AOA vs. HISF
AOA (iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF) and HISF (First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF) are both Diversified Portfolio funds. AOA is passively managed, while HISF is actively managed. Over the past year, AOA returned 24.29% vs 5.74% for HISF. At a 0.43 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. AOA charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.87%/yr for HISF.
Performance
AOA vs. HISF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AOA achieves a 9.93% return, which is significantly higher than HISF's 0.03% return.
AOA
- 1D
- -0.50%
- 1M
- 4.14%
- YTD
- 9.93%
- 6M
- 10.64%
- 1Y
- 24.29%
- 3Y*
- 17.52%
- 5Y*
- 9.15%
- 10Y*
- 10.56%
HISF
- 1D
- -0.21%
- 1M
- 0.26%
- YTD
- 0.03%
- 6M
- 0.23%
- 1Y
- 5.74%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
AOA vs. HISF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
AOA iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF | 9.93% | 19.59% | 10.22% |
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF | 0.03% | 8.39% | 3.30% |
Correlation
The correlation between AOA and HISF is 0.54, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.54 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 29, 2024 | 0.43 |
The correlation between AOA and HISF shifts across timeframes, from 0.43 (all time) to 0.54 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
AOA vs. HISF — Risk / Return Rank
AOA
HISF
AOA vs. HISF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). 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.
| AOA | HISF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.56 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.68 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.32 | +0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.98 | 1.99 | +0.99 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.20 | 7.21 | +5.99 |
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
| AOA | HISF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.30 | 1.74 | +0.56 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.71 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.78 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.69 | 1.31 | -0.62 |
Drawdowns
AOA vs. HISF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AOA drawdown since its inception was -28.38%, which is greater than HISF's maximum drawdown of -3.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AOA and HISF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AOA | HISF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -28.38% | -3.86% | -24.52% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.20% | -2.90% | -5.30% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -12.94% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -23.62% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -28.38% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.50% | -1.20% | +0.70% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.05% | -0.89% | -3.16% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.84% | 0.80% | +1.04% |
Volatility
AOA vs. HISF - Volatility Comparison
iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) has a higher volatility of 3.25% compared to First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) at 1.21%. This indicates that AOA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HISF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AOA | HISF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.25% | 1.21% | +2.04% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 8.51% | 2.61% | +5.90% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 10.63% | 3.32% | +7.31% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 12.98% | 3.95% | +9.03% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 13.55% | 3.95% | +9.60% |
AOA vs. HISF - Expense Ratio Comparison
AOA has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than HISF's 0.87% expense ratio.
Dividends
AOA vs. HISF - Dividend Comparison
AOA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.04%, less than HISF's 5.00% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AOA iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF | 2.04% | 2.18% | 2.30% | 2.22% | 2.10% | 1.67% | 1.71% | 2.50% | 2.37% | 5.09% | 2.26% | 2.15% |
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF | 5.00% | 4.69% | 3.92% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AOA and HISF have a correlation of 0.54, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AOA has higher volatility (3.25%) compared to HISF (1.21%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AOA dropped -28.38% vs HISF's -3.86%.
On 1-year performance, AOA leads with 24.29% vs 5.74% for HISF. On fees, AOA is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, HISF has been the lower-risk option at 1.21%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, AOA has performed better with a 24.29% return vs 5.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
AOA is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.87% for HISF.
HISF has the higher dividend yield at 5.00%, compared with 2.04% for AOA.
They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for AOA and 0.87% for HISF.
AOA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.30 vs 1.74), 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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