BWX vs. XRB.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) and iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF (XRB.TO).

BWX and XRB.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BWX is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Global Treasury x US Capped (Inception 8/31/2007). It was launched on Oct 2, 2007. XRB.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada Real Return Bond Index. It was launched on Dec 19, 2005. Both BWX and XRB.TO 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

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) and iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF (XRB.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BWX SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF	-2.24%	7.67%	-5.93%	5.10%	-19.72%	-8.67%	9.50%	5.58%	-1.85%	9.93%
XRB.TO iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF	0.21%	4.91%	-4.23%	0.12%	-20.67%	-0.55%	14.38%	11.25%	-8.87%	6.81%

Different Trading Currencies

BWX is traded in USD, while XRB.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the XRB.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BWX achieves a -2.24% return, which is significantly lower than XRB.TO's 0.21% return. Over the past 10 years, BWX has underperformed XRB.TO with an annualized return of -1.19%, while XRB.TO has yielded a comparatively higher -0.37% annualized return.

BWX

• 1D: 1.06%
• 1M: -4.52%
• YTD: -2.24%
• 6M: -3.48%
• 1Y: 2.64%
• 3Y*: 0.23%
• 5Y*: -4.08%
• 10Y*: -1.19%

XRB.TO

• 1D: 0.32%
• 1M: -3.79%
• YTD: 0.21%
• 6M: 1.42%
• 1Y: 2.64%
• 3Y*: 0.25%
• 5Y*: -3.31%
• 10Y*: -0.37%

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

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

BWX has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than XRB.TO's 0.39% expense ratio.

XRB.TO

iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF

BWX

SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF

Return for Risk

BWX vs. XRB.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

BWX

BWX Risk / Return Rank: 21
BWX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
BWX Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
BWX Omega Ratio Rank: 19
BWX Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
BWX Martin Ratio Rank: 20

XRB.TO

XRB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 10
XRB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 10
XRB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
XRB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 8
XRB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
XRB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 11

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.

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) and iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF (XRB.TO). 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.

	BWX	XRB.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.30	0.31	-0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.51	0.49	+0.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.06	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.44	0.57	-0.14
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.07	1.33	-0.26
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BWX Sharpe Ratio is 0.30, which is comparable to the XRB.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BWX and XRB.TO, 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

	BWX	XRB.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.30	0.31	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.43	-0.24	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.14	-0.03	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.05	0.19	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between BWX and XRB.TO is 0.51, 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

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Dividend Comparison

BWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.28%, less than XRB.TO's 3.73% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BWX SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF	2.28%	2.19%	1.99%	1.63%	1.23%	0.93%	0.95%	1.16%	1.07%	0.46%	0.00%	0.00%
XRB.TO iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF	3.73%	3.78%	2.40%	2.40%	1.86%	1.25%	1.38%	1.74%	1.76%	1.71%	1.61%	1.63%

Drawdowns

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BWX drawdown since its inception was -34.05%, smaller than the maximum XRB.TO drawdown of -37.40%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BWX and XRB.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	BWX	XRB.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.05%	-26.54%	-7.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.16%	-6.66%	+0.50%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.25%	-26.54%	-4.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.05%	-26.54%	-7.51%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-24.23%	-14.30%	-9.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.92%	-7.00%	-2.92%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.52%	3.34%	-0.82%

Volatility

BWX vs. XRB.TO - Volatility Comparison

SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) has a higher volatility of 3.37% compared to iShares Canadian Real Return Bond Index ETF (XRB.TO) at 2.67%. This indicates that BWX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XRB.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BWX	XRB.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.37%	2.67%	+0.70%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.11%	5.11%	0.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.85%	8.45%	+0.40%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.62%	13.81%	-4.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.64%	13.32%	-4.68%