ECAT vs. BBSOX

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ECAT (BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust) and BBSOX (BlackRock Short Obligations Fund) are both mutual funds - ECAT is a Derivative Income fund managed by BlackRock, while BBSOX is a Ultrashort Bond fund managed by BlackRock. Over the past 3 years, ECAT returned 19.60%/yr vs 4.77%/yr for BBSOX. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ECAT charges 1.38%/yr vs 0.30%/yr for BBSOX.

Performance

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (ECAT) and BlackRock Short Obligations Fund (BBSOX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ECAT achieves a 11.44% return, which is significantly higher than BBSOX's 1.49% return.

ECAT

• 1D: 0.19%
• 1M: 6.55%
• YTD: 11.44%
• 6M: 9.71%
• 1Y: 20.46%
• 3Y*: 19.60%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BBSOX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.34%
• YTD: 1.49%
• 6M: 1.85%
• 1Y: 4.24%
• 3Y*: 4.77%
• 5Y*: 3.27%
• 10Y*: 2.48%

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

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ECAT BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust	11.44%	16.64%	19.96%	32.36%	-21.90%	-6.25%
BBSOX BlackRock Short Obligations Fund	1.49%	4.74%	5.36%	4.36%	0.60%	-0.08%

Correlation

The correlation between ECAT and BBSOX is 0.04, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.04
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.05
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 29, 2021	0.10

Return for Risk

ECAT vs. BBSOX — Risk / Return Rank

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

ECAT

ECAT Risk / Return Rank: 26
ECAT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
ECAT Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
ECAT Omega Ratio Rank: 27
ECAT Calmar Ratio Rank: 22
ECAT Martin Ratio Rank: 28

BBSOX

BBSOX Risk / Return Rank: 98
BBSOX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
BBSOX Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
BBSOX Omega Ratio Rank: 99
BBSOX Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
BBSOX Martin Ratio Rank: 99

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.

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (ECAT) and BlackRock Short Obligations Fund (BBSOX). 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.

	ECAT	BBSOX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.53	3.20	-1.67
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.18	11.68	-9.49
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	4.23	-2.96
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.74	21.50	-19.76
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.53	70.26	-63.73
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ECAT Sharpe Ratio is 1.53, which is lower than the BBSOX Sharpe Ratio of 3.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ECAT and BBSOX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ECAT	BBSOX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.53	3.20	-1.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	2.63	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	2.42	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	2.24	-1.69

Drawdowns

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ECAT drawdown since its inception was -32.23%, which is greater than BBSOX's maximum drawdown of -1.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ECAT and BBSOX.

Drawdown Indicators

	ECAT	BBSOX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.23%	-1.59%	-30.64%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.80%	-0.20%	-11.60%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.79%	-0.30%	-15.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-1.00%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-1.59%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.01%	0.00%	-1.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.11%	-0.08%	-9.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.14%	0.06%	+3.08%

Volatility

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Volatility Comparison

BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (ECAT) has a higher volatility of 3.31% compared to BlackRock Short Obligations Fund (BBSOX) at 0.40%. This indicates that ECAT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BBSOX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ECAT	BBSOX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.31%	0.40%	+2.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.50%	0.88%	+9.62%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.43%	1.33%	+12.10%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.89%	1.25%	+15.64%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.89%	1.03%	+15.86%

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Expense Ratio Comparison

ECAT has a 1.38% expense ratio, which is higher than BBSOX's 0.30% expense ratio.

Dividends

ECAT vs. BBSOX - Dividend Comparison

ECAT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 21.67%, more than BBSOX's 4.25% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BBSOX BlackRock Short Obligations Fund	4.25%	4.43%	5.01%	3.35%	1.29%	0.30%	1.13%	2.56%	2.24%	1.17%	1.03%	0.62%
ECAT BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust	21.67%	23.00%	17.44%	9.14%	8.94%	0.54%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ECAT and BBSOX in my portfolio?

ECAT and BBSOX have a correlation of 0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ECAT or BBSOX?

ECAT has higher volatility (3.31%) compared to BBSOX (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ECAT dropped -32.23% vs BBSOX's -1.59%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BBSOX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.20 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.