AGG vs. UCON
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) and First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF (UCON).
AGG and UCON are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AGG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. It was launched on Sep 22, 2003. UCON is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Jun 4, 2018.
Performance
AGG vs. UCON - Performance Comparison
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AGG vs. UCON - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.32% | 7.19% | 1.31% | 5.65% | -13.02% | -1.77% | 7.48% | 8.46% | 2.16% |
UCON First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF | -0.20% | 7.00% | 4.69% | 7.72% | -5.72% | 1.02% | 6.54% | 7.39% | 1.11% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AGG achieves a 0.32% return, which is significantly higher than UCON's -0.20% return.
AGG
- 1D
- 0.23%
- 1M
- -0.96%
- YTD
- 0.32%
- 6M
- 1.01%
- 1Y
- 3.86%
- 3Y*
- 3.55%
- 5Y*
- 0.29%
- 10Y*
- 1.68%
UCON
- 1D
- 0.24%
- 1M
- -0.95%
- YTD
- -0.20%
- 6M
- 0.79%
- 1Y
- 4.86%
- 3Y*
- 5.78%
- 5Y*
- 2.72%
- 10Y*
- —
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AGG vs. UCON - Expense Ratio Comparison
AGG has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than UCON's 0.86% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
AGG vs. UCON — Risk / Return Rank
AGG
UCON
AGG vs. UCON - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) and First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF (UCON). 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.
| AGG | UCON | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.02 | 1.77 | -0.75 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.44 | 2.50 | -1.06 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.18 | 1.33 | -0.15 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.70 | 2.08 | -0.38 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.71 | 8.96 | -4.26 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| AGG | UCON | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.02 | 1.77 | -0.75 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.05 | 0.71 | -0.66 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.31 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.60 | 0.62 | -0.03 |
Correlation
The correlation between AGG and UCON is 0.52, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.
Dividends
AGG vs. UCON - Dividend Comparison
AGG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.94%, less than UCON's 4.65% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 3.94% | 3.89% | 3.74% | 3.13% | 2.39% | 1.77% | 2.14% | 2.70% | 2.72% | 2.32% | 2.39% | 2.45% |
UCON First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF | 4.65% | 4.63% | 4.95% | 4.75% | 3.12% | 2.20% | 3.14% | 3.25% | 1.76% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
AGG vs. UCON - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AGG drawdown since its inception was -18.43%, which is greater than UCON's maximum drawdown of -15.31%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AGG and UCON.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AGG | UCON | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.43% | -15.31% | -3.12% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.52% | -2.45% | -0.07% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.82% | -9.60% | -8.22% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -18.43% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.07% | -1.38% | -0.69% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.71% | -1.50% | -1.21% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.91% | 0.57% | +0.34% |
Volatility
AGG vs. UCON - Volatility Comparison
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) has a higher volatility of 1.69% compared to First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF (UCON) at 1.58%. This indicates that AGG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UCON based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AGG | UCON | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.69% | 1.58% | +0.11% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.55% | 2.07% | +0.48% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.36% | 2.93% | +1.43% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.07% | 3.84% | +2.23% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.39% | 5.93% | -0.54% |