GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio (GBAL.TO) and Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.TO).

GBAL.TO and VBAL.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GBAL.TO is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Sep 2, 2020. VBAL.TO is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Jan 25, 2018.

Performance

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio (GBAL.TO) and Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
GBAL.TO iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio	-0.84%	11.77%	17.38%	14.48%	-11.94%	11.32%	6.10%
VBAL.TO Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio	0.43%	13.28%	14.60%	12.46%	-11.41%	10.19%	6.69%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GBAL.TO achieves a -0.84% return, which is significantly lower than VBAL.TO's 0.43% return.

GBAL.TO

• 1D: 0.60%
• 1M: -2.88%
• YTD: -0.84%
• 6M: -1.33%
• 1Y: 11.13%
• 3Y*: 12.34%
• 5Y*: 7.34%
• 10Y*: —

VBAL.TO

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -3.14%
• YTD: 0.43%
• 6M: 1.79%
• 1Y: 13.36%
• 3Y*: 11.80%
• 5Y*: 6.97%
• 10Y*: —

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

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

GBAL.TO has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than VBAL.TO's 0.24% 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%.

GBAL.TO

iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio

VBAL.TO

Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio

Return for Risk

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

GBAL.TO

GBAL.TO Risk / Return Rank: 58
GBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
GBAL.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
GBAL.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 54
GBAL.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
GBAL.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 58

VBAL.TO

VBAL.TO Risk / Return Rank: 71
VBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
VBAL.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
VBAL.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 73
VBAL.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
VBAL.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio (GBAL.TO) and Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.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.

	GBAL.TO	VBAL.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.09	1.32	-0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.53	1.85	-0.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.28	-0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.70	1.77	-0.07
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.99	7.33	-1.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.09, which is comparable to the VBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GBAL.TO and VBAL.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

	GBAL.TO	VBAL.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.09	1.32	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.77	0.82	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.87	0.71	+0.15

Correlation

The correlation between GBAL.TO and VBAL.TO is 0.66, 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

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Dividend Comparison

GBAL.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.89%, less than VBAL.TO's 2.20% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
GBAL.TO iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio	1.89%	1.83%	1.84%	2.40%	1.87%	1.43%	0.96%	0.00%	0.00%
VBAL.TO Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio	2.20%	2.21%	2.29%	2.34%	2.19%	1.93%	1.81%	2.23%	2.01%

Drawdowns

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GBAL.TO drawdown since its inception was -18.92%, smaller than the maximum VBAL.TO drawdown of -21.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GBAL.TO and VBAL.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	GBAL.TO	VBAL.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.92%	-21.19%	+2.27%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.50%	-7.55%	+1.05%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.92%	-16.43%	-2.49%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.77%	-3.72%	-0.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.42%	-3.21%	-1.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.85%	1.83%	+0.02%

Volatility

GBAL.TO vs. VBAL.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG Balanced ETF Portfolio (GBAL.TO) has a higher volatility of 4.73% compared to Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL.TO) at 4.01%. This indicates that GBAL.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBAL.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GBAL.TO	VBAL.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.73%	4.01%	+0.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.68%	6.24%	+1.44%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.28%	10.13%	+0.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.56%	8.53%	+1.03%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.49%	10.10%	-0.61%