POBAX vs. CSTAX
Compare and contrast key facts about Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Moderate-Conservative (POBAX) and American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX).
POBAX is managed by Pacific Funds Series Trust. It was launched on Dec 30, 2003. CSTAX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Sep 13, 2012.
Performance
POBAX vs. CSTAX - Performance Comparison
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POBAX vs. CSTAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POBAX Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Moderate-Conservative | -2.60% | 11.53% | 8.17% | 11.33% | -16.92% | 7.64% | 12.39% | 15.64% | -5.83% | 10.46% |
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, POBAX achieves a -2.60% return, which is significantly lower than CSTAX's -0.65% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with POBAX having a 5.22% annualized return and CSTAX not far behind at 4.97%.
POBAX
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- -4.90%
- YTD
- -2.60%
- 6M
- -0.96%
- 1Y
- 8.63%
- 3Y*
- 8.00%
- 5Y*
- 2.92%
- 10Y*
- 5.22%
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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POBAX vs. CSTAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
POBAX has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than CSTAX's 0.41% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
POBAX vs. CSTAX — Risk / Return Rank
POBAX
CSTAX
POBAX vs. CSTAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Moderate-Conservative (POBAX) 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.
| POBAX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.07 | 1.73 | -0.66 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.54 | 2.47 | -0.94 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.35 | -0.13 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.30 | 2.23 | -0.93 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.91 | 9.16 | -3.25 |
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
| POBAX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.07 | 1.73 | -0.66 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.26 | 0.57 | -0.31 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.53 | 0.86 | -0.33 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.55 | 0.86 | -0.31 |
Correlation
The correlation between POBAX and CSTAX is 0.87, 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
POBAX vs. CSTAX - Dividend Comparison
POBAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.14%, less than CSTAX's 5.30% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POBAX Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Moderate-Conservative | 3.14% | 3.06% | 3.68% | 2.67% | 13.64% | 6.84% | 2.56% | 2.31% | 20.06% | 3.22% | 4.32% | 5.46% |
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
POBAX vs. CSTAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum POBAX drawdown since its inception was -29.15%, which is greater than CSTAX's maximum drawdown of -14.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POBAX and CSTAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| POBAX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -29.15% | -14.52% | -14.63% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.26% | -2.72% | -3.54% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.33% | -14.52% | -7.81% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.33% | -14.52% | -7.81% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.06% | -2.48% | -2.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.61% | -2.37% | -1.24% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.37% | 0.66% | +0.71% |
Volatility
POBAX vs. CSTAX - Volatility Comparison
Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Moderate-Conservative (POBAX) has a higher volatility of 2.74% compared to American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX) at 1.32%. This indicates that POBAX'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
| POBAX | CSTAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.74% | 1.32% | +1.42% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.62% | 2.05% | +2.57% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.21% | 3.47% | +4.74% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.36% | 5.16% | +6.20% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 9.85% | 5.82% | +4.03% |