08%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-5.68%	-26.35%	+20.67%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.55%	-44.66%	+22.11%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.54%	-16.04%	+9.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.44%	-9.82%	+3.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.27%	6.71%	-5.44%

Volatility

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) is 1.15%, while Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ) has a volatility of 10.41%. This indicates that BFCAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AIQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BFCAX	AIQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.15%	10.41%	-9.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.34%	24.84%	-21.50%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.27%	28.57%	-24.30%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.69%	26.42%	-19.73%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.96%	25.98%	-20.02%

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Expense Ratio Comparison

BFCAX has a 0.70% expense ratio, which is higher than AIQ's 0.68% expense ratio.

Dividends

BFCAX vs. AIQ - Dividend Comparison

BFCAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.90%, more than AIQ's 0.08% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AIQ Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF	0.08%	0.18%	0.14%	0.16%	0.56%	0.15%	0.50%	0.51%	0.51%	0.00%
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund	3.90%	4.20%	4.06%	2.82%	1.95%	1.50%	4.43%	3.44%	2.63%	2.68%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BFCAX and AIQ in my portfolio?

BFCAX and AIQ have a correlation of 0.30, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BFCAX or AIQ?

AIQ has higher volatility (10.41%) compared to BFCAX (1.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BFCAX dropped -23.01% vs AIQ's -44.66%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AIQ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.13 vs 0.45), 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.