WBGSX vs. GXXIX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about William Blair Growth Fund (WBGSX) and abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund (GXXIX).

WBGSX is managed by William Blair. It was launched on Mar 20, 1946. GXXIX is managed by Aberdeen. It was launched on Jun 30, 2000.

Performance

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in William Blair Growth Fund (WBGSX) and abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund (GXXIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WBGSX William Blair Growth Fund	-11.49%	10.69%	85.99%	37.75%	-29.75%	21.71%	36.12%	32.11%	4.88%	24.19%
GXXIX abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund	-7.53%	3.82%	10.11%	15.19%	-26.55%	81.37%	29.56%	36.96%	-6.73%	20.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WBGSX achieves a -11.49% return, which is significantly lower than GXXIX's -7.53% return. Over the past 10 years, WBGSX has outperformed GXXIX with an annualized return of 17.73%, while GXXIX has yielded a comparatively lower 13.33% annualized return.

WBGSX

• 1D: 3.31%
• 1M: -6.02%
• YTD: -11.49%
• 6M: -11.86%
• 1Y: 10.97%
• 3Y*: 30.64%
• 5Y*: 15.07%
• 10Y*: 17.73%

GXXIX

• 1D: 2.82%
• 1M: -5.54%
• YTD: -7.53%
• 6M: -7.78%
• 1Y: 2.72%
• 3Y*: 5.62%
• 5Y*: 9.27%
• 10Y*: 13.33%

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

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

WBGSX has a 1.20% expense ratio, which is higher than GXXIX's 0.97% expense ratio.

WBGSX

William Blair Growth Fund

GXXIX

abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund

Return for Risk

WBGSX vs. GXXIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

WBGSX

WBGSX Risk / Return Rank: 16
WBGSX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
WBGSX Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
WBGSX Omega Ratio Rank: 18
WBGSX Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
WBGSX Martin Ratio Rank: 12

GXXIX

GXXIX Risk / Return Rank: 8
GXXIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
GXXIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
GXXIX Omega Ratio Rank: 7
GXXIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 9
GXXIX Martin Ratio Rank: 9

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.

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for William Blair Growth Fund (WBGSX) and abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund (GXXIX). 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.

	WBGSX	GXXIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.53	0.19	+0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.93	0.40	+0.53
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.05	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.46	0.31	+0.15
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.41	1.15	+0.26
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WBGSX Sharpe Ratio is 0.53, which is higher than the GXXIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WBGSX and GXXIX, 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

	WBGSX	GXXIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.53	0.19	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	0.34	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.67	0.56	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.50	0.60	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between WBGSX and GXXIX is 0.90, 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

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Dividend Comparison

WBGSX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 49.67%, more than GXXIX's 2.48% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
WBGSX William Blair Growth Fund	49.67%	43.96%	69.07%	12.73%	4.59%	14.82%	15.07%	10.27%	38.86%	38.00%	8.81%	13.92%
GXXIX abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund	2.48%	2.30%	0.00%	0.28%	0.39%	59.39%	14.10%	9.76%	12.93%	10.11%	12.20%	5.82%

Drawdowns

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WBGSX drawdown since its inception was -53.05%, which is greater than GXXIX's maximum drawdown of -33.65%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WBGSX and GXXIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	WBGSX	GXXIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.05%	-33.65%	-19.40%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.70%	-11.78%	-7.92%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.90%	-33.65%	-3.25%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.90%	-33.65%	-3.25%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.04%	-10.87%	-6.17%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.53%	-6.20%	-5.33%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.39%	3.14%	+3.25%

Volatility

WBGSX vs. GXXIX - Volatility Comparison

William Blair Growth Fund (WBGSX) has a higher volatility of 6.57% compared to abrdn U.S. Sustainable Leaders Fund (GXXIX) at 5.20%. This indicates that WBGSX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GXXIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WBGSX	GXXIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.57%	5.20%	+1.37%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.00%	9.27%	+3.73%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.79%	16.73%	+6.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.96%	27.78%	+4.18%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.44%	23.72%	+2.72%