FBALX vs. NEAR
FBALX (Fidelity Balanced Fund) and NEAR (iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF) are both funds - FBALX is a Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by Fidelity, while NEAR is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by iShares. Both are actively managed. Over the past 10 years, FBALX returned 11.48%/yr vs 2.82%/yr for NEAR. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. FBALX charges 0.46%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for NEAR.
Performance
FBALX vs. NEAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FBALX achieves a 7.96% return, which is significantly higher than NEAR's 0.53% return. Over the past 10 years, FBALX has outperformed NEAR with an annualized return of 11.48%, while NEAR has yielded a comparatively lower 2.82% annualized return.
FBALX
- 1D
- -2.10%
- 1M
- -0.35%
- YTD
- 7.96%
- 6M
- 8.36%
- 1Y
- 21.65%
- 3Y*
- 15.93%
- 5Y*
- 8.87%
- 10Y*
- 11.48%
NEAR
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- -0.18%
- YTD
- 0.53%
- 6M
- 1.05%
- 1Y
- 4.12%
- 3Y*
- 5.54%
- 5Y*
- 3.81%
- 10Y*
- 2.82%
FBALX vs. NEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FBALX Fidelity Balanced Fund | 7.96% | 15.11% | 16.09% | 20.31% | -18.29% | 18.27% | 22.45% | 24.40% | -3.98% | 16.52% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 0.53% | 5.90% | 5.09% | 7.42% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 1.39% | 3.55% | 1.71% | 1.41% |
Correlation
The correlation between FBALX and NEAR is 0.35, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 27, 2013 | 0.10 |
Over the past year, FBALX and NEAR have become more correlated (0.35) than their long-term average of 0.10, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
FBALX vs. NEAR — Risk / Return Rank
FBALX
NEAR
FBALX vs. NEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Fidelity Balanced Fund (FBALX) and iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR). 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.
| FBALX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.53 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.32 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.48 | 1.63 | -0.15 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.46 | 3.65 | -0.19 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.47 | 16.68 | -0.21 |
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
| FBALX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.52 | 3.05 | -0.53 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.73 | 2.86 | -2.13 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.90 | 1.14 | -0.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.81 | 1.08 | -0.27 |
Drawdowns
FBALX vs. NEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FBALX drawdown since its inception was -43.57%, which is greater than NEAR's maximum drawdown of -9.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FBALX and NEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FBALX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -43.57% | -9.61% | -33.96% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.47% | -1.13% | -5.34% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -12.88% | -1.16% | -11.72% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.89% | -1.32% | -21.57% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -26.68% | -9.61% | -17.07% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.12% | -0.29% | -1.83% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.37% | -0.16% | -4.21% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.35% | 0.25% | +1.10% |
Volatility
FBALX vs. NEAR - Volatility Comparison
Fidelity Balanced Fund (FBALX) has a higher volatility of 3.23% compared to iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) at 0.40%. This indicates that FBALX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FBALX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.23% | 0.40% | +2.83% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.15% | 1.01% | +6.14% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.87% | 1.36% | +7.51% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 12.21% | 1.34% | +10.87% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.79% | 2.50% | +10.29% |
FBALX vs. NEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
FBALX has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is higher than NEAR's 0.25% expense ratio.
Dividends
FBALX vs. NEAR - Dividend Comparison
FBALX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.25%, more than NEAR's 4.44% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FBALX Fidelity Balanced Fund | 5.25% | 5.69% | 5.67% | 2.28% | 8.06% | 9.66% | 5.90% | 4.24% | 10.99% | 7.90% | 3.07% | 7.70% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 4.44% | 4.54% | 5.00% | 4.59% | 1.78% | 0.76% | 1.53% | 2.69% | 2.25% | 1.52% | 1.07% | 0.85% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FBALX and NEAR have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FBALX has higher volatility (3.23%) compared to NEAR (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FBALX dropped -43.57% vs NEAR's -9.61%.
NEAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.05 vs 2.52), 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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