VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond (VSB.TO) and iShares Floating Rate Index ETF (XFR.TO).

VSB.TO and XFR.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VSB.TO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada Short Term Government Bond Index. It was launched on Nov 30, 2011. XFR.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Can 1-5Y Core Bd GR CAD. It was launched on Dec 6, 2011. Both VSB.TO and XFR.TO 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

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond (VSB.TO) and iShares Floating Rate Index ETF (XFR.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VSB.TO Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond	0.24%	3.66%	5.54%	4.92%	-3.93%	-1.15%	5.29%	3.06%	1.67%	-0.36%
XFR.TO iShares Floating Rate Index ETF	0.56%	3.33%	4.57%	5.29%	1.82%	0.15%	0.98%	2.23%	1.16%	1.46%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VSB.TO achieves a 0.24% return, which is significantly lower than XFR.TO's 0.56% return. Over the past 10 years, VSB.TO has underperformed XFR.TO with an annualized return of 1.92%, while XFR.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 2.23% annualized return.

VSB.TO

• 1D: 0.19%
• 1M: -0.85%
• YTD: 0.24%
• 6M: 0.56%
• 1Y: 2.23%
• 3Y*: 4.20%
• 5Y*: 1.92%
• 10Y*: 1.92%

XFR.TO

• 1D: 0.05%
• 1M: 0.20%
• YTD: 0.56%
• 6M: 1.40%
• 1Y: 2.89%
• 3Y*: 4.12%
• 5Y*: 3.11%
• 10Y*: 2.23%

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

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

VSB.TO has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than XFR.TO's 0.14% 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%.

VSB.TO

Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond

XFR.TO

iShares Floating Rate Index ETF

Return for Risk

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

VSB.TO

VSB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 67
VSB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
VSB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
VSB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 64
VSB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
VSB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 67

XFR.TO

XFR.TO Risk / Return Rank: 98
XFR.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
XFR.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
XFR.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 98
XFR.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
XFR.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 99

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.

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond (VSB.TO) and iShares Floating Rate Index ETF (XFR.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.

	VSB.TO	XFR.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.21	3.72	-2.51
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.63	5.94	-4.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.84	-0.60
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.65	10.01	-8.35
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.59	57.24	-50.65
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VSB.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.21, which is lower than the XFR.TO Sharpe Ratio of 3.72. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VSB.TO and XFR.TO, 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

	VSB.TO	XFR.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.21	3.72	-2.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.76	3.81	-3.05
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	1.21	-0.66
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.63	1.18	-0.55

Correlation

The correlation between VSB.TO and XFR.TO is 0.01, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Dividend Comparison

VSB.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.01%, more than XFR.TO's 2.85% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VSB.TO Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond	3.01%	3.04%	3.04%	2.66%	2.24%	2.02%	2.24%	2.31%	2.29%	2.34%	2.45%	2.38%
XFR.TO iShares Floating Rate Index ETF	2.85%	3.23%	4.93%	4.91%	1.85%	0.30%	1.07%	1.96%	1.60%	0.95%	0.77%	0.94%

Drawdowns

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VSB.TO drawdown since its inception was -8.38%, which is greater than XFR.TO's maximum drawdown of -4.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSB.TO and XFR.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	VSB.TO	XFR.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-8.38%	-4.12%	-4.26%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.43%	-0.30%	-1.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-6.88%	-0.30%	-6.58%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-8.38%	-4.12%	-4.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.85%	0.00%	-0.85%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.95%	-0.06%	-0.89%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.36%	0.05%	+0.31%

Volatility

VSB.TO vs. XFR.TO - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Canadian Short Term Bond (VSB.TO) has a higher volatility of 0.94% compared to iShares Floating Rate Index ETF (XFR.TO) at 0.18%. This indicates that VSB.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XFR.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VSB.TO	XFR.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.94%	0.18%	+0.76%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.34%	0.53%	+0.81%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.85%	0.79%	+1.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.54%	0.82%	+1.72%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.48%	1.85%	+1.63%