Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR) Performance
BFOR total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +13.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +15.9% total return
- 5 years
- +9.5% a year
- 10 years
- +12.4% a year
- Since first price
- +11.3% a year since 2013
BFOR trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BFOR total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.2% | +1.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.3% | +0.3% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.2% | +5.2% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +13.5% | +13.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +15.9% | +15.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +77.8%+21.1%/yr | +73.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +57.2%+9.5%/yr | +49.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +223.1%+12.4%/yr | +194.9% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 4, 2013 | +318.9%+11.3%/yr | +275.7% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: BFOR vs SPY
From Jun 4, 2013: BFOR grew to $41,886, SPY to $58,394.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BFOR returns by calendar year
9 of 12 full years positive. Best 2021 (+30.7%), worst 2022 (−15.9%). 2026 is year to date.
BFOR annual returns table
| Year | BFOR | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +13.5% | −9.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.8% | −19.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +17.8% | −8.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.2% | −13.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −15.9% | −25.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +30.7% | −7.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +17.6% | −38.9% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +21.3% | −11.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −13.9% | −26.9% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +19.4% | −4.8% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +16.8% | −11.6% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −3.3% | −15.0% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +6.3% | −11.1% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
BFOR largest drawdowns
Now 5.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2018 | −41.3% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 9, 2020 | 1.6 years | 2.2 years |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −25.9% | Sep 26, 2022 | Feb 12, 2024 | 10 months | 2.2 years |
| Jun 23, 2015 | −23.4% | Feb 11, 2016 | Nov 17, 2016 | 8 months | 1.4 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −21.9% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 23, 2025 | 4 months | 8 months |
| Jul 3, 2014 | −11.1% | Oct 13, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 | 3 months | 5 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
BFOR risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.7% | +10.4% | +12.0% | +11.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.2% | 18.7% | 18.8% | 17.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.92 | 0.43 | 0.58 | 0.60 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.63 | 0.68 | 0.88 | 0.93 |
| Best month | +10.6% | +11.7% | +15.1% | +15.1% |
| Worst month | −7.5% | −11.3% | −17.3% | −17.3% |
| Best 12 months | +38.3% | +38.3% | +82.4% | +82.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +3.0% | −15.9% | −21.5% | −21.5% |
| Positive months | 61% | 55% | 63% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.94 | 1.02 | 1.09 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.76 | 0.85 | 0.89 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
BFOR rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 149 | −21.5% | +11.8% | +82.4% | 74% |
| 3-year (a year) | 125 | −4.5% | +9.7% | +23.1% | 98% |
| 5-year (a year) | 101 | −0.5% | +10.2% | +18.6% | 99% |
| 10-year (a year) | 41 | +7.5% | +9.8% | +13.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2013. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BFOR performance overview
Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR) returned +15.9% over the past year and +12.4% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2013 it has returned +11.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $41,886. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −41.3%, from Aug 29, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. BFOR finished 9 of its 12 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+30.7%) and the worst 2022 (−15.9%). Volatility has been 17.5% a year.
Related: BFOR chart, BFOR holdings, BFOR dividends, BFOR valuation. See the BFOR overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BFOR performance FAQ
What is the BFOR return over the past year?
BFOR returned +15.9% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 15.2%.
What is the average annual return of BFOR?
BFOR has returned +9.5% a year over 5 years, +12.4% a year over 10 years, +11.3% a year since June 4, 2013 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in BFOR be worth?
$10,000 invested in BFOR at its first recorded close on June 4, 2013 would be worth about $41,886 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BFOR?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −15.9%. The best was 2021 at +30.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BFOR?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −41.3% between August 29, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 9, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is BFOR?
Over the past 3 years BFOR had an annualized volatility of 15.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.92 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).