GFACX vs. ABALX
GFACX (American Funds The Growth Fund of America Fund Class C) and ABALX (American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A) are both mutual funds - GFACX is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund tracking the S&P 500, while ABALX is a Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by American Funds. GFACX is passively managed, while ABALX is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, GFACX returned 14.99%/yr vs 10.07%/yr for ABALX. Their correlation of 0.92 suggests significant overlap in exposure. GFACX charges 1.35%/yr vs 0.56%/yr for ABALX.
Performance
GFACX vs. ABALX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GFACX achieves a 8.87% return, which is significantly lower than ABALX's 9.47% return. Over the past 10 years, GFACX has outperformed ABALX with an annualized return of 14.99%, while ABALX has yielded a comparatively lower 10.07% annualized return.
GFACX
- 1D
- -0.80%
- 1M
- 5.15%
- YTD
- 8.87%
- 6M
- 8.31%
- 1Y
- 23.77%
- 3Y*
- 23.86%
- 5Y*
- 11.23%
- 10Y*
- 14.99%
ABALX
- 1D
- -0.46%
- 1M
- 2.87%
- YTD
- 9.47%
- 6M
- 10.29%
- 1Y
- 23.98%
- 3Y*
- 17.24%
- 5Y*
- 9.43%
- 10Y*
- 10.07%
GFACX vs. ABALX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GFACX American Funds The Growth Fund of America Fund Class C | 8.87% | 18.80% | 27.01% | 36.20% | -31.28% | 18.41% | 36.84% | 27.20% | -3.93% | 25.13% |
ABALX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A | 9.47% | 18.45% | 14.63% | 13.65% | -12.13% | 15.75% | 10.85% | 18.60% | -3.35% | 14.69% |
Correlation
The correlation between GFACX and ABALX is 0.91, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.91 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.91 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.90 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 2002 | 0.92 |
The correlation between GFACX and ABALX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.90 to 0.92 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
GFACX vs. ABALX — Risk / Return Rank
GFACX
ABALX
GFACX vs. ABALX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds The Growth Fund of America Fund Class C (GFACX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX). 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.
| GFACX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.21 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.72 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.53 | -0.24 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.75 | 3.49 | -1.74 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.78 | 15.74 | -8.95 |
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
| GFACX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.60 | 2.81 | -1.21 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.56 | 0.90 | -0.35 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.76 | 0.95 | -0.18 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.51 | 0.81 | -0.30 |
Drawdowns
GFACX vs. ABALX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GFACX drawdown since its inception was -52.39%, which is greater than ABALX's maximum drawdown of -40.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GFACX and ABALX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GFACX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -52.39% | -40.20% | -12.19% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.90% | -7.03% | -6.87% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -21.66% | -10.68% | -10.98% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.81% | -18.76% | -18.05% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -36.81% | -22.34% | -14.47% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.12% | -0.46% | -0.66% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.15% | -3.85% | -5.30% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.58% | 1.55% | +2.03% |
Volatility
GFACX vs. ABALX - Volatility Comparison
American Funds The Growth Fund of America Fund Class C (GFACX) has a higher volatility of 3.85% compared to American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A (ABALX) at 2.71%. This indicates that GFACX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ABALX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GFACX | ABALX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.85% | 2.71% | +1.14% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.67% | 6.82% | +4.85% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.17% | 8.73% | +6.44% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.24% | 10.49% | +9.75% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.69% | 10.67% | +9.02% |
GFACX vs. ABALX - Expense Ratio Comparison
GFACX has a 1.35% expense ratio, which is higher than ABALX's 0.56% expense ratio.
Dividends
GFACX vs. ABALX - Dividend Comparison
GFACX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.42%, more than ABALX's 7.58% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABALX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A | 7.58% | 8.27% | 6.87% | 2.05% | 2.30% | 4.30% | 4.35% | 3.49% | 5.49% | 4.72% | 4.24% | 5.60% |
GFACX American Funds The Growth Fund of America Fund Class C | 11.42% | 12.43% | 10.01% | 7.82% | 4.22% | 9.11% | 4.48% | 7.03% | 12.28% | 7.04% | 6.43% | 8.73% |
Frequently Asked Questions
With a correlation of 0.91, GFACX and ABALX move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.
GFACX has higher volatility (3.85%) compared to ABALX (2.71%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GFACX dropped -52.39% vs ABALX's -40.20%.
ABALX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.81 vs 1.60), 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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