MBAIX vs. CSTAX
Compare and contrast key facts about MainStay Balanced Fund (MBAIX) and American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX).
MBAIX is managed by New York Life. It was launched on Apr 30, 1989. CSTAX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Sep 13, 2012.
Performance
MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Performance Comparison
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MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MBAIX MainStay Balanced Fund | -1.36% | 11.38% | 7.59% | 7.56% | -5.80% | 17.13% | 7.73% | 19.28% | -7.53% | 9.87% |
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, MBAIX achieves a -1.36% return, which is significantly lower than CSTAX's -0.65% return. Over the past 10 years, MBAIX has outperformed CSTAX with an annualized return of 6.95%, while CSTAX has yielded a comparatively lower 4.97% annualized return.
MBAIX
- 1D
- 0.16%
- 1M
- -4.42%
- YTD
- -1.36%
- 6M
- 1.82%
- 1Y
- 7.32%
- 3Y*
- 8.24%
- 5Y*
- 5.50%
- 10Y*
- 6.95%
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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MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
MBAIX has a 0.81% expense ratio, which is higher than CSTAX's 0.41% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
MBAIX vs. CSTAX — Risk / Return Rank
MBAIX
CSTAX
MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for MainStay Balanced Fund (MBAIX) 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.
| MBAIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.84 | 1.73 | -0.89 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.22 | 2.47 | -1.25 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 1.35 | -0.18 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.03 | 2.23 | -1.19 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.45 | 9.16 | -4.71 |
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
| MBAIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.84 | 1.73 | -0.89 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.59 | 0.57 | +0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.66 | 0.86 | -0.20 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.78 | 0.86 | -0.08 |
Correlation
The correlation between MBAIX 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
MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Dividend Comparison
MBAIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.19%, more than CSTAX's 5.30% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MBAIX MainStay Balanced Fund | 6.19% | 6.95% | 6.14% | 2.27% | 1.86% | 23.51% | 2.24% | 6.04% | 9.37% | 7.05% | 2.94% | 6.93% |
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
MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum MBAIX drawdown since its inception was -39.74%, which is greater than CSTAX's maximum drawdown of -14.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MBAIX and CSTAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| MBAIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -39.74% | -14.52% | -25.22% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.84% | -2.72% | -4.12% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -13.19% | -14.52% | +1.33% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -25.87% | -14.52% | -11.35% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.53% | -2.48% | -2.05% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.58% | -2.37% | -1.21% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.59% | 0.66% | +0.93% |
Volatility
MBAIX vs. CSTAX - Volatility Comparison
MainStay Balanced Fund (MBAIX) has a higher volatility of 2.25% compared to American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX) at 1.32%. This indicates that MBAIX'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
| MBAIX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.25% | 1.32% | +0.93% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.22% | 2.05% | +3.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.50% | 3.47% | +6.03% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 9.40% | 5.16% | +4.24% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.60% | 5.82% | +4.78% |