BFFAX vs. VOO
BFFAX (American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3) and VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) are both funds - BFFAX is a Intermediate Core Bond fund managed by American Funds, while VOO is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 5 years, BFFAX returned -0.03%/yr vs 13.98%/yr for VOO. At a 0.00 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. BFFAX charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for VOO.
Performance
BFFAX vs. VOO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BFFAX achieves a -0.02% return, which is significantly lower than VOO's 11.34% return.
BFFAX
- 1D
- -0.27%
- 1M
- 0.02%
- YTD
- -0.02%
- 6M
- 0.18%
- 1Y
- 4.47%
- 3Y*
- 3.95%
- 5Y*
- -0.03%
- 10Y*
- —
VOO
- 1D
- 0.39%
- 1M
- 4.62%
- YTD
- 11.34%
- 6M
- 11.27%
- 1Y
- 28.62%
- 3Y*
- 22.68%
- 5Y*
- 13.98%
- 10Y*
- 15.55%
BFFAX vs. VOO - 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 | -0.02% | 7.54% | 1.54% | 4.39% | -13.00% | -0.97% | 11.12% | 8.17% | 0.22% | 3.07% |
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | 11.34% | 17.82% | 24.98% | 26.32% | -18.17% | 28.79% | 18.32% | 31.37% | -4.50% | 19.62% |
Correlation
The correlation between BFFAX and VOO is 0.26, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 2, 2017 | 0.00 |
Over the past year, BFFAX and VOO have become more correlated (0.26) than their long-term average of 0.00, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
BFFAX vs. VOO — Risk / Return Rank
BFFAX
VOO
BFFAX vs. VOO - 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 Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). 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 | VOO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.14 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.35 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.44 | -0.21 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.67 | 3.23 | -1.56 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.97 | 15.03 | -10.07 |
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 | VOO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.30 | 2.44 | -1.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.01 | 0.84 | -0.84 |
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 | 0.89 | -0.46 |
Drawdowns
BFFAX vs. VOO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BFFAX drawdown since its inception was -17.74%, smaller than the maximum VOO drawdown of -33.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BFFAX and VOO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BFFAX | VOO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -17.74% | -33.99% | +16.25% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.08% | -8.90% | +5.82% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -6.10% | -18.69% | +12.59% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.74% | -24.52% | +6.78% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.99% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.83% | -0.32% | -1.51% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.69% | -3.69% | -1.00% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.03% | 1.91% | -0.88% |
Volatility
BFFAX vs. VOO - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 (BFFAX) is 1.38%, while Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) has a volatility of 2.78%. This indicates that BFFAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VOO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BFFAX | VOO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.38% | 2.78% | -1.40% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.83% | 8.90% | -6.07% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.97% | 11.80% | -7.83% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 5.96% | 16.81% | -10.85% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 4.99% | 18.00% | -13.01% |
BFFAX vs. VOO - Expense Ratio Comparison
BFFAX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than VOO's 0.03% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
BFFAX vs. VOO - Dividend Comparison
BFFAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.51%, more than VOO's 1.02% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BFFAX American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 | 4.51% | 4.48% | 4.67% | 3.28% | 2.46% | 1.98% | 5.38% | 3.80% | 2.72% | 2.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | 1.02% | 1.13% | 1.24% | 1.46% | 1.69% | 1.25% | 1.54% | 1.88% | 2.06% | 1.78% | 2.02% | 2.10% |
Frequently Asked Questions
BFFAX and VOO have a correlation of 0.26, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VOO has higher volatility (2.78%) compared to BFFAX (1.38%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BFFAX dropped -17.74% vs VOO's -33.99%.
VOO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.44 vs 1.30), 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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