QLTA vs. SPAB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA) and SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB).

QLTA and SPAB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. QLTA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Aaa - A Capped Index. It was launched on Feb 14, 2012. SPAB is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. It was launched on May 23, 2007. Both QLTA and SPAB 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

QLTA vs. SPAB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA) and SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

QLTA vs. SPAB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
QLTA iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF	-0.32%	7.36%	1.23%	7.60%	-15.14%	-2.32%	9.62%	12.54%	-2.27%	5.69%
SPAB SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF	0.13%	7.25%	1.25%	5.56%	-13.04%	-1.77%	7.39%	8.67%	-0.18%	3.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QLTA achieves a -0.32% return, which is significantly lower than SPAB's 0.13% return. Over the past 10 years, QLTA has outperformed SPAB with an annualized return of 2.09%, while SPAB has yielded a comparatively lower 1.64% annualized return.

QLTA

• 1D: 0.51%
• 1M: -1.78%
• YTD: -0.32%
• 6M: 0.33%
• 1Y: 4.58%
• 3Y*: 3.95%
• 5Y*: 0.23%
• 10Y*: 2.09%

SPAB

• 1D: 0.27%
• 1M: -1.75%
• YTD: 0.13%
• 6M: 1.09%
• 1Y: 4.38%
• 3Y*: 3.62%
• 5Y*: 0.21%
• 10Y*: 1.64%

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

QLTA vs. SPAB - Expense Ratio Comparison

QLTA has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than SPAB's 0.03% 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%.

QLTA

iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF

SPAB

SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF

Return for Risk

QLTA vs. SPAB — Risk / Return Rank

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

QLTA

QLTA Risk / Return Rank: 52
QLTA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
QLTA Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
QLTA Omega Ratio Rank: 42
QLTA Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
QLTA Martin Ratio Rank: 53

SPAB

SPAB Risk / Return Rank: 60
SPAB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
SPAB Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
SPAB Omega Ratio Rank: 50
SPAB Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
SPAB Martin Ratio Rank: 55

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.

QLTA vs. SPAB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA) and SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB). 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.

	QLTA	SPAB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.86	1.03	-0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.21	1.47	-0.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.18	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.70	1.82	-0.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.04	5.08	-0.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

QLTA vs. SPAB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QLTA Sharpe Ratio is 0.86, which is comparable to the SPAB Sharpe Ratio of 1.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QLTA and SPAB, 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

	QLTA	SPAB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.86	1.03	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.03	0.04	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30	0.30	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.51	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between QLTA and SPAB is 0.84, 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

QLTA vs. SPAB - Dividend Comparison

QLTA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.38%, more than SPAB's 3.98% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
QLTA iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF	4.38%	4.33%	4.11%	3.39%	2.79%	1.96%	2.31%	2.99%	3.09%	2.67%	2.59%	2.99%
SPAB SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF	3.98%	3.97%	3.86%	3.34%	2.59%	2.11%	2.43%	2.92%	2.96%	2.67%	2.63%	2.59%

Drawdowns

QLTA vs. SPAB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QLTA drawdown since its inception was -22.27%, which is greater than SPAB's maximum drawdown of -18.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QLTA and SPAB.

Drawdown Indicators

	QLTA	SPAB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-22.27%	-18.56%	-3.71%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.81%	-2.52%	-0.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.36%	-17.96%	-3.40%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.27%	-18.56%	-3.71%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.02%	-2.43%	-1.59%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.69%	-3.09%	-1.60%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.95%	0.90%	+0.05%

Volatility

QLTA vs. SPAB - Volatility Comparison

iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA) has a higher volatility of 2.20% compared to SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) at 1.58%. This indicates that QLTA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPAB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	QLTA	SPAB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.20%	1.58%	+0.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.04%	2.51%	+0.53%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.33%	4.29%	+1.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.22%	5.91%	+1.31%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.02%	5.54%	+1.48%