VWELX vs. AMBFX
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX).
VWELX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Jul 1, 1929. AMBFX is managed by American Funds. It was launched on Aug 5, 2008.
Performance
VWELX vs. AMBFX - Performance Comparison
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VWELX vs. AMBFX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | -2.83% | 16.54% | 14.73% | 14.29% | -14.36% | 18.99% | 10.57% | 22.51% | -3.43% | 13.98% |
AMBFX American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 | -0.63% | 18.67% | 15.25% | 13.81% | -11.93% | 16.00% | 11.06% | 19.45% | -2.69% | 14.85% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VWELX achieves a -2.83% return, which is significantly lower than AMBFX's -0.63% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VWELX having a 9.38% annualized return and AMBFX not far ahead at 9.57%.
VWELX
- 1D
- 0.54%
- 1M
- -2.74%
- YTD
- -2.83%
- 6M
- 0.05%
- 1Y
- 14.29%
- 3Y*
- 12.85%
- 5Y*
- 7.69%
- 10Y*
- 9.38%
AMBFX
- 1D
- 0.46%
- 1M
- -3.09%
- YTD
- -0.63%
- 6M
- 2.39%
- 1Y
- 17.39%
- 3Y*
- 14.57%
- 5Y*
- 8.57%
- 10Y*
- 9.57%
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VWELX vs. AMBFX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VWELX has a 0.24% expense ratio, which is lower than AMBFX's 0.35% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
VWELX vs. AMBFX — Risk / Return Rank
VWELX
AMBFX
VWELX vs. AMBFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) and American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX). 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.
| VWELX | AMBFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.25 | 1.59 | -0.34 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.83 | 2.32 | -0.49 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.33 | -0.05 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.89 | 2.47 | -0.59 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.42 | 10.21 | -1.79 |
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
| VWELX | AMBFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.25 | 1.59 | -0.34 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.70 | 0.82 | -0.13 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.82 | 0.90 | -0.09 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.83 | 0.73 | +0.09 |
Correlation
The correlation between VWELX and AMBFX 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
VWELX vs. AMBFX - Dividend Comparison
VWELX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.86%, more than AMBFX's 8.55% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 11.86% | 11.46% | 10.76% | 6.01% | 8.19% | 8.64% | 7.77% | 4.67% | 9.49% | 5.82% | 4.44% | 7.03% |
AMBFX American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 | 8.55% | 8.47% | 7.40% | 2.20% | 2.52% | 4.50% | 4.56% | 4.19% | 6.20% | 4.85% | 4.46% | 5.81% |
Drawdowns
VWELX vs. AMBFX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VWELX drawdown since its inception was -36.12%, roughly equal to the maximum AMBFX drawdown of -35.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VWELX and AMBFX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VWELX | AMBFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -36.12% | -35.05% | -1.07% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.78% | -7.00% | +0.22% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.88% | -18.65% | -2.23% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -25.33% | -22.31% | -3.02% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.39% | -4.89% | +0.50% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.93% | -3.61% | -0.32% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.80% | 1.78% | +0.02% |
Volatility
VWELX vs. AMBFX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) has a higher volatility of 4.10% compared to American Funds American Balanced Fund® Class F-2 (AMBFX) at 3.75%. This indicates that VWELX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AMBFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VWELX | AMBFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.10% | 3.75% | +0.35% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.68% | 6.97% | -0.29% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.89% | 11.21% | +0.68% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.11% | 10.45% | +0.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 11.50% | 10.63% | +0.87% |