FLCB vs. BOXA

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF (FLCB) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA).

FLCB and BOXA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FLCB is an actively managed fund by Franklin Templeton. It was launched on Sep 19, 2019. BOXA is an actively managed fund by Alpha Architect. It was launched on Dec 17, 2024.

Performance

FLCB vs. BOXA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF (FLCB) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FLCB vs. BOXA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
FLCB Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF	0.05%	6.95%	-0.02%
BOXA Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF	-0.12%	5.41%	0.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FLCB achieves a 0.05% return, which is significantly higher than BOXA's -0.12% return.

FLCB

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: -1.84%
• YTD: 0.05%
• 6M: 1.01%
• 1Y: 4.25%
• 3Y*: 3.66%
• 5Y*: 0.10%
• 10Y*: —

BOXA

• 1D: 0.21%
• 1M: -1.98%
• YTD: -0.12%
• 6M: 0.69%
• 1Y: 3.10%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FLCB vs. BOXA - Expense Ratio Comparison

FLCB has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than BOXA's 0.23% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

BOXA

Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF

FLCB

Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF

Return for Risk

FLCB vs. BOXA — Risk / Return Rank

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

FLCB

FLCB Risk / Return Rank: 55
FLCB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
FLCB Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
FLCB Omega Ratio Rank: 46
FLCB Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
FLCB Martin Ratio Rank: 50

BOXA

BOXA Risk / Return Rank: 39
BOXA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
BOXA Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
BOXA Omega Ratio Rank: 33
BOXA Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
BOXA Martin Ratio Rank: 39

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.

FLCB vs. BOXA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF (FLCB) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA). 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.

	FLCB	BOXA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.99	0.75	+0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.40	1.06	+0.34
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.13	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.72	1.13	+0.59
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.82	3.61	+1.21
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FLCB vs. BOXA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FLCB Sharpe Ratio is 0.99, which is higher than the BOXA Sharpe Ratio of 0.75. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FLCB and BOXA, 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

	FLCB	BOXA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.99	0.75	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.02	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	1.00	-0.84

Correlation

The correlation between FLCB and BOXA is 0.92, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

FLCB vs. BOXA - Dividend Comparison

FLCB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.21%, more than BOXA's 0.13% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
FLCB Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF	4.21%	4.19%	4.10%	3.40%	2.73%	2.28%	3.24%	0.73%
BOXA Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF	0.13%	0.13%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FLCB vs. BOXA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FLCB drawdown since its inception was -18.82%, which is greater than BOXA's maximum drawdown of -2.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FLCB and BOXA.

Drawdown Indicators

	FLCB	BOXA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.82%	-2.87%	-15.95%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.57%	-2.87%	+0.30%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.48%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.57%	-1.98%	-0.59%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.74%	-0.59%	-6.15%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.92%	0.90%	+0.02%

Volatility

FLCB vs. BOXA - Volatility Comparison

Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF (FLCB) has a higher volatility of 1.71% compared to Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA) at 1.55%. This indicates that FLCB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BOXA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FLCB	BOXA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.71%	1.55%	+0.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.60%	2.42%	+0.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.31%	4.15%	+0.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.72%	4.18%	+1.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.54%	4.18%	+1.36%