IUSB vs. IAGG

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF (IUSB) and iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF (IAGG).

IUSB and IAGG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IUSB is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. It was launched on Jun 10, 2014. IAGG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex USD 10% Issuer Capped (Hedged) Index. It was launched on Nov 10, 2015. Both IUSB and IAGG 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

IUSB vs. IAGG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF (IUSB) and iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF (IAGG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IUSB vs. IAGG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF	-0.07%	7.38%	2.11%	6.23%	-13.04%	-1.33%	7.62%	9.13%	-0.27%	3.82%
IAGG iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF	0.27%	3.26%	4.51%	8.49%	-10.86%	-1.87%	4.63%	7.99%	3.38%	2.09%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IUSB achieves a -0.07% return, which is significantly lower than IAGG's 0.27% return. Over the past 10 years, IUSB has underperformed IAGG with an annualized return of 2.06%, while IAGG has yielded a comparatively higher 2.23% annualized return.

IUSB

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: -1.81%
• YTD: -0.07%
• 6M: 0.97%
• 1Y: 4.55%
• 3Y*: 4.07%
• 5Y*: 0.53%
• 10Y*: 2.06%

IAGG

• 1D: 0.46%
• 1M: -1.61%
• YTD: 0.27%
• 6M: 0.89%
• 1Y: 3.40%
• 3Y*: 4.48%
• 5Y*: 0.97%
• 10Y*: 2.23%

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

IUSB vs. IAGG - Expense Ratio Comparison

IUSB has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is lower than IAGG's 0.07% 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%.

IAGG

iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF

IUSB

iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF

Return for Risk

IUSB vs. IAGG — Risk / Return Rank

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

IUSB

IUSB Risk / Return Rank: 66
IUSB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
IUSB Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
IUSB Omega Ratio Rank: 57
IUSB Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
IUSB Martin Ratio Rank: 64

IAGG

IAGG Risk / Return Rank: 69
IAGG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
IAGG Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
IAGG Omega Ratio Rank: 67
IAGG Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
IAGG Martin Ratio Rank: 68

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.

IUSB vs. IAGG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF (IUSB) and iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF (IAGG). 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.

	IUSB	IAGG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.11	1.30	-0.19
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.56	1.84	-0.27
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.23	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.92	1.47	+0.44
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.96	6.38	-0.42
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IUSB vs. IAGG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IUSB Sharpe Ratio is 1.11, which is comparable to the IAGG Sharpe Ratio of 1.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IUSB and IAGG, 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

	IUSB	IAGG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.11	1.30	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.09	0.22	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41	0.55	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.61	-0.15

Correlation

The correlation between IUSB and IAGG is 0.70, 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

IUSB vs. IAGG - Dividend Comparison

IUSB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.23%, more than IAGG's 3.29% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF	4.23%	4.17%	4.04%	3.46%	2.53%	1.74%	2.68%	3.04%	2.98%	2.56%	2.60%	1.95%
IAGG iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF	3.29%	3.08%	4.28%	3.55%	2.27%	1.16%	1.95%	2.82%	3.02%	1.74%	1.56%	0.13%

Drawdowns

IUSB vs. IAGG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IUSB drawdown since its inception was -17.90%, which is greater than IAGG's maximum drawdown of -13.88%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IUSB and IAGG.

Drawdown Indicators

	IUSB	IAGG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.90%	-13.88%	-4.02%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.49%	-2.32%	-0.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.87%	-13.57%	-4.30%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-17.90%	-13.88%	-4.02%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.81%	-1.61%	-0.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.62%	-2.87%	-0.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.80%	0.54%	+0.26%

Volatility

IUSB vs. IAGG - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF (IUSB) has a higher volatility of 1.62% compared to iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF (IAGG) at 1.47%. This indicates that IUSB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAGG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IUSB	IAGG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.62%	1.47%	+0.15%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.41%	1.91%	+0.50%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.13%	2.62%	+1.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.77%	4.47%	+1.30%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.03%	4.03%	+1.00%