SMGIX vs. CBALX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Columbia Contrarian Core Fund (SMGIX) and Columbia Balanced Fund (CBALX).

SMGIX is managed by Columbia. It was launched on Dec 14, 1992. CBALX is managed by Columbia. It was launched on Sep 30, 1991.

Performance

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Columbia Contrarian Core Fund (SMGIX) and Columbia Balanced Fund (CBALX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMGIX Columbia Contrarian Core Fund	-8.32%	17.35%	23.33%	32.12%	-18.64%	24.18%	22.21%	32.95%	-8.95%	20.57%
CBALX Columbia Balanced Fund	-5.35%	14.14%	14.60%	21.49%	-16.63%	14.92%	17.91%	23.05%	-5.75%	14.29%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMGIX achieves a -8.32% return, which is significantly lower than CBALX's -5.35% return. Over the past 10 years, SMGIX has outperformed CBALX with an annualized return of 12.89%, while CBALX has yielded a comparatively lower 8.95% annualized return.

SMGIX

• 1D: -0.22%
• 1M: -7.29%
• YTD: -8.32%
• 6M: -5.97%
• 1Y: 12.95%
• 3Y*: 17.26%
• 5Y*: 10.58%
• 10Y*: 12.89%

CBALX

• 1D: 0.08%
• 1M: -5.51%
• YTD: -5.35%
• 6M: -3.42%
• 1Y: 9.86%
• 3Y*: 12.18%
• 5Y*: 6.79%
• 10Y*: 8.95%

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

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMGIX has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than CBALX's 0.67% expense ratio.

SMGIX

Columbia Contrarian Core Fund

CBALX

Columbia Balanced Fund

Return for Risk

SMGIX vs. CBALX — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMGIX

SMGIX Risk / Return Rank: 34
SMGIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
SMGIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
SMGIX Omega Ratio Rank: 37
SMGIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
SMGIX Martin Ratio Rank: 35

CBALX

CBALX Risk / Return Rank: 46
CBALX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
CBALX Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
CBALX Omega Ratio Rank: 46
CBALX Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
CBALX Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Columbia Contrarian Core Fund (SMGIX) and Columbia Balanced Fund (CBALX). 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.

	SMGIX	CBALX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.71	0.88	-0.17
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.12	1.31	-0.19
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.19	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.87	1.13	-0.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.72	4.82	-1.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMGIX Sharpe Ratio is 0.71, which is comparable to the CBALX Sharpe Ratio of 0.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMGIX and CBALX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SMGIX	CBALX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.71	0.88	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	0.62	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.68	0.79	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.67	0.68	-0.01

Correlation

The correlation between SMGIX and CBALX is 0.96, 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

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Dividend Comparison

SMGIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.06%, more than CBALX's 6.86% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SMGIX Columbia Contrarian Core Fund	8.06%	7.39%	9.69%	3.08%	10.61%	13.70%	7.69%	5.87%	10.17%	4.89%	0.76%	5.86%
CBALX Columbia Balanced Fund	6.86%	6.42%	7.83%	1.84%	5.36%	9.26%	5.31%	4.16%	5.82%	2.79%	1.60%	4.05%

Drawdowns

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMGIX drawdown since its inception was -50.62%, which is greater than CBALX's maximum drawdown of -34.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMGIX and CBALX.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMGIX	CBALX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-50.62%	-34.53%	-16.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.33%	-7.87%	-4.46%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.20%	-20.91%	-11.29%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.45%	-22.73%	-9.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.99%	-6.56%	-3.43%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.77%	-5.34%	-1.43%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.89%	1.84%	+1.05%

Volatility

SMGIX vs. CBALX - Volatility Comparison

Columbia Contrarian Core Fund (SMGIX) has a higher volatility of 4.18% compared to Columbia Balanced Fund (CBALX) at 3.14%. This indicates that SMGIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CBALX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMGIX	CBALX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.18%	3.14%	+1.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.28%	6.15%	+3.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.55%	11.45%	+7.10%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.96%	11.05%	+7.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.95%	11.30%	+7.65%