AGG vs. BDEC
AGG (iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF) and BDEC (Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December) are both exchange-traded funds - AGG is a Total Bond Market fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, while BDEC is a Defined Outcome fund tracking the Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Index December. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, AGG returned 0.06%/yr vs 9.87%/yr for BDEC. At a 0.15 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. AGG charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.79%/yr for BDEC.
Performance
AGG vs. BDEC - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AGG achieves a 0.52% return, which is significantly lower than BDEC's 6.51% return.
AGG
- 1D
- -0.12%
- 1M
- 0.46%
- YTD
- 0.52%
- 6M
- 0.93%
- 1Y
- 4.87%
- 3Y*
- 4.19%
- 5Y*
- 0.06%
- 10Y*
- 1.57%
BDEC
- 1D
- 0.34%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 6.51%
- 6M
- 6.90%
- 1Y
- 20.50%
- 3Y*
- 14.06%
- 5Y*
- 9.87%
- 10Y*
- —
AGG vs. BDEC - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.52% | 7.19% | 1.31% | 5.65% | -13.02% | -1.77% | 7.48% | -0.05% |
BDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December | 6.51% | 14.96% | 12.71% | 19.86% | -9.42% | 15.45% | 13.39% | 1.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between AGG and BDEC is 0.32, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 2, 2019 | 0.15 |
The correlation between AGG and BDEC shifts across timeframes, from 0.15 (all time) to 0.32 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
AGG vs. BDEC — Risk / Return Rank
AGG
BDEC
AGG vs. BDEC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) and Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| AGG | BDEC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.99 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.28 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.21 | 1.41 | -0.20 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.63 | 2.99 | -1.35 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.82 | 14.06 | -9.24 |
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Drawdowns
AGG vs. BDEC - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AGG drawdown since its inception was -18.43%, smaller than the maximum BDEC drawdown of -25.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AGG and BDEC.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AGG | BDEC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.43% | -25.60% | +7.17% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.76% | -6.52% | +3.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -6.11% | -13.95% | +7.84% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.82% | -16.44% | -1.38% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -18.43% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.88% | -1.15% | -0.73% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.71% | -3.04% | +0.33% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.94% | 1.38% | -0.44% |
Volatility
AGG vs. BDEC - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) is 1.37%, while Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC) has a volatility of 2.38%. This indicates that AGG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BDEC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AGG | BDEC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.37% | 2.38% | -1.01% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.81% | 6.64% | -3.83% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.82% | 8.96% | -5.14% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.09% | 11.99% | -5.90% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.41% | 14.26% | -8.85% |
AGG vs. BDEC - Expense Ratio Comparison
AGG has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than BDEC's 0.79% expense ratio.
Dividends
AGG vs. BDEC - Dividend Comparison
AGG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.98%, while BDEC has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 3.98% | 3.89% | 3.74% | 3.13% | 2.39% | 1.77% | 2.14% | 2.70% | 2.72% | 2.32% | 2.39% | 2.45% |
BDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AGG and BDEC have a correlation of 0.32, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
BDEC has higher volatility (2.38%) compared to AGG (1.37%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AGG dropped -18.43% vs BDEC's -25.60%.
On 5-year performance, BDEC leads with 9.87% vs 0.06% for AGG. On fees, AGG is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, AGG has been the lower-risk option at 1.37%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, BDEC has performed better with a 9.87% return vs 0.06%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
AGG is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.79% for BDEC.
AGG has the higher dividend yield at 3.98%, compared with 0.00% for BDEC.
AGG is categorized as Total Bond Market, while BDEC is Defined Outcome. AGG tracks Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, while BDEC tracks Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Index December. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Innovator. Their fees differ too: 0.03% for AGG and 0.79% for BDEC.
BDEC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.17 vs 1.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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