FRA vs. BLW
FRA (BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc) is Bank Loan fund managed by BlackRock, while BLW (BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, FRA returned 6.42%/yr vs 6.31%/yr for BLW. Their 0.40 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
FRA vs. BLW - Performance Comparison
Loading charts...
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FRA achieves a -0.76% return, which is significantly higher than BLW's -2.99% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FRA having a 6.42% annualized return and BLW not far behind at 6.31%.
FRA
- 1D
- 0.19%
- 1M
- 0.22%
- 6M
- -1.61%
- YTD
- -0.76%
- 1Y
- -6.97%
- 3Y*
- 7.56%
- 5Y*
- 6.42%
- 10Y*
- 6.42%
- ALL TIME*
- 5.12%
BLW
- 1D
- -0.16%
- 1M
- 0.98%
- 6M
- -3.78%
- YTD
- -2.99%
- 1Y
- -1.69%
- 3Y*
- 8.29%
- 5Y*
- 2.87%
- 10Y*
- 6.31%
- ALL TIME*
- 6.26%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.19M | $2.30M | $1.94M | |
| $1.41M | $1.55M | $1.47M |
FRA vs. BLW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FRA BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc | -0.76% | -3.75% | 21.56% | 25.46% | -10.59% | 17.81% | -2.38% | 20.82% | -8.27% | 0.76% |
BLW BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust | -2.99% | 7.17% | 11.06% | 17.29% | -15.92% | 13.52% | 5.36% | 31.08% | -10.22% | 11.53% |
Correlation
The correlation between FRA and BLW is 0.45, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.45 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.39 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.43 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.42 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 29, 2003 | 0.40 |
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
Return for Risk
FRA vs. BLW — Risk / Return Rank
FRA
BLW
FRA vs. BLW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA) and BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (BLW). 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.
| FRA | BLW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.50 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.74 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.89 | 0.97 | -0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.46 | -0.15 | -0.31 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.84 | -0.39 | -0.45 |
Loading charts...
Drawdowns
FRA vs. BLW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FRA drawdown since its inception was -51.43%, which is greater than BLW's maximum drawdown of -44.13%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FRA and BLW.
Loading charts...
Drawdown Indicators
| FRA | BLW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -51.43% | -44.13% | -7.30% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.47% | -11.19% | -4.28% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.77% | -11.19% | -7.58% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.77% | -26.30% | +7.53% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.80% | -41.85% | -0.95% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.22% | -5.05% | -4.17% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.23% | -6.04% | -1.19% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.44% | 4.29% | +4.15% |
Volatility
FRA vs. BLW - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA) is 1.88%, while BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (BLW) has a volatility of 2.01%. This indicates that FRA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BLW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
Loading charts...
Volatility by Period
| FRA | BLW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.88% | 2.01% | -0.13% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.99% | 7.23% | +0.76% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 10.05% | 8.19% | +1.86% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 12.85% | 12.31% | +0.54% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 15.51% | 14.58% | +0.93% |
Dividends
FRA vs. BLW - Dividend Comparison
FRA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.73%, more than BLW's 10.83% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BLW BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust | 10.83% | 9.89% | 9.39% | 8.63% | 8.26% | 6.99% | 7.39% | 6.27% | 7.14% | 6.24% | 9.68% | 8.26% |
FRA BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc | 13.73% | 12.62% | 10.81% | 10.44% | 6.88% | 5.96% | 7.61% | 6.44% | 6.90% | 5.31% | 5.65% | 6.17% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FRA and BLW have a correlation of 0.45, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
BLW has higher volatility (2.01%) compared to FRA (1.88%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FRA dropped -51.43% vs BLW's -44.13%.
BLW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.21 vs -0.71), 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.
Find the right allocation for FRA and BLW
Add both to a portfolio and optimize allocations for your target — whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing drawdowns, or balancing risk across holdings.
Open Portfolio Optimizer