ITOT vs. AOA

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) and iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA).

ITOT and AOA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ITOT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Composite 1500 Index. It was launched on Jan 20, 2004. 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. Both ITOT and AOA 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

ITOT vs. AOA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) and iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ITOT vs. AOA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ITOT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	-3.15%	17.00%	23.80%	26.12%	-19.47%	25.68%	20.71%	30.67%	-5.33%	21.37%
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%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ITOT achieves a -3.15% return, which is significantly lower than AOA's -0.73% return. Over the past 10 years, ITOT has outperformed AOA with an annualized return of 13.71%, while AOA has yielded a comparatively lower 9.71% annualized return.

ITOT

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: -3.24%
• YTD: -3.15%
• 6M: -1.32%
• 1Y: 17.82%
• 3Y*: 18.06%
• 5Y*: 10.65%
• 10Y*: 13.71%

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%

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

ITOT vs. AOA - Expense Ratio Comparison

ITOT has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than AOA's 0.25% 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%.

AOA

iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF

ITOT

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF

Return for Risk

ITOT vs. AOA — Risk / Return Rank

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

ITOT

ITOT Risk / Return Rank: 54
ITOT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
ITOT Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
ITOT Omega Ratio Rank: 55
ITOT Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
ITOT Martin Ratio Rank: 61

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

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.

ITOT vs. AOA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) and iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA). 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.

	ITOT	AOA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	1.30	-0.35
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.47	1.90	-0.43
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.28	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.52	1.93	-0.41
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.10	8.48	-1.38
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ITOT vs. AOA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ITOT Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the AOA Sharpe Ratio of 1.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ITOT and AOA, 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

	ITOT	AOA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	1.30	-0.35
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.62	0.62	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	0.72	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.65	-0.12

Correlation

The correlation between ITOT and AOA is 0.93, 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

ITOT vs. AOA - Dividend Comparison

ITOT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.12%, less than AOA's 2.26% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ITOT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	1.12%	1.11%	1.23%	1.47%	1.66%	1.18%	1.41%	1.88%	2.14%	1.69%	1.83%	2.01%
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%

Drawdowns

ITOT vs. AOA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ITOT drawdown since its inception was -55.20%, which is greater than AOA's maximum drawdown of -28.38%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITOT and AOA.

Drawdown Indicators

	ITOT	AOA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-55.20%	-28.38%	-26.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.90%	-8.20%	-0.70%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.36%	-23.62%	-1.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.00%	-28.38%	-6.62%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.36%	-5.31%	-0.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.02%	-4.08%	-2.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.63%	2.18%	+0.45%

Volatility

ITOT vs. AOA - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) and iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (AOA) have volatilities of 5.43% and 5.20%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ITOT	AOA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.43%	5.20%	+0.23%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.78%	8.33%	+1.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.68%	13.87%	+4.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.36%	12.91%	+4.45%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.24%	13.51%	+4.73%