BFFAX vs. ABALX
Compare and contrast key facts about American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 (BFFAX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX).
BFFAX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on May 28, 1974. ABALX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975.
Performance
BFFAX vs. ABALX - Performance Comparison
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BFFAX vs. ABALX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BFFAX American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 | -0.53% | 7.54% | 1.54% | 4.39% | -13.00% | -0.97% | 11.12% | 8.17% | 0.22% | 3.07% |
ABALX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A | -0.67% | 18.45% | 14.63% | 13.65% | -12.13% | 15.75% | 10.85% | 18.60% | -3.35% | 12.78% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BFFAX achieves a -0.53% return, which is significantly higher than ABALX's -0.67% return.
BFFAX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -1.65%
- YTD
- -0.53%
- 6M
- 0.23%
- 1Y
- 3.81%
- 3Y*
- 3.29%
- 5Y*
- 0.06%
- 10Y*
- —
ABALX
- 1D
- 0.46%
- 1M
- -3.10%
- YTD
- -0.67%
- 6M
- 2.28%
- 1Y
- 17.18%
- 3Y*
- 14.25%
- 5Y*
- 8.29%
- 10Y*
- 9.22%
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BFFAX vs. ABALX - Expense Ratio Comparison
BFFAX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than ABALX's 0.56% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
BFFAX vs. ABALX — Risk / Return Rank
BFFAX
ABALX
BFFAX vs. ABALX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 (BFFAX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX). 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.
| BFFAX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.86 | 1.57 | -0.71 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.24 | 2.29 | -1.06 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.15 | 1.32 | -0.17 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.36 | 2.45 | -1.09 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.87 | 10.04 | -6.18 |
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
| BFFAX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.86 | 1.57 | -0.71 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.01 | 0.80 | -0.79 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.87 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.43 | 0.79 | -0.36 |
Correlation
The correlation between BFFAX and ABALX is 0.13, 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
BFFAX vs. ABALX - Dividend Comparison
BFFAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.12%, less than ABALX's 8.35% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BFFAX American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 | 4.12% | 4.48% | 4.67% | 3.28% | 2.46% | 1.98% | 5.38% | 3.80% | 2.72% | 2.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
ABALX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A | 8.35% | 8.27% | 6.87% | 2.05% | 2.30% | 4.30% | 4.35% | 3.49% | 5.49% | 4.72% | 4.24% | 5.60% |
Drawdowns
BFFAX vs. ABALX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BFFAX drawdown since its inception was -17.74%, smaller than the maximum ABALX drawdown of -40.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BFFAX and ABALX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BFFAX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -17.74% | -40.20% | +22.46% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.94% | -7.03% | +4.09% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.74% | -18.76% | +1.02% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -22.34% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.32% | -4.93% | +2.61% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.74% | -3.86% | -0.88% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.03% | 1.79% | -0.76% |
Volatility
BFFAX vs. ABALX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 (BFFAX) is 1.49%, while American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) has a volatility of 3.75%. This indicates that BFFAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ABALX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BFFAX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.49% | 3.75% | -2.26% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.48% | 6.97% | -4.49% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.37% | 11.22% | -6.85% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 5.92% | 10.44% | -4.52% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.00% | 10.63% | -5.63% |