JHCIX vs. CSTAX
JHCIX (John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio) and CSTAX (American Funds College 2027 Fund) are both Diversified Portfolio funds. Over the past 5 years, JHCIX returned 2.26%/yr vs 2.86%/yr for CSTAX. Their correlation of 0.83 suggests significant overlap in exposure. JHCIX charges 0.13%/yr vs 0.41%/yr for CSTAX.
Performance
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, JHCIX achieves a 3.02% return, which is significantly higher than CSTAX's 1.22% return.
JHCIX
- 1D
- -0.08%
- 1M
- 0.90%
- YTD
- 3.02%
- 6M
- 3.00%
- 1Y
- 8.88%
- 3Y*
- 7.19%
- 5Y*
- 2.26%
- 10Y*
- —
CSTAX
- 1D
- -0.16%
- 1M
- 0.24%
- YTD
- 1.22%
- 6M
- 1.30%
- 1Y
- 5.87%
- 3Y*
- 6.81%
- 5Y*
- 2.86%
- 10Y*
- 5.12%
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JHCIX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio | 3.02% | 9.73% | 4.43% | 9.16% | -14.57% | 2.96% | 10.74% | 12.46% | -1.97% | 3.08% |
CSTAX American Funds College 2027 Fund | 1.22% | 9.00% | 5.57% | 6.57% | -9.87% | 6.52% | 7.66% | 13.35% | -2.23% | 10.18% |
Correlation
The correlation between JHCIX and CSTAX is 0.84, 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 | 0.84 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.86 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.89 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 1, 2017 | 0.83 |
The correlation between JHCIX and CSTAX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.83 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
JHCIX vs. CSTAX — Risk / Return Rank
JHCIX
CSTAX
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio (JHCIX) 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.
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.
| JHCIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.03 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.01 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.38 | 1.39 | -0.01 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.56 | 2.29 | +0.27 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.46 | 8.68 | +1.78 |
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Drawdowns
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum JHCIX drawdown since its inception was -19.29%, which is greater than CSTAX's maximum drawdown of -14.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for JHCIX and CSTAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| JHCIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.29% | -14.52% | -4.77% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.01% | -2.72% | -1.29% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -7.05% | -4.89% | -2.16% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.29% | -14.52% | -4.77% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -14.52% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.08% | -0.64% | +0.56% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.82% | -2.34% | -1.48% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.94% | 0.72% | +0.22% |
Volatility
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Volatility Comparison
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio (JHCIX) has a higher volatility of 1.69% compared to American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX) at 1.15%. This indicates that JHCIX'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
| JHCIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.69% | 1.15% | +0.54% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.85% | 2.47% | +1.38% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.11% | 3.14% | +1.97% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.50% | 5.17% | +1.33% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.69% | 5.78% | -0.09% |
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
JHCIX has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is lower than CSTAX's 0.41% expense ratio.
Dividends
JHCIX vs. CSTAX - Dividend Comparison
JHCIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.48%, less than CSTAX's 5.20% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CSTAX American Funds College 2027 Fund | 5.20% | 5.26% | 3.78% | 3.17% | 3.40% | 7.52% | 5.72% | 4.00% | 4.78% | 3.90% | 4.34% | 4.49% |
JHCIX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio | 3.48% | 3.58% | 3.41% | 7.31% | 9.12% | 5.35% | 4.90% | 4.11% | 3.61% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
JHCIX and CSTAX have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
JHCIX has higher volatility (1.69%) compared to CSTAX (1.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, JHCIX dropped -19.29% vs CSTAX's -14.52%.
JHCIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.01 vs 1.99), 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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