VSMIX vs. AFMBX
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX).
VSMIX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Oct 29, 1982. AFMBX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Jul 26, 1975.
Performance
VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Performance Comparison
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VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSMIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares | 6.62% | 18.01% | 24.82% | 23.14% | 4.58% | 36.67% | 11.14% | 32.32% | -25.45% | 13.05% |
AFMBX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 | -2.79% | 18.82% | 15.36% | 13.89% | -11.83% | 16.12% | 11.17% | 18.96% | -3.07% | 10.06% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VSMIX achieves a 6.62% return, which is significantly higher than AFMBX's -2.79% return.
VSMIX
- 1D
- -1.87%
- 1M
- -10.11%
- YTD
- 6.62%
- 6M
- 13.97%
- 1Y
- 33.62%
- 3Y*
- 24.68%
- 5Y*
- 17.55%
- 10Y*
- 15.58%
AFMBX
- 1D
- -0.11%
- 1M
- -6.77%
- YTD
- -2.79%
- 6M
- 1.01%
- 1Y
- 15.69%
- 3Y*
- 13.85%
- 5Y*
- 8.39%
- 10Y*
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VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSMIX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than AFMBX's 0.25% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Return for Risk
VSMIX vs. AFMBX — Risk / Return Rank
VSMIX
AFMBX
VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX). 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.
| VSMIX | AFMBX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.29 | 1.46 | -0.17 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.80 | 2.14 | -0.34 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 1.30 | -0.04 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.66 | 2.05 | -0.39 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.43 | 8.76 | -2.33 |
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
| VSMIX | AFMBX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.29 | 1.46 | -0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.76 | 0.81 | -0.05 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.59 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.45 | 0.84 | -0.39 |
Correlation
The correlation between VSMIX and AFMBX is 0.76, 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
VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Dividend Comparison
VSMIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.00%, less than AFMBX's 8.86% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSMIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares | 8.00% | 8.53% | 7.40% | 4.71% | 9.53% | 15.84% | 0.40% | 2.37% | 26.83% | 15.94% | 1.65% | 10.91% |
AFMBX American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 | 8.86% | 8.57% | 7.51% | 2.27% | 2.63% | 4.60% | 4.65% | 3.78% | 5.81% | 4.94% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSMIX drawdown since its inception was -57.53%, which is greater than AFMBX's maximum drawdown of -22.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSMIX and AFMBX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSMIX | AFMBX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -57.53% | -22.34% | -35.19% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -16.58% | -7.34% | -9.24% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.26% | -18.58% | -6.68% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -57.53% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -11.39% | -6.98% | -4.41% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.58% | -3.25% | -6.33% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.49% | 1.72% | +2.77% |
Volatility
VSMIX vs. AFMBX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) has a higher volatility of 8.30% compared to American Funds American Balanced Fund Class F-3 (AFMBX) at 3.26%. This indicates that VSMIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AFMBX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSMIX | AFMBX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.30% | 3.26% | +5.04% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.62% | 6.74% | +9.88% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.78% | 11.10% | +14.68% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.13% | 10.42% | +12.71% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 26.69% | 11.16% | +15.53% |