JELMX vs. TSAIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) and TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund (TSAIX).

JELMX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Jan 6, 1997. TSAIX is managed by TIAA Investments. It was launched on Dec 8, 2011.

Performance

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) and TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund (TSAIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
JELMX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio	-2.66%	9.26%	8.15%	10.70%	-14.86%	7.89%	3.27%	16.71%	-3.99%	5.84%
TSAIX TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund	-5.91%	20.04%	15.46%	22.72%	-19.57%	17.10%	19.69%	27.97%	-11.27%	22.35%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, JELMX achieves a -2.66% return, which is significantly higher than TSAIX's -5.91% return. Over the past 10 years, JELMX has underperformed TSAIX with an annualized return of 3.47%, while TSAIX has yielded a comparatively higher 10.54% annualized return.

JELMX

• 1D: 0.10%
• 1M: -5.37%
• YTD: -2.66%
• 6M: -0.98%
• 1Y: 5.93%
• 3Y*: 7.14%
• 5Y*: 2.95%
• 10Y*: 3.47%

TSAIX

• 1D: -0.38%
• 1M: -9.58%
• YTD: -5.91%
• 6M: -3.06%
• 1Y: 15.39%
• 3Y*: 14.41%
• 5Y*: 7.42%
• 10Y*: 10.54%

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

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

JELMX has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is higher than TSAIX's 0.04% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

JELMX

John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio

TSAIX

TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund

Return for Risk

JELMX vs. TSAIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

JELMX

JELMX Risk / Return Rank: 25
JELMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
JELMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
JELMX Omega Ratio Rank: 29
JELMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
JELMX Martin Ratio Rank: 18

TSAIX

TSAIX Risk / Return Rank: 46
TSAIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 46
TSAIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
TSAIX Omega Ratio Rank: 48
TSAIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
TSAIX Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) and TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund (TSAIX). 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.

	JELMX	TSAIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.75	0.92	-0.17
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.11	1.37	-0.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.20	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.53	1.08	-0.55
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.88	4.80	-2.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current JELMX Sharpe Ratio is 0.75, which is comparable to the TSAIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of JELMX and TSAIX, 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

	JELMX	TSAIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.75	0.92	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.41	0.46	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.60	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.11	0.65	-0.54

Correlation

The correlation between JELMX and TSAIX is 0.84, 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

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Dividend Comparison

JELMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.44%, less than TSAIX's 7.84% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
JELMX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio	5.44%	5.30%	2.83%	9.63%	6.29%	2.77%	7.50%	5.78%	9.60%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
TSAIX TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund	7.84%	7.38%	2.94%	1.81%	9.27%	11.82%	5.59%	5.71%	5.71%	1.13%	4.12%	7.19%

Drawdowns

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum JELMX drawdown since its inception was -44.89%, which is greater than TSAIX's maximum drawdown of -34.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for JELMX and TSAIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	JELMX	TSAIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-44.89%	-34.58%	-10.31%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.35%	-11.72%	+5.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.32%	-28.28%	+9.96%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-18.32%	-34.58%	+16.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.45%	-10.28%	+4.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.67%	-4.96%	-6.71%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.29%	2.77%	-0.48%

Volatility

JELMX vs. TSAIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) is 3.05%, while TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund (TSAIX) has a volatility of 5.29%. This indicates that JELMX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TSAIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	JELMX	TSAIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.05%	5.29%	-2.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.00%	9.81%	-4.81%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.80%	17.09%	-8.29%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.50%	16.15%	-8.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.35%	17.59%	-10.24%