SYSB vs. CPLS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Systematic Bond ETF (SYSB) and AB Core Plus Bond ETF (CPLS).

SYSB and CPLS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SYSB is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the BlackRock Universal Systematic Bond Index. It was launched on Feb 24, 2015. CPLS is an actively managed fund by AllianceBernstein. It was launched on Dec 12, 2023.

Performance

SYSB vs. CPLS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Systematic Bond ETF (SYSB) and AB Core Plus Bond ETF (CPLS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SYSB vs. CPLS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
SYSB iShares Systematic Bond ETF	-0.11%	8.32%	6.04%	0.65%
CPLS AB Core Plus Bond ETF	-0.04%	6.91%	1.65%	1.21%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SYSB achieves a -0.11% return, which is significantly lower than CPLS's -0.04% return.

SYSB

• 1D: 0.44%
• 1M: -1.96%
• YTD: -0.11%
• 6M: 0.96%
• 1Y: 6.43%
• 3Y*: 6.53%
• 5Y*: 1.67%
• 10Y*: 2.49%

CPLS

• 1D: 0.40%
• 1M: -1.56%
• YTD: -0.04%
• 6M: 0.60%
• 1Y: 4.51%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SYSB vs. CPLS - Expense Ratio Comparison

SYSB has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than CPLS's 0.33% expense ratio.

CPLS

AB Core Plus Bond ETF

SYSB

iShares Systematic Bond ETF

Return for Risk

SYSB vs. CPLS — Risk / Return Rank

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

SYSB

SYSB Risk / Return Rank: 82
SYSB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
SYSB Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
SYSB Omega Ratio Rank: 80
SYSB Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
SYSB Martin Ratio Rank: 81

CPLS

CPLS Risk / Return Rank: 56
CPLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
CPLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
CPLS Omega Ratio Rank: 47
CPLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
CPLS Martin Ratio Rank: 56

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.

SYSB vs. CPLS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Systematic Bond ETF (SYSB) and AB Core Plus Bond ETF (CPLS). 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.

	SYSB	CPLS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.67	1.02	+0.65
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.40	1.45	+0.95
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.19	+0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.25	1.77	+0.47
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.19	5.62	+3.57
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SYSB vs. CPLS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SYSB Sharpe Ratio is 1.67, which is higher than the CPLS Sharpe Ratio of 1.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SYSB and CPLS, 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

	SYSB	CPLS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.67	1.02	+0.65
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.50	0.88	-0.37

Correlation

The correlation between SYSB and CPLS is 0.80, 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

SYSB vs. CPLS - Dividend Comparison

SYSB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.70%, which matches CPLS's 4.68% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SYSB iShares Systematic Bond ETF	4.70%	4.78%	5.04%	4.44%	3.27%	1.92%	2.57%	3.27%	3.61%	2.74%	2.92%	2.26%
CPLS AB Core Plus Bond ETF	4.68%	4.66%	4.71%	0.23%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

SYSB vs. CPLS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SYSB drawdown since its inception was -18.47%, which is greater than CPLS's maximum drawdown of -4.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SYSB and CPLS.

Drawdown Indicators

	SYSB	CPLS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.47%	-4.43%	-14.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.84%	-2.65%	-0.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.47%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-18.47%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.96%	-1.59%	-0.37%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.30%	-1.25%	-2.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.69%	0.84%	-0.15%

Volatility

SYSB vs. CPLS - Volatility Comparison

iShares Systematic Bond ETF (SYSB) has a higher volatility of 1.91% compared to AB Core Plus Bond ETF (CPLS) at 1.76%. This indicates that SYSB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CPLS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SYSB	CPLS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.91%	1.76%	+0.15%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.96%	2.58%	+0.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.87%	4.43%	-0.56%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.59%	4.86%	+0.73%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.93%	4.86%	+0.07%