TIHYX vs. CCLFX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund (TIHYX) and Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX).

TIHYX is managed by TIAA Investments. It was launched on Mar 31, 2006. CCLFX is managed by Cliffwater. It was launched on Mar 6, 2019.

Performance

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund (TIHYX) and Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
TIHYX TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund	-0.62%	8.43%	6.75%	12.42%	-10.72%	4.81%	2.63%	7.05%
CCLFX Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund	0.96%	8.93%	12.62%	12.66%	2.32%	10.38%	8.73%	2.12%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TIHYX achieves a -0.62% return, which is significantly lower than CCLFX's 0.96% return.

TIHYX

• 1D: 0.69%
• 1M: -1.46%
• YTD: -0.62%
• 6M: 1.12%
• 1Y: 6.84%
• 3Y*: 7.71%
• 5Y*: 3.74%
• 10Y*: 5.34%

CCLFX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.48%
• YTD: 0.96%
• 6M: 3.00%
• 1Y: 7.73%
• 3Y*: 10.90%
• 5Y*: 8.81%
• 10Y*: —

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

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Expense Ratio Comparison

TIHYX has a 0.36% expense ratio, which is lower than CCLFX's 3.42% expense ratio.

CCLFX

Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund

TIHYX

TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund

Return for Risk

TIHYX vs. CCLFX — Risk / Return Rank

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

TIHYX

TIHYX Risk / Return Rank: 87
TIHYX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
TIHYX Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
TIHYX Omega Ratio Rank: 89
TIHYX Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
TIHYX Martin Ratio Rank: 87

CCLFX

CCLFX Risk / Return Rank: 100
CCLFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Omega Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund (TIHYX) and Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX). 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.

	TIHYX	CCLFX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.78	8.00	-6.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.60	16.02	-13.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	5.88	-4.48
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.20	16.50	-14.29
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.70	99.76	-90.06
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TIHYX Sharpe Ratio is 1.78, which is lower than the CCLFX Sharpe Ratio of 8.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TIHYX and CCLFX, 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

	TIHYX	CCLFX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.78	8.00	-6.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.73	5.14	-4.41
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.91	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.06	4.53	-3.47

Correlation

The correlation between TIHYX and CCLFX is 0.11, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Dividend Comparison

TIHYX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.09%, less than CCLFX's 7.80% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
TIHYX TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund	6.09%	6.54%	5.35%	5.55%	4.63%	4.68%	5.44%	5.95%	5.53%	5.24%	5.74%	4.77%
CCLFX Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund	7.80%	10.47%	11.27%	10.96%	3.96%	7.03%	6.90%	0.61%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TIHYX drawdown since its inception was -27.52%, which is greater than CCLFX's maximum drawdown of -3.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TIHYX and CCLFX.

Drawdown Indicators

	TIHYX	CCLFX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.52%	-3.91%	-23.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.21%	-0.38%	-2.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.35%	-2.25%	-13.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.82%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.57%	-0.09%	-1.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.59%	-0.16%	-2.43%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.73%	0.08%	+0.65%

Volatility

TIHYX vs. CCLFX - Volatility Comparison

TIAA-CREF High Yield Fund (TIHYX) has a higher volatility of 1.41% compared to Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX) at 0.23%. This indicates that TIHYX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CCLFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TIHYX	CCLFX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.41%	0.23%	+1.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.39%	0.65%	+1.74%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.97%	0.97%	+3.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.15%	1.72%	+3.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.89%	1.89%	+4.00%