GCBLX vs. CSTAX
Compare and contrast key facts about Green Century Balanced Fund (GCBLX) and American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX).
GCBLX is managed by Green Century. It was launched on Mar 17, 1992. CSTAX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Sep 13, 2012.
Performance
GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Performance Comparison
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GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GCBLX Green Century Balanced Fund | -5.23% | 8.58% | 9.67% | 11.78% | -16.19% | 16.43% | 15.97% | 20.90% | -2.14% | 12.78% |
CSTAX American Funds College 2027 Fund | -0.65% | 9.00% | 5.57% | 6.57% | -9.87% | 6.52% | 7.66% | 13.35% | -2.23% | 11.77% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GCBLX achieves a -5.23% return, which is significantly lower than CSTAX's -0.65% return. Over the past 10 years, GCBLX has outperformed CSTAX with an annualized return of 7.15%, while CSTAX has yielded a comparatively lower 4.97% annualized return.
GCBLX
- 1D
- -0.03%
- 1M
- -5.89%
- YTD
- -5.23%
- 6M
- -4.65%
- 1Y
- 6.11%
- 3Y*
- 6.61%
- 5Y*
- 3.75%
- 10Y*
- 7.15%
CSTAX
- 1D
- 0.25%
- 1M
- -2.48%
- YTD
- -0.65%
- 6M
- 0.73%
- 1Y
- 5.79%
- 3Y*
- 5.94%
- 5Y*
- 2.92%
- 10Y*
- 4.97%
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GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
GCBLX has a 1.46% expense ratio, which is higher than CSTAX's 0.41% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
GCBLX vs. CSTAX — Risk / Return Rank
GCBLX
CSTAX
GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Green Century Balanced Fund (GCBLX) and American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX). 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.
| GCBLX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.59 | 1.73 | -1.13 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.93 | 2.47 | -1.54 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.13 | 1.35 | -0.22 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.70 | 2.23 | -1.53 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.96 | 9.16 | -6.20 |
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
| GCBLX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.59 | 1.73 | -1.13 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.33 | 0.57 | -0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.62 | 0.86 | -0.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.46 | 0.86 | -0.40 |
Correlation
The correlation between GCBLX and CSTAX is 0.81, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Dividend Comparison
GCBLX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.13%, less than CSTAX's 5.30% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GCBLX Green Century Balanced Fund | 5.13% | 4.86% | 7.00% | 3.02% | 1.88% | 3.99% | 3.61% | 1.92% | 2.36% | 1.29% | 2.14% | 2.97% |
CSTAX American Funds College 2027 Fund | 5.30% | 5.26% | 3.78% | 3.17% | 3.40% | 7.52% | 5.72% | 4.00% | 4.78% | 3.90% | 4.34% | 4.49% |
Drawdowns
GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GCBLX drawdown since its inception was -64.30%, which is greater than CSTAX's maximum drawdown of -14.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GCBLX and CSTAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GCBLX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -64.30% | -14.52% | -49.78% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.34% | -2.72% | -4.62% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.88% | -14.52% | -7.36% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.38% | -14.52% | -7.86% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.81% | -2.48% | -4.33% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -14.63% | -2.37% | -12.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.73% | 0.66% | +1.07% |
Volatility
GCBLX vs. CSTAX - Volatility Comparison
Green Century Balanced Fund (GCBLX) has a higher volatility of 3.01% compared to American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX) at 1.32%. This indicates that GCBLX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CSTAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GCBLX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.01% | 1.32% | +1.69% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.73% | 2.05% | +3.68% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 10.78% | 3.47% | +7.31% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.30% | 5.16% | +6.14% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 11.57% | 5.82% | +5.75% |