VMFGX vs. VBIAX
VMFGX (Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares) and VBIAX (Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - VMFGX is a Mid Cap Growth Equities fund managed by Vanguard, while VBIAX is a Diversified Portfolio fund tracking the 60% CRSP US Total Market Index / 40% Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index. Over the past 10 years, VMFGX returned 11.68%/yr vs 9.83%/yr for VBIAX. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VMFGX charges 0.08%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VBIAX.
Performance
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VMFGX achieves a 18.87% return, which is significantly higher than VBIAX's 7.35% return. Over the past 10 years, VMFGX has outperformed VBIAX with an annualized return of 11.68%, while VBIAX has yielded a comparatively lower 9.83% annualized return.
VMFGX
- 1D
- 0.71%
- 1M
- 5.67%
- YTD
- 18.87%
- 6M
- 19.12%
- 1Y
- 29.92%
- 3Y*
- 18.07%
- 5Y*
- 8.83%
- 10Y*
- 11.68%
VBIAX
- 1D
- 0.15%
- 1M
- 3.71%
- YTD
- 7.35%
- 6M
- 7.26%
- 1Y
- 19.35%
- 3Y*
- 15.04%
- 5Y*
- 8.01%
- 10Y*
- 9.83%
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VMFGX Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares | 18.87% | 7.43% | 15.86% | 17.42% | -18.99% | 18.83% | 22.61% | 26.20% | -10.39% | 19.87% |
VBIAX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares | 7.35% | 13.61% | 14.58% | 17.54% | -16.90% | 14.21% | 16.40% | 21.78% | -2.86% | 13.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between VMFGX and VBIAX is 0.83, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.83 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.84 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.88 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.88 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 2012 | 0.89 |
The correlation between VMFGX and VBIAX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.83 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
VMFGX vs. VBIAX — Risk / Return Rank
VMFGX
VBIAX
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares (VMFGX) and Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIAX). 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.
| VMFGX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.65 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.92 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.47 | -0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.19 | 3.42 | -0.23 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.69 | 15.60 | -2.91 |
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
| VMFGX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.87 | 2.52 | -0.65 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.43 | 0.73 | -0.30 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.56 | 0.88 | -0.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.00 |
Drawdowns
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VMFGX drawdown since its inception was -39.15%, which is greater than VBIAX's maximum drawdown of -35.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VMFGX and VBIAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VMFGX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -39.15% | -35.90% | -3.25% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.91% | -5.83% | -4.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.45% | -11.70% | -13.75% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.25% | -21.53% | -7.72% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -39.15% | -22.78% | -16.37% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.71% | -4.44% | -1.27% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.48% | 1.27% | +1.21% |
Volatility
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares (VMFGX) has a higher volatility of 5.18% compared to Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIAX) at 2.26%. This indicates that VMFGX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBIAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VMFGX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.18% | 2.26% | +2.92% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.09% | 6.11% | +6.98% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.85% | 7.90% | +8.95% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.61% | 11.05% | +9.56% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.05% | 11.21% | +9.84% |
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VMFGX has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is higher than VBIAX's 0.07% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
VMFGX vs. VBIAX - Dividend Comparison
VMFGX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.59%, less than VBIAX's 5.21% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBIAX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares | 5.21% | 6.00% | 5.27% | 4.35% | 2.83% | 3.19% | 2.65% | 2.28% | 2.32% | 1.95% | 2.09% | 2.09% |
VMFGX Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares | 0.59% | 0.70% | 0.84% | 1.21% | 1.12% | 0.53% | 0.79% | 1.22% | 1.18% | 0.93% | 1.14% | 1.14% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VMFGX and VBIAX have a correlation of 0.83, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VMFGX has higher volatility (5.18%) compared to VBIAX (2.26%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VMFGX dropped -39.15% vs VBIAX's -35.90%.
VBIAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.52 vs 1.87), 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.
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