XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XAD.TO (iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF) and XAW.TO (iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XAD.TO is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index, while XAW.TO is a Global Equities fund tracking the Morningstar Gbl GR CAD. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, XAD.TO returned 27.53% vs 30.51% for XAW.TO. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XAD.TO charges 0.44%/yr vs 0.22%/yr for XAW.TO.

Performance

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF (XAD.TO) and iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XAD.TO achieves a 6.26% return, which is significantly lower than XAW.TO's 13.70% return.

XAD.TO

• 1D: -0.94%
• 1M: 7.08%
• YTD: 6.26%
• 6M: 11.49%
• 1Y: 27.53%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

XAW.TO

• 1D: -0.37%
• 1M: 7.13%
• YTD: 13.70%
• 6M: 12.70%
• 1Y: 30.51%
• 3Y*: 21.73%
• 5Y*: 13.96%
• 10Y*: 13.22%

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

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
XAD.TO iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF	6.26%	41.77%	25.00%	14.33%
XAW.TO iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF	13.70%	15.87%	26.31%	5.90%

Correlation

The correlation between XAD.TO and XAW.TO is 0.52, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.52
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 20, 2023	0.47

The correlation between XAD.TO and XAW.TO has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.47 to 0.52 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XAD.TO

XAD.TO Risk / Return Rank: 35
XAD.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
XAD.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
XAD.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 34
XAD.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
XAD.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 31

XAW.TO

XAW.TO Risk / Return Rank: 76
XAW.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
XAW.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
XAW.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 78
XAW.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
XAW.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF (XAD.TO) and iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.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.

	XAD.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.34	2.50	-1.16
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.00	3.49	-1.49
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.48	-0.25
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.86	3.76	-1.89
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.77	15.15	-10.38
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XAD.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.34, which is lower than the XAW.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.50. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XAD.TO and XAW.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	XAD.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.34	2.50	-1.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.04	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.88	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.84	0.78	+1.05

Drawdowns

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XAD.TO drawdown since its inception was -16.06%, smaller than the maximum XAW.TO drawdown of -27.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XAD.TO and XAW.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XAD.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-16.06%	-27.32%	+11.26%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.91%	-8.16%	-6.75%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-16.66%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-21.02%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-27.32%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.53%	-0.37%	-8.16%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.03%	-3.91%	+0.88%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.80%	2.02%	+3.78%

Volatility

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF (XAD.TO) has a higher volatility of 6.64% compared to iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO) at 4.21%. This indicates that XAD.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XAW.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XAD.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.64%	4.21%	+2.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.11%	9.85%	+7.26%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.72%	12.25%	+8.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.21%	13.56%	+7.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.21%	15.12%	+6.09%

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XAD.TO has a 0.44% expense ratio, which is higher than XAW.TO's 0.22% expense ratio.

Dividends

XAD.TO vs. XAW.TO - Dividend Comparison

XAD.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.33%, less than XAW.TO's 1.17% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XAD.TO iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF	0.33%	0.35%	0.44%	0.24%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XAW.TO iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF	1.17%	1.33%	1.61%	1.71%	1.79%	1.77%	1.49%	2.02%	2.29%	1.92%	1.80%	1.83%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XAD.TO and XAW.TO in my portfolio?

XAD.TO and XAW.TO have a correlation of 0.52, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XAD.TO or XAW.TO?

On fees, XAW.TO is cheaper at 0.22% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XAD.TO or XAW.TO?

XAW.TO is cheaper with a 0.22% expense ratio, compared with 0.44% for XAD.TO.

What is the main difference between XAD.TO and XAW.TO?

XAD.TO is categorized as Aerospace & Defense, while XAW.TO is Global Equities. XAD.TO tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index, while XAW.TO tracks Morningstar Gbl GR CAD. Their fees differ too: 0.44% for XAD.TO and 0.22% for XAW.TO.