CET vs. GAM
CET (Central Securities Corp.) and GAM (General American Investors Company, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Asset Management industry within the Financial Services sector. Over the past 10 years, CET returned 16.70%/yr vs 15.87%/yr for GAM. A 0.55 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.
Performance
CET vs. GAM - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, CET achieves a 3.83% return, which is significantly lower than GAM's 8.00% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with CET having a 16.70% annualized return and GAM not far behind at 15.87%.
CET
- 1D
- -0.57%
- 1M
- -0.94%
- YTD
- 3.83%
- 6M
- 3.52%
- 1Y
- 17.67%
- 3Y*
- 19.88%
- 5Y*
- 11.28%
- 10Y*
- 16.70%
GAM
- 1D
- -0.83%
- 1M
- -1.35%
- YTD
- 8.00%
- 6M
- 8.32%
- 1Y
- 30.60%
- 3Y*
- 26.76%
- 5Y*
- 14.89%
- 10Y*
- 15.87%
CET vs. GAM - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CET Central Securities Corp. | 3.83% | 17.20% | 26.82% | 19.17% | -19.68% | 49.00% | 4.99% | 38.61% | -4.49% | 30.61% |
GAM General American Investors Company, Inc. | 8.00% | 28.63% | 29.55% | 26.84% | -14.84% | 20.56% | 5.85% | 41.76% | -10.25% | 21.32% |
Correlation
The correlation between CET and GAM is 0.58, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.58 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.65 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.71 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.71 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 17, 1992 | 0.55 |
The correlation between CET and GAM shifts across timeframes, from 0.55 (all time) to 0.71 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
CET:
$19.09
GAM:
$8.67
CET:
2.74
GAM:
7.32
CET:
0.03
GAM:
0.07
CET:
9.44
GAM:
53.41
CET:
$160.68M
GAM:
$27.65M
CET:
$103.20M
GAM:
$27.65M
CET:
$553.54M
GAM:
$7.71M
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Return for Risk
CET vs. GAM — Risk / Return Rank
CET
GAM
CET vs. GAM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Central Securities Corp. (CET) and General American Investors Company, Inc. (GAM). 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.
| CET | GAM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.22 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.59 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.50 | -0.22 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.20 | 3.54 | -1.35 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.78 | 16.71 | -7.92 |
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Drawdowns
CET vs. GAM - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum CET drawdown since its inception was -56.69%, smaller than the maximum GAM drawdown of -66.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CET and GAM.
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Drawdown Indicators
| CET | GAM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -56.69% | -66.63% | +9.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.08% | -8.67% | +0.59% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.42% | -14.90% | -0.52% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.89% | -26.09% | +1.20% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -39.91% | -41.78% | +1.87% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.62% | -2.74% | +0.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.15% | -11.56% | +1.41% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.02% | 1.84% | +0.18% |
Volatility
CET vs. GAM - Volatility Comparison
Central Securities Corp. (CET) has a higher volatility of 4.11% compared to General American Investors Company, Inc. (GAM) at 3.56%. This indicates that CET's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GAM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| CET | GAM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.11% | 3.56% | +0.55% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.23% | 9.25% | -0.02% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.66% | 11.22% | +0.44% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 14.58% | 16.00% | -1.42% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.66% | 17.64% | -0.98% |
Dividends
CET vs. GAM - Dividend Comparison
CET's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.27%, less than GAM's 10.09% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CET Central Securities Corp. | 5.27% | 5.32% | 4.92% | 4.90% | 7.34% | 8.41% | 5.68% | 3.78% | 5.84% | 3.65% | 4.50% | 10.41% |
GAM General American Investors Company, Inc. | 10.09% | 11.32% | 8.82% | 6.17% | 4.15% | 1.38% | 6.72% | 6.49% | 9.67% | 9.56% | 10.20% | 3.60% |
Financials
CET vs. GAM - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Central Securities Corp. and General American Investors Company, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
Frequently Asked Questions
CET and GAM have a correlation of 0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
CET has higher volatility (4.11%) compared to GAM (3.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CET dropped -56.69% vs GAM's -66.63%.
GAM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.75 vs 1.53), 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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