CRF vs. CSWC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (CRF) and Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC).

CRF is managed by Cornerstone. It was launched on Jan 2, 1990.

Performance

CRF vs. CSWC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (CRF) and Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CRF vs. CSWC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CRF Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc.	-9.10%	12.46%	44.39%	19.49%	-36.70%	39.73%	28.13%	21.74%	-11.74%	21.35%
CSWC Capital Southwest Corporation	2.75%	14.28%	2.14%	56.10%	-24.63%	57.40%	-1.56%	22.80%	29.52%	9.99%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CRF achieves a -9.10% return, which is significantly lower than CSWC's 2.75% return. Over the past 10 years, CRF has underperformed CSWC with an annualized return of 11.28%, while CSWC has yielded a comparatively higher 16.43% annualized return.

CRF

• 1D: 4.83%
• 1M: -5.17%
• YTD: -9.10%
• 6M: -5.37%
• 1Y: 18.64%
• 3Y*: 17.40%
• 5Y*: 5.68%
• 10Y*: 11.28%

CSWC

• 1D: 2.98%
• 1M: 2.34%
• YTD: 2.75%
• 6M: 7.32%
• 1Y: 11.41%
• 3Y*: 20.27%
• 5Y*: 11.43%
• 10Y*: 16.43%

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

Return for Risk

CRF vs. CSWC — Risk / Return Rank

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

CRF

CRF Risk / Return Rank: 51
CRF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
CRF Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
CRF Omega Ratio Rank: 53
CRF Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
CRF Martin Ratio Rank: 47

CSWC

CSWC Risk / Return Rank: 55
CSWC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
CSWC Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
CSWC Omega Ratio Rank: 52
CSWC Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
CSWC Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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.

CRF vs. CSWC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (CRF) and Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC). 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.

	CRF	CSWC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.93	0.46	+0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.43	0.80	+0.63
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.11	+0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.26	0.56	+0.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.66	1.73	+2.94
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CRF vs. CSWC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CRF Sharpe Ratio is 0.93, which is higher than the CSWC Sharpe Ratio of 0.46. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CRF and CSWC, 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

	CRF	CSWC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.93	0.46	+0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22	0.50	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.44	0.60	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.05	0.27	-0.22

Correlation

The correlation between CRF and CSWC is 0.12, 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

CRF vs. CSWC - Dividend Comparison

CRF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 20.17%, more than CSWC's 11.58% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CRF Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc.	20.17%	17.38%	14.32%	19.94%	29.31%	13.41%	18.91%	21.67%	24.85%	17.96%	24.08%	23.58%
CSWC Capital Southwest Corporation	11.58%	11.56%	11.59%	10.21%	12.46%	10.13%	11.49%	13.07%	10.77%	7.01%	2.35%	0.72%

Drawdowns

CRF vs. CSWC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CRF drawdown since its inception was -80.70%, roughly equal to the maximum CSWC drawdown of -77.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CRF and CSWC.

Drawdown Indicators

	CRF	CSWC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-80.70%	-77.32%	-3.38%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.88%	-19.83%	+4.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.12%	-33.66%	-9.46%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.90%	-61.15%	+15.25%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.77%	-4.85%	-5.92%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-22.40%	-26.13%	+3.73%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.03%	6.47%	-2.44%

Volatility

CRF vs. CSWC - Volatility Comparison

Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (CRF) has a higher volatility of 8.13% compared to Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC) at 5.89%. This indicates that CRF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CSWC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CRF	CSWC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.13%	5.89%	+2.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.68%	15.11%	-2.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.12%	24.80%	-4.68%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.83%	22.78%	+3.05%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.86%	27.33%	-1.47%