BFCAX vs. VSCSX
BFCAX (American Funds Corporate Bond Fund) and VSCSX (Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - BFCAX is a Corporate Bonds fund managed by American Funds, while VSCSX is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index. Over the past 5 years, BFCAX returned -1.23%/yr vs 2.35%/yr for VSCSX. Their correlation of 0.81 means they have usually moved in the same direction. BFCAX charges 0.70%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for VSCSX.
Performance
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BFCAX achieves a -1.55% return, which is significantly lower than VSCSX's 0.79% return.
BFCAX
- 1D
- -0.22%
- 1M
- -2.02%
- 6M
- -1.78%
- YTD
- -1.55%
- 1Y
- 0.48%
- 3Y*
- 3.71%
- 5Y*
- -1.23%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 2.18%
VSCSX
- 1D
- -0.05%
- 1M
- -0.14%
- 6M
- 0.46%
- YTD
- 0.79%
- 1Y
- 3.08%
- 3Y*
- 5.55%
- 5Y*
- 2.35%
- 10Y*
- 2.64%
- ALL TIME*
- 2.88%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund | -1.55% | 6.67% | 1.71% | 6.85% | -16.51% | -2.15% | 13.05% | 13.21% | -2.50% | 5.61% |
VSCSX Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares | 0.79% | 6.75% | 5.36% | 6.11% | -5.72% | -0.43% | 5.06% | 6.85% | 0.88% | 2.46% |
Correlation
The correlation between BFCAX and VSCSX is 0.86, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.86 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.86 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.85 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 2017 | 0.81 |
The correlation between BFCAX and VSCSX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.81 to 0.86 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
BFCAX vs. VSCSX — Risk / Return Rank
BFCAX
VSCSX
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) and Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSCSX). 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 | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.71 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.53 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.05 | 1.39 | -0.34 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.39 | 2.62 | -2.22 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.95 | 10.01 | -9.06 |
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Drawdowns
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BFCAX drawdown since its inception was -23.01%, which is greater than VSCSX's maximum drawdown of -9.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BFCAX and VSCSX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BFCAX | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -23.01% | -9.36% | -13.65% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.11% | -1.36% | -1.75% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.68% | -1.36% | -4.32% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.55% | -9.27% | -13.28% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -9.36% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.75% | -0.28% | -6.47% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.44% | -0.97% | -5.47% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.28% | 0.36% | +0.92% |
Volatility
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Volatility Comparison
American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (BFCAX) has a higher volatility of 1.15% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSCSX) at 0.50%. This indicates that BFCAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VSCSX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BFCAX | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.15% | 0.50% | +0.65% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.34% | 1.43% | +1.91% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.26% | 1.78% | +2.48% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.69% | 2.73% | +3.96% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.96% | 2.37% | +3.59% |
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Expense Ratio Comparison
BFCAX has a 0.70% expense ratio, which is higher than VSCSX's 0.06% expense ratio.
Dividends
BFCAX vs. VSCSX - Dividend Comparison
BFCAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.91%, less than VSCSX's 4.05% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BFCAX American Funds Corporate Bond Fund | 3.91% | 4.20% | 4.06% | 2.82% | 1.95% | 1.50% | 4.43% | 3.44% | 2.63% | 2.68% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VSCSX Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares | 4.05% | 4.32% | 4.27% | 3.07% | 1.98% | 1.78% | 2.25% | 2.85% | 2.66% | 2.26% | 1.93% | 2.21% |
Frequently Asked Questions
BFCAX and VSCSX have a correlation of 0.86, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
BFCAX has higher volatility (1.15%) compared to VSCSX (0.50%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BFCAX dropped -23.01% vs VSCSX's -9.36%.
VSCSX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.00 vs 0.29), 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.
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