General American Investors Company, Inc (GAM)

New York Stock Exchange
USD
US3688021043
17 March 1980  –  11 December 2024

Performance

Annualized Return
10.06%
Sharpe Ratio
0.56
Maximum Drawdown
-66.63%

Metrics

Metric General American Investors Company, Inc
Initial Balance $10,000
Final Balance $729,310
Returns   [View more details]
Month-To-Date 1.3%
Year-To-Date 32.26%
3M 10.05%
6M 16.62%
Annual Return (3Y) 13.64%
Annual Return (5Y) 13.26%
Annual Return (All) 10.06%
Risk   [View more details]
Annual Volatility 21.06%
Max Drawdown -66.63%
Sharpe Ratio 0.56
Sortino Ratio 0.78
Adjusted Sortino (S/√2) 0.55

  • Initial balance: The amount of starting capital used to invest in the asset or portfolio. In this case, we're starting with a $10,000 investment on March 1980.
  • Final balance: The amount of capital we've accrued over time as of December 2024.
  • Annual return: Also known as annualized return, or CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate), measures how much an investment has increased on average each year, during a specific time period. The time period in this case is approximately 45 year(s). Even a small difference in return can have a big impact on the final balance over a long period of time.
  • Annual volatility: Basically indicates how much, in percentage points, the investment can deviate from its annual return, under most circumstances. An investment with an annual return of 5% and an annual volatility of 10% would indicate returns from approximately -5% to 15% most of the time. A lower volatility is usually preferred to ensure more steady returns over time.
  • Best year: The best performance attained over its lifetime in a given year.
  • Worst year: The worst performance undergone over its lifetime in a given year.
  • Max drawdown: The largest percentage drop from a peak to a trough of an asset or portfolio, before a new peak is attained. Maximum drawdown is an indicator of downside risk over a specified time period.
  • Sharpe Ratio: The Sharpe ratio measures the performance of an investment compared to a risk-free asset, after adjusting for its risk. A Sharpe Ratio above 1 is considered good.
  • Sortino Ratio: The Sortino Ratio is a variation of the Sharpe ratio that only penalizes the investment for negative volatility/outcomes, and not for positive volatility. A Sortino Ratio above 1 is considered good.
  • Adjusted Sortino Ratio: Sortino Ratio/√2. To allow for comparing the Sortino ratio to the Sharpe ratio, we multiply the risk measure of the Sortino ratio by the square root of 2 (which is the same as dividing the Sortino ratio by the square root of 2).
  • Ulcer Index: The Ulcer Index (UI) is a technical indicator that measures downside risk in terms of both the depth and duration of price declines.
  • Gain to Pain Ratio: The sum of all returns divided by the absolute value of the sum of all negative returns. In essence, the GPR shows the ratio of net returns to the losses incurred in getting those returns.

Annualized Returns

Annual Return 1y Annual Return 3y Annual Return 5y Annual Return 10y Annual Return 20y Annual Return
General American Investors Company, Inc 36.19 13.64 13.26 9.74 8.09 10.06

Annual Returns

Year General American Investors Company, Inc
1980 78.64%
1981 -5.43%
1982 -7.47%
1983 7.45%
1984 -21.97%
1985 14.07%
1986 11.63%
1987 -17.66%
1988 7.03%
1989 49.18%
1990 3.89%
1991 85.68%
1992 11.08%
1993 -16.16%
1994 -14.49%
1995 21.98%
1996 17.4%
1997 40.05%
1998 31.44%
1999 39.63%
2000 18.34%
2001 4.26%
2002 -27.16%
2003 27.06%
2004 8.89%
2005 13.04%
2006 16.31%
2007 8.73%
2008 -48.24%
2009 36.87%
2010 16.24%
2011 -5.32%
2012 17.67%
2013 34.38%
2014 9.45%
2015 -7.8%
2016 8.3%
2017 12.5%
2018 -10.25%
2019 33.99%
2020 -0.83%
2021 28.03%
2022 -14.84%
2023 26.84%
2024 32.26%

General American Investors Company, Inc had 32 positive years and 13 negative years. That's a positive ratio of 71%.

Monthly Returns

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YTD
1980 - - -3.9% 2% 13.9% 1.7% 11.1% 7.7% 5.7% -2% 22.8% 3.4% 78.6%
1981 -21.7% -2.8% 12.1% 3.8% 3.7% -4.1% -6.2% -1.3% -3.3% 8.3% 8.3% 2.4% -5.4%
1982 -22.4% -9.6% -4.9% 6.9% -4% 2.5% -3.3% 6.8% 6.4% 10.4% 6.8% 1.9% -7.5%
1983 -15.5% 9.6% 0% 6.7% 4.4% 5.4% -11.4% 7.7% 0% 2.4% 4.1% -2.8% 7.5%
1984 -16.8% -4.2% -2.9% -2.2% 0.8% -0% -2.3% 10.9% -1.4% -2.8% -5.1% 3.9% -22%
1985 -0.7% 0.7% -1.5% -2.3% 5.4% 1.5% 5.8% -2.7% -2.8% 2.9% 4.9% 2.7% 14.1%
1986 -0.9% 8.6% 3.9% 0.6% 2.5% 1.2% -3.6% 2.5% -6.8% 2.6% 1.8% -0.7% 11.6%
1987 9.7% 4.6% 1.3% -3.1% -1.3% 8.4% 2.4% 1.2% -1.7% -28.8% -0.2% -5.6% -17.7%
1988 11.6% 8.9% -3.3% -0.9% -0% 8.6% -3.2% -0.8% 2.5% 2.4% -12.2% -4.5% 7%
1989 10.7% -1.7% 4.3% 5.8% 5.5% -0.7% 6.7% 4.2% 0.7% 1.3% 4.7% -0% 49.2%
1990 -6.3% 2.2% 6.5% -1.4% 13.1% 0.6% -1.2% -11% -8.3% 3% 8.5% 0.7% 3.9%
1991 12.2% 9.9% 2.4% 4.7% 6.2% -6.3% 7.9% 6.3% 1% 4.9% -0.1% 16.6% 85.7%
1992 -4.3% 4.1% -0.9% -4.8% 0.5% -2.3% 5.6% -0% 0.9% -0% 6% 6.7% 11.1%
1993 -2.7% -6.2% -2.8% -6.3% 4.2% -7.5% 0% 2.2% -1.1% 5.3% -1.6% -0% -16.2%
1994 0.6% -0% -11.2% 5.7% 0.6% -5.9% 5% 4.2% -2.9% -1.2% -6.5% -2.6% -14.5%
1995 2.1% 4% -3.8% 2% -0.7% 4.6% 0.6% 1.9% 1.2% 0.6% 8.1% -0% 22%
1996 0.2% 2.5% 5.5% -0.6% 3.5% -1.1% -5.7% 6% 4% 0.6% 3.1% -1.2% 17.4%
1997 3.8% 0% -1.7% -0.6% 4.7% 9.6% 3.1% -0.3% 10% -4.3% 5.7% 5.3% 40.1%
1998 -2.5% 6.9% 7.9% 0.4% -1.3% 5.2% 3.7% -12.9% 5.5% 4.7% 11.9% 0.4% 31.4%
1999 5.8% -0% 2.4% 2% -2.9% 4.8% -1% 2.7% -2.3% 5.2% 9% 9% 39.6%
2000 1.2% 3.5% 6.4% -3.7% -1.8% 5.2% 0.6% 3.3% 2.6% -0.6% 1.5% -0.9% 18.3%
2001 9.8% -3.8% -5.6% 6.2% 6.8% -2.2% -3.9% -3.9% -9.4% 7.3% 4.5% 0.5% 4.3%
2002 2.8% -2.1% -1.2% -5.6% -5.1% -6.3% -8% 3.8% -11.2% 6% 3.5% -6.3% -27.2%
2003 -0.7% -3% 1.4% 9.2% 5.6% 2.4% 2.2% 0.8% -2.7% 5.3% 1.9% 2.6% 27.1%
2004 3% 1.1% -1.6% 0.2% -1.7% 0.8% -3.4% -2.4% 4% 3.2% 3.9% 1.9% 8.9%
2005 -1.1% 1.8% -1.2% -3.6% 3.7% 3.7% 6.8% 0.2% 1.7% -2.4% 2.7% 0.5% 13%
2006 5.2% 0.7% 3.4% -0.2% -3.1% -1.4% 0.4% 1.7% 2.2% 2.9% 3.1% 0.6% 16.3%
2007 0.9% -2.3% 0.6% 5.7% 4.4% -0.2% -3.2% 0.6% 3.2% 7.4% -9.3% 1.6% 8.7%
2008 -5.8% -1.8% 0% 5.2% 4.2% -7.4% -4.9% 0.1% -16% -23.4% -18.7% 10.7% -48.2%
2009 -8.1% -12.9% 10.2% 11.7% 7.1% 2.1% 12.6% 5.1% 7.2% -6.1% 3.3% 3.2% 36.9%
2010 -4.2% 3.9% 6.1% 4.5% -12.1% -6% 7.5% -4.9% 11.5% 2.5% 2.2% 6.9% 16.2%
2011 0.6% 5.1% -0.1% 2.4% -1% -2.4% -2.5% -6.1% -10.6% 12.4% -0.7% -1% -5.3%
2012 7.9% 5.5% 2.3% 0.3% -8.3% 2.3% 1.3% 1.9% 3.1% -1.7% 2.6% 0% 17.7%
2013 6.4% 2.3% 3.1% 1.5% 2.3% -1.5% 4.5% -1.9% 4.2% 4.1% 3.4% 1.7% 34.4%
2014 -4.8% 3.7% 1.4% 1.2% 0.3% 3% -0.9% 4.6% -2.9% 0.7% 4.1% -0.8% 9.5%
2015 -4.6% 6.8% -1.9% 0.7% 0.7% -1.9% -1.1% -6.7% -3.6% 9.2% -3.4% -1.3% -7.8%
2016 -10.3% 1.1% 8.2% 0.5% 0.3% -2.1% 5.8% 1% -0.9% -3.6% 8.1% 1.3% 8.3%
2017 3.9% 4.2% -0% 1.9% -0.7% 1.3% 2.1% -0.3% 3.1% -0.4% -4.8% 2% 12.5%
2018 4.2% -2.4% -3% 1.4% 0.7% 0.4% 4.2% 3.2% 0.2% -8.3% 2.3% -12.2% -10.3%
2019 9.6% 4.9% 1.8% 5.8% -5.6% 6.6% 3.1% -3.4% 2.9% 2.4% -0% 2.4% 34%
2020 -1.6% -9.6% -18.3% 9.4% 4.7% 1.3% 4.3% 6.8% -4.3% -3.1% 9.6% 3.8% -0.8%
2021 -0.6% 3% 5.3% 6.5% 1.1% 1.3% -0% 3.7% -4.3% 5.3% -0.3% 4.6% 28%
2022 -6.1% -0.5% 4.1% -8.6% -1.8% -7.2% 8.1% -3% -8.7% 7.6% 8.4% -5.8% -14.8%
2023 6.9% -0.8% 1.5% 1.6% -0.5% 6.1% 2.2% -2% -1.6% -1.8% 10.7% 2.6% 26.8%
2024 1.2% 2.9% 3.9% -2.3% 5.9% 3.3% 3.6% 2.2% 1.8% -1.6% 6.3% 1.3% 32.3%
Pos 52.3% 63.4% 56.8% 66.7% 63.6% 59.1% 59.1% 63.6% 52.3% 63.6% 72.7% 68.3% 71.1%
Avg -0.5% 1.2% 0.8% 1.6% 1.5% 0.6% 1.3% 0.9% -0.5% 0.9% 2.8% 1.3% 12.8%

Other Return Metrics

Metric General American Investors Company, Inc
Cumulative Return 7193.1%
Enh Ann Return 12.49%
Best Year 85.68%
Worst Year -48.24%
Best Month 22.76%
Worst Month -28.82%
Best Day 15.79%
Worst Day -17.4%
Win Ratio (Yearly) 71.11%
Win Ratio (Quarterly) 66.48%
Win Ratio (Monthly) 60.75%
Win Ratio (Daily) 54.74%

Annual Volatility

Annual Volatility 1y Annual Volatility 3y Annual Volatility 5y Annual Volatility 10y Annual Volatility 20y Annual Volatility
General American Investors Company, Inc 11.68 16.95 21.39 17.9 19.82 21.06

Sharpe Ratio

Sharpe Ratio 1y Sharpe Ratio 3y Sharpe Ratio 5y Sharpe Ratio 10y Sharpe Ratio 20y Sharpe Ratio
General American Investors Company, Inc 2.7 0.84 0.69 0.61 0.49 0.56

3-Year Rolling Sharpe Ratio

The rolling Sharpe Ratio gives a clue about the continued consistency or stability of the risk-adjusted returns.

Drawdown Periods

Simply said, a drawdown is the "pain" period experienced by an investor between a peak (new highs) and subsequent valley (a low point before moving higher). In the table below are the fifth largest drawdowns encountered for the portfolio/asset in question.

General American Investors Company, Inc

Start Valley End Days Drawdown
2007-10-17 2009-03-09 2013-05-17 2039 -66.63%
2020-02-13 2020-03-23 2021-02-10 363 -41.78%
1980-11-24 1982-08-09 1987-02-05 2264 -41.05%
1987-08-17 1987-12-10 1989-10-06 781 -40.25%
2001-05-30 2002-10-09 2005-07-19 1511 -37.9%

The General American Investors Company, Inc took approximately 46 months on average to recover from a major drawdown. The longest drawdown lasted 75 months.

Underwater plot

The underwater plot shows you the drawdown periods on a chart. Whereas the performance chart usually gives you a positive viewpoint, the underwater plot gives you a pessimistic viewpoint. It helps you to visualize downtrends that occurred and how long it took for the portfolio's value to rebound to hit a new high after suffering a loss.

Other Risk Metrics

Metric General American Investors Company, Inc
Sharpe Ratio 0.56
Sortino Ratio 0.78
Adjusted Sortino (S/√2) 0.55
Calmar Ratio 0.15
Omega Ratio 1.12
Gain to Pain Ratio 0.12
Ulcer Index 0.17
Kelly Criterion 5.74%
Skew -0.66
Kurtosis 17.23
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