VBAL.TO vs. MSFT

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

VBAL.TO (Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio) is Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by Vanguard, while MSFT (Microsoft Corporation) is a stock. Over the past 5 years, VBAL.TO returned 7.87%/yr vs 15.37%/yr for MSFT. A 0.56 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.TO) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

VBAL.TO is traded in CAD, while MSFT is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the MSFT values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VBAL.TO achieves a 8.13% return, which is significantly higher than MSFT's -10.11% return.

VBAL.TO

• 1D: -0.30%
• 1M: 4.26%
• YTD: 8.13%
• 6M: 6.49%
• 1Y: 18.31%
• 3Y*: 13.79%
• 5Y*: 7.87%
• 10Y*: —

MSFT

• 1D: -2.77%
• 1M: 5.61%
• YTD: -10.11%
• 6M: -10.50%
• 1Y: -5.76%
• 3Y*: 10.53%
• 5Y*: 15.37%
• 10Y*: 25.93%

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

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VBAL.TO Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio	8.13%	11.88%	14.56%	12.43%	-11.44%	10.16%	10.23%	14.85%	-2.87%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation	-10.11%	10.28%	22.63%	54.71%	-22.90%	51.10%	40.13%	49.81%	21.96%

Correlation

The correlation between VBAL.TO and MSFT is 0.27, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.27
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.41
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 2, 2018	0.56

Over the past year, the correlation between VBAL.TO and MSFT has dropped to 0.27 - well below their long-term average of 0.56, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT — Risk / Return Rank

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

VBAL.TO

VBAL.TO Risk / Return Rank: 68
VBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
VBAL.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
VBAL.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 71
VBAL.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
VBAL.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 69

MSFT

MSFT Risk / Return Rank: 29
MSFT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
MSFT Sortino Ratio Rank: 25
MSFT Omega Ratio Rank: 25
MSFT Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
MSFT Martin Ratio Rank: 33

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.

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.TO) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). 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.

	VBAL.TO	MSFT	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.30	-0.23	+2.53
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.30	-0.15	+3.44
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.44	0.98	+0.46
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.10	-0.17	+3.27
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	13.17	-0.35	+13.52
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.30, which is higher than the MSFT Sharpe Ratio of -0.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VBAL.TO and MSFT, 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

	VBAL.TO	MSFT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.30	-0.23	+2.53
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.92	0.61	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	1.00	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.78	0.91	-0.13

Drawdowns

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VBAL.TO drawdown since its inception was -21.19%, smaller than the maximum MSFT drawdown of -34.17%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VBAL.TO and MSFT.

Drawdown Indicators

	VBAL.TO	MSFT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-21.19%	-34.17%	+12.98%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.93%	-34.17%	+28.24%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-9.68%	-34.17%	+24.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.45%	-34.17%	+17.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-34.17%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.30%	-20.95%	+20.65%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.17%	-7.53%	+4.36%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.39%	16.69%	-15.30%

Volatility

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.TO) is 2.73%, while Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) has a volatility of 9.61%. This indicates that VBAL.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than MSFT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VBAL.TO	MSFT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.73%	9.61%	-6.88%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.59%	22.18%	-15.59%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.99%	24.90%	-16.91%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.63%	25.46%	-16.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.09%	25.95%	-15.86%

Dividends

VBAL.TO vs. MSFT - Dividend Comparison

VBAL.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.05%, more than MSFT's 0.83% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MSFT Microsoft Corporation	0.83%	0.70%	0.73%	0.74%	1.06%	0.68%	0.94%	1.20%	1.69%	1.86%	2.37%	2.33%
VBAL.TO Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio	2.05%	2.21%	2.26%	2.32%	2.16%	1.91%	1.79%	2.20%	1.99%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VBAL.TO and MSFT in my portfolio?

VBAL.TO and MSFT have a correlation of 0.27, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.