NDARX vs. ASBAX

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

NDARX (American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio - Enhanced) and ASBAX (American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America) are both mutual funds - NDARX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by American Funds, while ASBAX is a Short-Term Bond fund managed by American Funds. Over the past 10 years, NDARX returned 8.46%/yr vs 1.61%/yr for ASBAX. At a 0.07 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. NDARX charges 0.34%/yr vs 0.66%/yr for ASBAX.

Performance

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio - Enhanced (NDARX) and American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America (ASBAX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NDARX achieves a 6.67% return, which is significantly higher than ASBAX's 0.35% return. Over the past 10 years, NDARX has outperformed ASBAX with an annualized return of 8.46%, while ASBAX has yielded a comparatively lower 1.61% annualized return.

NDARX

• 1D: -0.12%
• 1M: 2.08%
• YTD: 6.67%
• 6M: 7.74%
• 1Y: 18.08%
• 3Y*: 14.66%
• 5Y*: 7.90%
• 10Y*: 8.46%

ASBAX

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -0.00%
• YTD: 0.35%
• 6M: 0.77%
• 1Y: 3.16%
• 3Y*: 4.04%
• 5Y*: 1.60%
• 10Y*: 1.61%

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

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NDARX American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio - Enhanced	6.67%	17.21%	11.68%	12.03%	-10.98%	15.09%	7.10%	17.88%	-4.99%	13.62%
ASBAX American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America	0.35%	5.05%	4.31%	3.60%	-4.16%	-0.88%	3.53%	2.81%	1.10%	0.91%

Correlation

The correlation between NDARX and ASBAX is 0.30, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.30
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.21
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.07
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 5, 2016	0.07

Over the past year, NDARX and ASBAX have become more correlated (0.30) than their long-term average of 0.07, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

NDARX vs. ASBAX — Risk / Return Rank

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

NDARX

NDARX Risk / Return Rank: 64
NDARX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
NDARX Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
NDARX Omega Ratio Rank: 69
NDARX Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
NDARX Martin Ratio Rank: 62

ASBAX

ASBAX Risk / Return Rank: 49
ASBAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
ASBAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
ASBAX Omega Ratio Rank: 51
ASBAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
ASBAX Martin Ratio Rank: 52

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.

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio - Enhanced (NDARX) and American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America (ASBAX). 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.

	NDARX	ASBAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.44	1.67	+0.76
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.44	3.00	+0.44
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.47	1.39	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.72	2.90	-0.18
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.30	10.72	+1.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NDARX Sharpe Ratio is 2.44, which is higher than the ASBAX Sharpe Ratio of 1.67. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NDARX and ASBAX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NDARX	ASBAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.44	1.67	+0.76
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84	0.72	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.83	0.88	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.86	0.97	-0.11

Drawdowns

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NDARX drawdown since its inception was -23.62%, which is greater than ASBAX's maximum drawdown of -6.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NDARX and ASBAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NDARX	ASBAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-23.62%	-6.29%	-17.33%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.86%	-1.24%	-5.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-9.18%	-1.24%	-7.94%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.37%	-6.23%	-12.14%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-23.62%	-6.29%	-17.33%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.12%	-0.33%	+0.21%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.09%	-0.68%	-2.41%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.52%	0.34%	+1.18%

Volatility

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Volatility Comparison

American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio - Enhanced (NDARX) has a higher volatility of 2.29% compared to American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America (ASBAX) at 0.57%. This indicates that NDARX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ASBAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NDARX	ASBAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.29%	0.57%	+1.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.15%	1.40%	+4.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.63%	1.84%	+5.79%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.49%	2.23%	+7.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.21%	1.83%	+8.38%

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NDARX has a 0.34% expense ratio, which is lower than ASBAX's 0.66% expense ratio.

Dividends

NDARX vs. ASBAX - Dividend Comparison

NDARX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.91%, more than ASBAX's 3.76% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ASBAX American Funds Short-Term Bond Fund of America	3.76%	3.87%	3.99%	2.88%	1.02%	0.42%	2.08%	1.66%	1.70%	1.21%	0.83%	1.21%
NDARX American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio - Enhanced	4.91%	5.78%	3.07%	3.37%	5.60%	4.29%	2.91%	4.03%	4.29%	2.68%	2.86%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NDARX and ASBAX in my portfolio?

NDARX and ASBAX have a correlation of 0.30, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NDARX or ASBAX?

NDARX has higher volatility (2.29%) compared to ASBAX (0.57%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NDARX dropped -23.62% vs ASBAX's -6.29%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NDARX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.44 vs 1.67), 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.