AOA vs. VLU

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) and SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF (VLU).

AOA and VLU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AOA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Target Risk Aggressive Index. It was launched on Nov 4, 2008. VLU is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 1500 Low Valuation Tilt Index. It was launched on Oct 24, 2012. Both AOA and VLU are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

AOA vs. VLU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) and SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF (VLU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AOA vs. VLU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AOA iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF	-0.73%	19.59%	13.55%	18.27%	-16.23%	15.42%	12.82%	22.60%	-7.86%	20.05%
VLU SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF	3.32%	16.70%	17.24%	17.18%	-8.24%	30.95%	9.91%	26.20%	-7.89%	18.16%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AOA achieves a -0.73% return, which is significantly lower than VLU's 3.32% return. Over the past 10 years, AOA has underperformed VLU with an annualized return of 9.71%, while VLU has yielded a comparatively higher 13.23% annualized return.

AOA

• 1D: -0.14%
• 1M: -2.63%
• YTD: -0.73%
• 6M: 1.53%
• 1Y: 18.01%
• 3Y*: 14.24%
• 5Y*: 7.94%
• 10Y*: 9.71%

VLU

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: -1.90%
• YTD: 3.32%
• 6M: 6.92%
• 1Y: 19.15%
• 3Y*: 17.24%
• 5Y*: 11.40%
• 10Y*: 13.23%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AOA vs. VLU - Expense Ratio Comparison

AOA has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than VLU's 0.12% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

AOA

iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF

VLU

SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF

Return for Risk

AOA vs. VLU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AOA

AOA Risk / Return Rank: 69
AOA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
AOA Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
AOA Omega Ratio Rank: 71
AOA Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
AOA Martin Ratio Rank: 71

VLU

VLU Risk / Return Rank: 61
VLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
VLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
VLU Omega Ratio Rank: 65
VLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
VLU Martin Ratio Rank: 65

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AOA vs. VLU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) and SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF (VLU). 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	VLU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.30	1.15	+0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.90	1.67	+0.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.26	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.93	1.62	+0.30
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.48	7.67	+0.81
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AOA vs. VLU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AOA Sharpe Ratio is 1.30, which is comparable to the VLU Sharpe Ratio of 1.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AOA and VLU, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AOA	VLU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.30	1.15	+0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.62	0.74	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.72	0.73	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.65	0.78	-0.13

Correlation

The correlation between AOA and VLU is 0.67, 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

AOA vs. VLU - Dividend Comparison

AOA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.26%, more than VLU's 1.77% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AOA iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF	2.26%	2.18%	2.30%	2.22%	2.10%	1.67%	1.71%	2.50%	2.37%	5.09%	2.26%	2.15%
VLU SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF	1.77%	1.82%	2.00%	2.02%	2.16%	1.86%	1.98%	2.19%	2.57%	1.96%	2.14%	6.37%

Drawdowns

AOA vs. VLU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AOA drawdown since its inception was -28.38%, smaller than the maximum VLU drawdown of -37.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AOA and VLU.

Drawdown Indicators

	AOA	VLU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.38%	-37.39%	+9.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.20%	-7.95%	-0.25%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.62%	-19.55%	-4.07%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-28.38%	-37.39%	+9.01%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.31%	-3.67%	-1.64%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.08%	-3.78%	-0.30%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.18%	2.62%	-0.44%

Volatility

AOA vs. VLU - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) has a higher volatility of 5.20% compared to SPDR S&P 1500 Value Tilt ETF (VLU) at 4.20%. This indicates that AOA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VLU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AOA	VLU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.20%	4.20%	+1.00%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.33%	8.63%	-0.30%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.87%	16.76%	-2.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.91%	15.45%	-2.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.51%	18.09%	-4.58%