HIACX vs. VIIIX

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund (HIACX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX).

HIACX is managed by Hartford. It was launched on Apr 2, 1984. VIIIX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Jul 7, 1997.

Performance

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund (HIACX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HIACX Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund	-5.28%	13.68%	21.26%	20.01%	-15.73%	14.85%	21.82%	31.00%	-7.15%	22.13%
VIIIX Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	-3.65%	17.87%	26.29%	25.79%	-18.14%	28.69%	18.41%	31.48%	-4.41%	21.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HIACX achieves a -5.28% return, which is significantly lower than VIIIX's -3.65% return. Over the past 10 years, HIACX has underperformed VIIIX with an annualized return of 11.49%, while VIIIX has yielded a comparatively higher 14.23% annualized return.

HIACX

• 1D: 0.60%
• 1M: -3.82%
• YTD: -5.28%
• 6M: -2.28%
• 1Y: 13.10%
• 3Y*: 13.96%
• 5Y*: 7.56%
• 10Y*: 11.49%

VIIIX

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -3.44%
• YTD: -3.65%
• 6M: -1.50%
• 1Y: 17.39%
• 3Y*: 18.99%
• 5Y*: 12.08%
• 10Y*: 14.23%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

HIACX has a 0.67% expense ratio, which is higher than VIIIX's 0.02% expense ratio.

HIACX

Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund

VIIIX

Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares

Return for Risk

HIACX vs. VIIIX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

HIACX

HIACX Risk / Return Rank: 31
HIACX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
HIACX Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
HIACX Omega Ratio Rank: 31
HIACX Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
HIACX Martin Ratio Rank: 36

VIIIX

VIIIX Risk / Return Rank: 50
VIIIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 42
VIIIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
VIIIX Omega Ratio Rank: 49
VIIIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
VIIIX Martin Ratio Rank: 63

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund (HIACX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX). 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.

	HIACX	VIIIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.78	1.00	-0.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.22	1.52	-0.30
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.23	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.20	1.54	-0.33
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.83	7.31	-2.48
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HIACX Sharpe Ratio is 0.78, which is comparable to the VIIIX Sharpe Ratio of 1.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HIACX and VIIIX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HIACX	VIIIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.78	1.00	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45	0.72	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	0.79	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.01	0.47	-0.46

Correlation

The correlation between HIACX and VIIIX is 0.94, 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

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Dividend Comparison

HIACX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.68%, more than VIIIX's 2.79% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HIACX Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund	13.68%	12.96%	4.89%	2.43%	16.98%	9.56%	7.62%	12.43%	13.46%	6.53%	11.26%	24.92%
VIIIX Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares	2.79%	2.11%	3.66%	2.66%	3.39%	4.79%	3.07%	2.86%	2.45%	1.84%	2.38%	2.47%

Drawdowns

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HIACX drawdown since its inception was -93.13%, which is greater than VIIIX's maximum drawdown of -55.18%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HIACX and VIIIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	HIACX	VIIIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-93.13%	-55.18%	-37.95%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.56%	-8.90%	-1.66%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.19%	-24.50%	-0.69%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.33%	-33.79%	-1.54%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.40%	-5.56%	-1.84%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.98%	-10.07%	-14.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.98%	2.55%	+0.43%

Volatility

HIACX vs. VIIIX - Volatility Comparison

Hartford Capital Appreciation HLS Fund (HIACX) and Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX) have volatilities of 5.32% and 5.37%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HIACX	VIIIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.32%	5.37%	-0.05%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.68%	9.55%	+0.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.06%	18.32%	-0.26%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.72%	16.90%	-0.18%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.85%	18.04%	-0.19%