Warren Buffett Portfolio vs Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio Portfolio Comparison

Simulation Settings
Period: January 1985 - March 2025 (~40 years)
Consolidated Returns as of 31 March 2025
Rebalancing: at every Jan 1st
Currency: USD
Inflation: US
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Results
30 Years
All (since January 1985)
Inflation Adjusted:
Warren Buffett Portfolio
1.00$
Initial Capital
April 1995
17.02$
Final Capital
March 2025
9.91%
Yearly Return
13.71%
Std Deviation
-45.52%
Max Drawdown
42months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Initial Capital
April 1995
8.05$
Final Capital
March 2025
7.20%
Yearly Return
13.71%
Std Deviation
-47.08%
Max Drawdown
149months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Initial Capital
January 1985
65.74$
Final Capital
March 2025
10.96%
Yearly Return
13.74%
Std Deviation
-45.52%
Max Drawdown
42months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Initial Capital
January 1985
21.69$
Final Capital
March 2025
7.94%
Yearly Return
13.74%
Std Deviation
-47.08%
Max Drawdown
149months
Recovery Period
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio
1.00$
Initial Capital
April 1995
11.96$
Final Capital
March 2025
8.62%
Yearly Return
13.26%
Std Deviation
-45.65%
Max Drawdown
41months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Initial Capital
April 1995
5.66$
Final Capital
March 2025
5.95%
Yearly Return
13.26%
Std Deviation
-46.54%
Max Drawdown
63months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Initial Capital
January 1985
54.57$
Final Capital
March 2025
10.45%
Yearly Return
13.28%
Std Deviation
-45.65%
Max Drawdown
41months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Initial Capital
January 1985
18.01$
Final Capital
March 2025
7.45%
Yearly Return
13.28%
Std Deviation
-46.54%
Max Drawdown
63months
Recovery Period

As of March 2025, in the previous 30 Years, the Warren Buffett Portfolio obtained a 9.91% compound annual return, with a 13.71% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -45.52% that required 42 months to be recovered.

As of March 2025, in the previous 30 Years, the Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio obtained a 8.62% compound annual return, with a 13.26% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -45.65% that required 41 months to be recovered.

Disclaimer: The simulations on this website are provided in good faith but should NOT be taken as investment advice. We are not liable for any errors or actions based on this information. The authors of the website are not affiliated with the portfolio creators, who are the sole owners of their intellectual property. The translation of asset allocations into ETFs is based on the interpretation of LazyPortfolioETF.com and may not exactly reflect the original intent of the portfolio creators. Content is for informational, educational, illustrative, and entertainment purposes only.
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Asset Allocations and ETFs

The compared portfolios have the following asset allocations.

Warren Buffett Portfolio
Weight
(%)
ETF
Ticker
Name
90.00
VV
Vanguard Large-Cap
10.00
SHY
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio
Weight
(%)
ETF
Ticker
Name
29.00
VUG
Vanguard Growth
21.00
VEU
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US
19.00
VTV
Vanguard Value
9.00
EEM
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets
3.00
IJS
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value
3.00
IJT
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth
5.00
IEI
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond
4.00
LQD
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond
3.00
MBB
iShares MBS
2.00
BIL
SPDR Blmbg Barclays 1-3 Mth T-Bill
1.00
BNDX
Vanguard Total International Bond
1.00
HYG
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond
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Portfolio Returns as of Mar 31, 2025

Returns are calculated in USD, assuming:
  • no fees or capital gain taxes.
  • rebalancing: at every Jan 1st.
  • dividend reinvestment, when applicable.
RETURN COMPARISON
Period: 1 January 1985 - 31 March 2025 (~40 years)
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Return (%) as of Mar 31, 2025
YTD
(3M)
1M 6M 1Y 5Y 10Y 30Y MAX
(~40Y)
//www.lazyportfolioetf.com/wp-content/themes/dynamico-child/img/author/avatar_warren_buffett.webp Warren Buffett Portfolio
Warren Buffett
-3.78 -5.16 -1.37 8.40 16.75 11.36 9.91 10.96
//www.lazyportfolioetf.com/wp-content/themes/dynamico-child/img/author/avatar_merrill_lynch.webp Edge Select Aggressive
Merrill Lynch
-0.78 -3.02 -1.59 7.51 13.51 8.74 8.62 10.45
Return over 1 year are annualized.
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Capital Growth as of Mar 31, 2025

Warren Buffett Portfolio: an investment of 1$, since April 1995, now would be worth 17.02$, with a total return of 1601.84% (9.91% annualized).

Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio: an investment of 1$, since April 1995, now would be worth 11.96$, with a total return of 1096.41% (8.62% annualized).


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Warren Buffett Portfolio: an investment of 1$, since January 1985, now would be worth 65.74$, with a total return of 6473.93% (10.96% annualized).

Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio: an investment of 1$, since January 1985, now would be worth 54.57$, with a total return of 5357.28% (10.45% annualized).


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Portfolio Metrics as of Mar 31, 2025

The following metrics, updated as of 31 March 2025, provide an overview of performance and risk, with the best value in each row highlighted within the table.

METRIC COMPARISON
Period: 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025 (1 year)
Period: 1 April 2020 - 31 March 2025 (5 years)
Period: 1 April 2015 - 31 March 2025 (10 years)
Period: 1 April 1995 - 31 March 2025 (30 years)
Period: 1 January 1985 - 31 March 2025 (~40 years)
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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Author Warren Buffett Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 90% 84%
Fixed Income 10% 16%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 8.40 7.51
Infl. Adjusted Return (%) 5.87 5.00
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -6.34 -3.25
Start to Recovery (months) 2* 2*
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -6.34 -3.25
Start to Recovery (months) 2* 2*
Longest Negative Period (months) 6* 6*
Drawdowns / Negative periods marked with * are in progress
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 11.13 8.83
Sharpe Ratio 0.31 0.30
Sortino Ratio 0.42 0.39
Ulcer Index 2.16 1.54
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 0.76 0.85
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 1.33 2.31
Metrics calculated over the period 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Author Warren Buffett Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 90% 84%
Fixed Income 10% 16%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 16.75 13.51
Infl. Adjusted Return (%) 11.86 8.76
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -23.08 -23.81
Start to Recovery (months) 24 26
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -23.08 -23.81
Start to Recovery (months) 24 26
Longest Negative Period (months) 28 32
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 15.34 13.97
Sharpe Ratio 0.93 0.79
Sortino Ratio 1.26 1.09
Ulcer Index 7.92 8.01
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 1.09 0.97
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.73 0.57
Metrics calculated over the period 1 April 2020 - 31 March 2025
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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Author Warren Buffett Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 90% 84%
Fixed Income 10% 16%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 11.36 8.74
Infl. Adjusted Return (%) 8.03 5.49
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -23.08 -23.81
Start to Recovery (months) 24 26
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -23.08 -23.81
Start to Recovery (months) 24 26
Longest Negative Period (months) 28 32
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 13.92 12.95
Sharpe Ratio 0.69 0.54
Sortino Ratio 0.92 0.73
Ulcer Index 6.32 6.58
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 0.82 0.67
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.49 0.37
Metrics calculated over the period 1 April 2015 - 31 March 2025
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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Author Warren Buffett Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 90% 84%
Fixed Income 10% 16%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 9.91 8.62
Infl. Adjusted Return (%) 7.20 5.95
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -45.52 -45.65
Start to Recovery (months) 42 41
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -39.67 -33.96
Start to Recovery (months) 73 56
Longest Negative Period (months) 132 118
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 13.71 13.26
Sharpe Ratio 0.56 0.48
Sortino Ratio 0.73 0.63
Ulcer Index 12.59 11.10
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 0.72 0.65
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.22 0.19
Metrics calculated over the period 1 April 1995 - 31 March 2025
Swipe left to see all data
Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Author Warren Buffett Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 90% 84%
Fixed Income 10% 16%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 10.96 10.45
Infl. Adjusted Return (%) 7.94 7.45
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -45.52 -45.65
Start to Recovery (months) 42 41
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -39.67 -33.96
Start to Recovery (months) 73 56
Longest Negative Period (months) 132 118
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 13.74 13.28
Sharpe Ratio 0.57 0.55
Sortino Ratio 0.74 0.72
Ulcer Index 11.38 9.98
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 0.80 0.79
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.24 0.23
Metrics calculated over the period 1 January 1985 - 31 March 2025
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Drawdowns

A drawdown refers to the decline in value from a relative peak value to a relative trough. A maximum drawdown is the maximum observed loss from a peak to a trough of a portfolio before a new peak is attained.

DRAWDOWN COMPARISON
Period: 1 April 1995 - 31 March 2025 (30 years)
Period: 1 January 1985 - 31 March 2025 (~40 years)

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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
-45.65 41 Nov 2007
Mar 2011
-45.52 42 Nov 2007
Apr 2011
-39.67 73 Sep 2000
Sep 2006
-33.96 56 Apr 2000
Nov 2004
-23.81 26 Jan 2022
Feb 2024
-23.08 24 Jan 2022
Dec 2023
-17.64 7 Jan 2020
Jul 2020
-17.49 6 Feb 2020
Jul 2020
-16.85 11 May 2011
Mar 2012
-15.04 10 May 2011
Feb 2012
-13.97 7 May 1998
Nov 1998
-13.83 5 Jul 1998
Nov 1998
-12.09 7 Oct 2018
Apr 2019
-11.27 7 Oct 2018
Apr 2019
-10.51 14 Jun 2015
Jul 2016

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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
-45.65 41 Nov 2007
Mar 2011
-45.52 42 Nov 2007
Apr 2011
-39.67 73 Sep 2000
Sep 2006
-33.96 56 Apr 2000
Nov 2004
-27.35 21 Sep 1987
May 1989
-23.81 26 Jan 2022
Feb 2024
-23.08 24 Jan 2022
Dec 2023
-22.86 17 Sep 1987
Jan 1989
-17.64 7 Jan 2020
Jul 2020
-17.49 6 Feb 2020
Jul 2020
-16.85 11 May 2011
Mar 2012
-15.96 7 Aug 1990
Feb 1991
-15.04 10 May 2011
Feb 2012
-13.97 7 May 1998
Nov 1998
-13.83 5 Jul 1998
Nov 1998

Rolling Returns

By selecting the 'Rolling Period', the chart and data will update. To study a different date range, change the Simulation Settings.

You can explore the Rolling Returns for a single portfolio, or check the return differential, by switching on "Head To Head" toggle.

Rolling Returns Comparison
Annualized Rolling Returns Chart
Rolling Returns Chart - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 January 1985 - 31 March 2025 (~40 years)


Head To Head (Ptf 1 vs Ptf 2):
US Inflation Adjusted:

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Yearly Returns

For each year, the following table provides the return and intra-year drawdown. The highlighted returns represent the highest values for that specific year.

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Warren Buffett Portfolio Edge Select Aggressive
Year Return
(%)
Drawdown
(%)
Return
(%)
Drawdown
(%)
2025
-3.78 -6.34 -0.78 -3.25
2024
23.12 -3.67 15.15 -3.19
2023
24.86 -7.55 21.47 -8.85
2022
-18.29 -23.08 -17.87 -23.81
2021
24.59 -4.32 15.74 -3.70
2020
19.19 -17.49 17.62 -17.64
2019
28.46 -5.73 24.61 -5.32
2018
-3.84 -12.09 -6.88 -11.27
2017
19.83 0.00 21.70 0.00
2016
10.69 -4.87 9.21 -4.97
2015
0.96 -7.73 -1.81 -9.34
2014
12.08 -2.97 6.27 -3.59
2013
29.44 -2.62 20.62 -2.29
2012
14.59 -6.10 15.28 -7.41
2011
1.43 -15.04 -2.72 -16.85
2010
14.55 -11.71 14.37 -10.38
2009
24.66 -16.03 30.72 -15.46
2008
-32.35 -33.45 -32.45 -35.23
2007
6.30 -4.37 10.67 -4.82
2006
14.32 -2.48 16.89 -3.81
2005
5.58 -3.97 9.86 -4.16
2004
9.73 -2.96 13.59 -3.69
2003
25.87 -3.66 30.43 -3.69
2002
-19.13 -24.82 -14.01 -20.65
2001
-10.04 -20.31 -9.00 -19.93
2000
-7.27 -11.55 -8.67 -12.07
1999
19.15 -5.59 23.19 -2.88
1998
26.49 -13.83 18.05 -13.97
1997
30.52 -5.15 17.27 -6.20
1996
21.03 -3.99 15.00 -3.98
1995
34.91 -0.25 23.68 -0.91
1994
1.01 -6.47 0.50 -7.08
1993
9.53 -2.10 21.88 -3.14
1992
7.36 -2.36 3.09 -3.48
1991
28.35 -4.14 34.86 -4.62
1990
-2.00 -12.77 -6.03 -15.96
1989
29.38 -2.30 30.19 -2.36
1988
15.17 -3.40 18.97 -3.56
1987
4.71 -27.35 4.52 -22.86
1986
17.29 -7.59 25.81 -5.82
1985
29.49 -3.46 34.45 -2.58
The first official book of
Build wealth
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