Returns
| Series | 1 week | 1 month | 3 months | 6 months | YTD | 1 year | 3 years (ann.) | 5 years (ann.) | 10 years (ann.) | Since inception (ann.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market-price return | -4.90% | -6.96% | -10.04% | -5.46% | +1.00% | -4.94% | +13.62% | -5.76% | +0.90% | +0.73% |
| Market-price total return | -4.90% | -5.37% | -8.49% | -2.54% | +5.76% | +1.16% | +21.90% | +2.81% | +9.83% | +8.25% |
| NAV return | -3.09% | -3.91% | -6.86% | -1.75% | +7.91% | -1.72% | +14.07% | -4.17% | +1.74% | +1.08% |
| NAV total return | -3.09% | -2.44% | -5.44% | +0.92% | +12.40% | +3.83% | +21.30% | +3.74% | +9.91% | +8.53% |
Performance through Oct 14, 2026. Price and NAV returns are simple changes; total returns reinvest each distribution at the series value on its ex-date (first observation on/after). Periods of one year or less are cumulative; longer periods are annualised. Series are built from unadjusted prices plus the distribution record so no distribution is counted twice. Corporate actions: the vendor price series is split-adjusted; rights offerings and mergers are not restated — check Corporate Actions.
Growth of $10,000, five years
Risk statistics
| Statistic | Market price | NAV | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility, 1 year | 0.21% | 0.23% | annualised SD of daily total returns, √252 |
| Volatility, 3 years | 0.18% | 0.18% | as above |
| Volatility, 5 years | 0.19% | 0.19% | as above |
| Maximum drawdown, 3 years | -14.26% | -17.11% | peak-to-trough on the total-return index |
| Sharpe ratio, 3 years | 0.96 | 0.92 | excess over FRED DGS3MO (window average) (avg 4.52%), annualised |
| Sortino ratio, 3 years | 1.35 | 1.32 | downside deviation of excess returns |
| Beta vs. benchmark proxy, 3 years | 0.66 | — | SPY (U.S. equity ETF proxy), daily, aligned dates |
| Correlation, 3 years | 0.56 | — | as above |
| Observations (3y) | 751 | — | minimum 60; rankings require 500 |
Market-price and NAV volatility are different quantities and are never mixed. NAV volatility for funds holding stale-marked or illiquid assets can understate economic risk.
CEF Explorer research page for Bancroft Fund Ltd. Figures carry their own dates and sources; a discount to NAV does not guarantee convergence or any return. This is not investment advice.