NEAIX vs. QUASX

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

NEAIX (Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class) and QUASX (AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio) are both Small Cap Growth Equities funds. Over the past 5 years, NEAIX returned 18.00%/yr vs 0.80%/yr for QUASX. Their correlation of 0.85 means they have usually moved in the same direction. NEAIX charges 1.20%/yr vs 1.11%/yr for QUASX.

Performance

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class (NEAIX) and AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio (QUASX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NEAIX achieves a 33.50% return, which is significantly higher than QUASX's 13.68% return.

NEAIX

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: -11.22%
• 6M: 19.29%
• YTD: 33.50%
• 1Y: 51.23%
• 3Y*: 25.33%
• 5Y*: 18.00%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 19.67%

QUASX

• 1D: -0.60%
• 1M: -6.58%
• 6M: 9.02%
• YTD: 13.68%
• 1Y: 22.75%
• 3Y*: 12.11%
• 5Y*: 0.80%
• 10Y*: 13.71%
• ALL TIME*: 8.80%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
NEAIX Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
QUASX AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NEAIX Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class	33.50%	26.99%	14.86%	38.37%	-27.02%	38.46%	52.49%	44.68%	-15.64%	10.07%
QUASX AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio	13.68%	4.85%	18.49%	17.83%	-39.09%	9.76%	53.85%	49.85%	-1.02%	34.71%

Correlation

The correlation between NEAIX and QUASX is 0.88, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.88
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.86
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.87
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 2017	0.85

The correlation between NEAIX and QUASX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.85 to 0.88 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

NEAIX vs. QUASX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

NEAIX

NEAIX Risk / Return Rank: 53
NEAIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
NEAIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
NEAIX Omega Ratio Rank: 47
NEAIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
NEAIX Martin Ratio Rank: 62

QUASX

QUASX Risk / Return Rank: 24
QUASX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
QUASX Sortino Ratio Rank: 21
QUASX Omega Ratio Rank: 20
QUASX Calmar Ratio Rank: 28
QUASX Martin Ratio Rank: 29

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class (NEAIX) and AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio (QUASX). 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.

	NEAIX	QUASX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.57	0.80	+0.78
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.06	1.25	+0.81
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.15	+0.12
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.01	1.35	+0.66
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	8.54	4.46	+4.08

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NEAIX Sharpe Ratio is 1.57, which is higher than the QUASX Sharpe Ratio of 0.80. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NEAIX and QUASX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NEAIX drawdown since its inception was -35.93%, smaller than the maximum QUASX drawdown of -60.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NEAIX and QUASX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NEAIX	QUASX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.93%	-60.97%	+25.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.09%	-15.02%	-9.07%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-28.21%	-31.68%	+3.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.93%	-47.37%	+11.44%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-47.37%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-19.69%	-9.72%	-9.97%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.60%	-15.70%	+7.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.67%	4.54%	+1.13%

Volatility

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Volatility Comparison

Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class (NEAIX) has a higher volatility of 12.97% compared to AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio (QUASX) at 7.55%. This indicates that NEAIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QUASX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NEAIX	QUASX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.97%	7.55%	+5.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	26.27%	20.48%	+5.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.84%	25.52%	+5.32%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.66%	26.64%	-0.98%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.06%	25.64%	-0.58%

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NEAIX has a 1.20% expense ratio, which is higher than QUASX's 1.11% expense ratio.

Dividends

NEAIX vs. QUASX - Dividend Comparison

NEAIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.51%, while QUASX has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NEAIX Needham Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional Class	1.51%	2.01%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	6.84%	3.80%	10.42%	16.35%	5.14%	0.00%	0.00%
QUASX AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	9.07%	9.86%	18.20%	19.70%	9.29%	2.32%	9.19%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NEAIX and QUASX in my portfolio?

NEAIX and QUASX have a correlation of 0.88, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NEAIX or QUASX?

NEAIX has higher volatility (12.97%) compared to QUASX (7.55%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NEAIX dropped -35.93% vs QUASX's -60.97%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NEAIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.57 vs 0.80), 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.