GBLAX vs. SAWMX
GBLAX (American Funds Global Balanced Fund Class A) and SAWMX (SA Worldwide Moderate Growth Fund) are both Global Allocation funds. Over the past 10 years, GBLAX returned 6.87%/yr vs 8.72%/yr for SAWMX. Their correlation of 0.86 suggests significant overlap in exposure. GBLAX charges 0.80%/yr vs 0.00%/yr for SAWMX.
Performance
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GBLAX achieves a 5.83% return, which is significantly lower than SAWMX's 10.28% return. Over the past 10 years, GBLAX has underperformed SAWMX with an annualized return of 6.87%, while SAWMX has yielded a comparatively higher 8.72% annualized return.
GBLAX
- 1D
- 0.64%
- 1M
- -0.77%
- YTD
- 5.83%
- 6M
- 5.55%
- 1Y
- 13.07%
- 3Y*
- 11.75%
- 5Y*
- 5.79%
- 10Y*
- 6.87%
SAWMX
- 1D
- 0.14%
- 1M
- 0.07%
- YTD
- 10.28%
- 6M
- 9.84%
- 1Y
- 20.52%
- 3Y*
- 13.74%
- 5Y*
- 8.16%
- 10Y*
- 8.72%
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GBLAX American Funds Global Balanced Fund Class A | 5.83% | 17.12% | 6.56% | 13.68% | -14.25% | 9.18% | 10.47% | 17.26% | -6.13% | 13.99% |
SAWMX SA Worldwide Moderate Growth Fund | 10.28% | 18.15% | 6.40% | 13.60% | -8.96% | 16.67% | 4.12% | 17.03% | -7.87% | 13.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between GBLAX and SAWMX is 0.79, 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 | 0.79 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.77 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.85 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.85 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 2016 | 0.86 |
The correlation between GBLAX and SAWMX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.77 to 0.86 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
GBLAX vs. SAWMX — Risk / Return Rank
GBLAX
SAWMX
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Global Balanced Fund Class A (GBLAX) and SA Worldwide Moderate Growth Fund (SAWMX). 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.
| GBLAX | SAWMX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.50 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.22 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.30 | 1.58 | -0.28 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.02 | 4.02 | -2.00 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.52 | 15.87 | -7.35 |
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Drawdowns
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GBLAX drawdown since its inception was -23.36%, smaller than the maximum SAWMX drawdown of -30.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GBLAX and SAWMX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GBLAX | SAWMX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -23.36% | -30.56% | +7.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.74% | -5.79% | -0.95% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -8.90% | -11.86% | +2.96% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.55% | -17.57% | -4.98% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -23.36% | -30.56% | +7.20% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.07% | -0.78% | -0.29% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.68% | -3.67% | -0.01% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.59% | 1.41% | +0.18% |
Volatility
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Volatility Comparison
American Funds Global Balanced Fund Class A (GBLAX) has a higher volatility of 3.17% compared to SA Worldwide Moderate Growth Fund (SAWMX) at 2.48%. This indicates that GBLAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SAWMX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GBLAX | SAWMX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.17% | 2.48% | +0.69% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.27% | 5.87% | +1.40% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.60% | 7.54% | +1.06% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 9.98% | 9.91% | +0.07% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.39% | 11.01% | -0.62% |
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Expense Ratio Comparison
GBLAX has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than SAWMX's 0.00% expense ratio.
Dividends
GBLAX vs. SAWMX - Dividend Comparison
GBLAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.86%, more than SAWMX's 5.40% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GBLAX American Funds Global Balanced Fund Class A | 5.86% | 6.34% | 5.53% | 1.61% | 1.52% | 6.02% | 1.24% | 1.87% | 2.30% | 3.15% | 2.00% | 3.28% |
SAWMX SA Worldwide Moderate Growth Fund | 5.40% | 5.95% | 3.34% | 4.20% | 8.36% | 4.52% | 4.88% | 5.66% | 6.82% | 1.28% | 1.96% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GBLAX and SAWMX have a correlation of 0.79, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GBLAX has higher volatility (3.17%) compared to SAWMX (2.48%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GBLAX dropped -23.36% vs SAWMX's -30.56%.
SAWMX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.09 vs 1.59), 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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