BFCAX vs. AWSHX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX).

BFCAX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Dec 14, 2012. AWSHX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 31, 1952.

Performance

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund	-1.02%	6.67%	1.71%	6.85%	-16.51%	-2.15%	13.05%	13.21%	-2.50%	5.61%
AWSHX American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A	-5.27%	17.20%	19.02%	17.21%	-8.45%	28.44%	7.69%	24.86%	-6.16%	19.28%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BFCAX achieves a -1.02% return, which is significantly higher than AWSHX's -5.27% return.

BFCAX

• 1D: 0.53%
• 1M: -2.59%
• YTD: -1.02%
• 6M: -0.52%
• 1Y: 3.25%
• 3Y*: 3.38%
• 5Y*: -0.25%
• 10Y*: —

AWSHX

• 1D: -0.03%
• 1M: -7.89%
• YTD: -5.27%
• 6M: -3.14%
• 1Y: 10.70%
• 3Y*: 15.28%
• 5Y*: 10.91%
• 10Y*: 11.82%

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

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Expense Ratio Comparison

BFCAX has a 0.70% expense ratio, which is higher than AWSHX's 0.58% expense ratio.

BFCAX

American Funds Corporate Bond Fund

AWSHX

American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A

Return for Risk

BFCAX vs. AWSHX — Risk / Return Rank

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

BFCAX

BFCAX Risk / Return Rank: 40
BFCAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
BFCAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
BFCAX Omega Ratio Rank: 27
BFCAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
BFCAX Martin Ratio Rank: 42

AWSHX

AWSHX Risk / Return Rank: 38
AWSHX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
AWSHX Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
AWSHX Omega Ratio Rank: 39
AWSHX Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
AWSHX Martin Ratio Rank: 43

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.

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX). 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.

	BFCAX	AWSHX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.80	0.76	+0.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.14	1.19	-0.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.17	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.42	0.96	+0.45
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.34	4.37	-0.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BFCAX Sharpe Ratio is 0.80, which is comparable to the AWSHX Sharpe Ratio of 0.76. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BFCAX and AWSHX, 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

	BFCAX	AWSHX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.80	0.76	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.04	0.78	-0.82
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.73	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.62	-0.23

Correlation

The correlation between BFCAX and AWSHX is 0.04, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Dividend Comparison

BFCAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.88%, less than AWSHX's 10.67% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund	3.88%	4.20%	4.06%	2.82%	1.95%	1.50%	4.43%	3.44%	2.63%	2.68%	0.00%	0.00%
AWSHX American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A	10.67%	10.08%	10.06%	6.14%	6.31%	6.05%	3.06%	6.19%	4.36%	7.26%	6.37%	6.25%

Drawdowns

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BFCAX drawdown since its inception was -23.01%, smaller than the maximum AWSHX drawdown of -53.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BFCAX and AWSHX.

Drawdown Indicators

	BFCAX	AWSHX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-23.01%	-53.95%	+30.94%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.11%	-10.37%	+7.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.55%	-18.64%	-3.91%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-34.65%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.25%	-8.37%	+2.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.48%	-6.43%	-0.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.02%	2.29%	-1.27%

Volatility

BFCAX vs. AWSHX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) is 1.89%, while American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX) has a volatility of 3.58%. This indicates that BFCAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AWSHX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BFCAX	AWSHX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.89%	3.58%	-1.69%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.94%	7.98%	-5.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.85%	15.18%	-10.33%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.69%	14.09%	-7.40%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.01%	16.31%	-10.30%