GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO
GEQT.TO (iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio) and XSTB.TO (iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GEQT.TO is a Global Equities fund actively managed by iShares, while XSTB.TO is a Canadian Government Bonds fund tracking the Morningstar Can 1-5Y Core Bd GR CAD. GEQT.TO is actively managed, while XSTB.TO is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, GEQT.TO returned 14.25%/yr vs 1.96%/yr for XSTB.TO. At a 0.13 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GEQT.TO charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.17%/yr for XSTB.TO.
Performance
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GEQT.TO achieves a 14.29% return, which is significantly higher than XSTB.TO's 1.09% return.
GEQT.TO
- 1D
- 0.73%
- 1M
- 3.38%
- YTD
- 14.29%
- 6M
- 12.50%
- 1Y
- 30.11%
- 3Y*
- 22.29%
- 5Y*
- 14.25%
- 10Y*
- —
XSTB.TO
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.64%
- YTD
- 1.09%
- 6M
- 1.39%
- 1Y
- 3.07%
- 3Y*
- 4.74%
- 5Y*
- 1.96%
- 10Y*
- —
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GEQT.TO iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio | 14.29% | 17.86% | 25.42% | 22.35% | -15.19% | 21.99% | 7.15% |
XSTB.TO iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF | 1.09% | 3.60% | 5.28% | 4.86% | -3.91% | -1.12% | 0.59% |
Correlation
The correlation between GEQT.TO and XSTB.TO is 0.35, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 2, 2020 | 0.13 |
Over the past year, GEQT.TO and XSTB.TO have become more correlated (0.35) than their long-term average of 0.13, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO — Risk / Return Rank
GEQT.TO
XSTB.TO
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio (GEQT.TO) and iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF (XSTB.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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| GEQT.TO | XSTB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.33 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.43 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.36 | 1.33 | +0.02 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.06 | 2.28 | +0.78 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.49 | 6.93 | +5.56 |
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Drawdowns
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GEQT.TO drawdown since its inception was -23.66%, which is greater than XSTB.TO's maximum drawdown of -6.92%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GEQT.TO and XSTB.TO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GEQT.TO | XSTB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -23.66% | -6.92% | -16.74% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.29% | -1.35% | -7.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.02% | -1.35% | -16.67% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -23.66% | -6.76% | -16.90% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.75% | -0.04% | -0.71% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.10% | -1.40% | -3.70% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.27% | 0.44% | +1.83% |
Volatility
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Volatility Comparison
iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio (GEQT.TO) has a higher volatility of 5.72% compared to iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF (XSTB.TO) at 0.68%. This indicates that GEQT.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XSTB.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GEQT.TO | XSTB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.72% | 0.68% | +5.04% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.25% | 1.45% | +10.80% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 14.41% | 1.88% | +12.53% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.58% | 2.54% | +15.04% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.36% | 2.71% | +14.65% |
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison
GEQT.TO has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than XSTB.TO's 0.17% 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%.
Dividends
GEQT.TO vs. XSTB.TO - Dividend Comparison
GEQT.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.11%, less than XSTB.TO's 2.87% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GEQT.TO iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio | 1.11% | 1.26% | 1.38% | 1.58% | 1.82% | 1.32% | 0.87% | 0.00% |
XSTB.TO iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF | 2.87% | 2.88% | 2.64% | 2.22% | 1.93% | 1.82% | 2.10% | 1.83% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GEQT.TO and XSTB.TO have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, XSTB.TO is cheaper at 0.17% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
XSTB.TO is cheaper with a 0.17% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for GEQT.TO.
GEQT.TO is categorized as Global Equities, while XSTB.TO is Canadian Government Bonds. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for GEQT.TO and 0.17% for XSTB.TO.
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