MDCPX vs. IEFA
MDCPX (BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund Investor A Shares) and IEFA (iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF) are both funds - MDCPX is a Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by BlackRock, while IEFA is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net). MDCPX is actively managed, while IEFA is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, MDCPX returned 9.99%/yr vs 9.37%/yr for IEFA. Their correlation of 0.82 suggests significant overlap in exposure. MDCPX charges 0.78%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for IEFA.
Performance
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, MDCPX achieves a 6.42% return, which is significantly lower than IEFA's 7.49% return. Over the past 10 years, MDCPX has outperformed IEFA with an annualized return of 9.99%, while IEFA has yielded a comparatively lower 9.37% annualized return.
MDCPX
- 1D
- -1.99%
- 1M
- -0.68%
- YTD
- 6.42%
- 6M
- 7.39%
- 1Y
- 16.87%
- 3Y*
- 14.13%
- 5Y*
- 7.95%
- 10Y*
- 9.99%
IEFA
- 1D
- 0.63%
- 1M
- -1.17%
- YTD
- 7.49%
- 6M
- 10.04%
- 1Y
- 19.61%
- 3Y*
- 16.13%
- 5Y*
- 7.82%
- 10Y*
- 9.37%
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MDCPX BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund Investor A Shares | 6.42% | 15.32% | 12.47% | 16.59% | -15.70% | 16.49% | 15.07% | 21.59% | -3.48% | 14.24% |
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 7.49% | 32.08% | 3.26% | 17.95% | -15.24% | 11.63% | 8.18% | 22.64% | -14.14% | 26.57% |
Correlation
The correlation between MDCPX and IEFA is 0.89, 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 | 0.89 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.84 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.85 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.82 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 25, 2012 | 0.82 |
The correlation between MDCPX and IEFA has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.82 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
MDCPX vs. IEFA — Risk / Return Rank
MDCPX
IEFA
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund Investor A Shares (MDCPX) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). 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.
| MDCPX | IEFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.74 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.97 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.38 | 1.24 | +0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.80 | 1.71 | +1.09 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.12 | 6.52 | +5.61 |
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
| MDCPX | IEFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.04 | 1.30 | +0.74 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.72 | 0.47 | +0.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.87 | 0.54 | +0.33 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.66 | 0.50 | +0.15 |
Drawdowns
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum MDCPX drawdown since its inception was -41.98%, which is greater than IEFA's maximum drawdown of -34.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MDCPX and IEFA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| MDCPX | IEFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -41.98% | -34.78% | -7.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.22% | -11.50% | +5.28% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -10.65% | -13.76% | +3.11% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.99% | -30.41% | +8.42% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.58% | -34.78% | +10.20% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.36% | -2.44% | +0.08% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.09% | -6.69% | +1.60% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.43% | 3.02% | -1.59% |
Volatility
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund Investor A Shares (MDCPX) is 3.07%, while iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) has a volatility of 4.54%. This indicates that MDCPX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IEFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| MDCPX | IEFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.07% | 4.54% | -1.47% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.03% | 12.74% | -5.71% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.55% | 15.22% | -6.67% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.09% | 16.55% | -5.46% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 11.48% | 17.32% | -5.84% |
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Expense Ratio Comparison
MDCPX has a 0.78% expense ratio, which is higher than IEFA's 0.07% expense ratio.
Dividends
MDCPX vs. IEFA - Dividend Comparison
MDCPX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.09%, more than IEFA's 3.30% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 3.30% | 3.55% | 3.47% | 3.20% | 2.70% | 3.32% | 1.90% | 3.18% | 3.46% | 2.57% | 2.96% | 2.63% |
MDCPX BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund Investor A Shares | 8.09% | 8.61% | 7.44% | 2.63% | 3.82% | 12.27% | 4.02% | 5.25% | 7.84% | 19.39% | 4.67% | 5.04% |
Frequently Asked Questions
MDCPX and IEFA have a correlation of 0.89, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IEFA has higher volatility (4.54%) compared to MDCPX (3.07%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MDCPX dropped -41.98% vs IEFA's -34.78%.
MDCPX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.04 vs 1.30), 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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