XAGG.TO vs. BOXA

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XAGG.TO) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA).

XAGG.TO and BOXA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XAGG.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index. It was launched on Aug 6, 2021. BOXA is an actively managed fund by Alpha Architect. It was launched on Dec 17, 2024.

Performance

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XAGG.TO) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
XAGG.TO iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF	1.46%	1.84%	0.04%
BOXA Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF	1.14%	0.58%	-0.43%

Different Trading Currencies

XAGG.TO is traded in CAD, while BOXA is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the BOXA values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XAGG.TO achieves a 1.46% return, which is significantly higher than BOXA's 1.14% return.

XAGG.TO

• 1D: 0.40%
• 1M: 0.45%
• YTD: 1.46%
• 6M: 1.14%
• 1Y: 1.11%
• 3Y*: 4.41%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BOXA

• 1D: -0.14%
• 1M: 0.04%
• YTD: 1.14%
• 6M: 0.18%
• 1Y: -0.18%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Expense Ratio Comparison

XAGG.TO has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is lower than BOXA's 0.23% 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%.

BOXA

Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF

XAGG.TO

iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF

Return for Risk

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA — Risk / Return Rank

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

XAGG.TO

XAGG.TO Risk / Return Rank: 18
XAGG.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
XAGG.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
XAGG.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 14
XAGG.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 26
XAGG.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 21

BOXA

BOXA Risk / Return Rank: 33
BOXA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
BOXA Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
BOXA Omega Ratio Rank: 27
BOXA Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
BOXA Martin Ratio Rank: 36

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.

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XAGG.TO) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA). 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.

	XAGG.TO	BOXA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.20	-0.03	+0.23
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.32	0.00	+0.32
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	1.00	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.62	-0.07	+0.69
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.26	-0.14	+1.40
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XAGG.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.20, which is higher than the BOXA Sharpe Ratio of -0.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XAGG.TO and BOXA, 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

	XAGG.TO	BOXA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.20	-0.03	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.24	0.16	+0.08

Correlation

The correlation between XAGG.TO and BOXA is 0.72, 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

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Dividend Comparison

XAGG.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.96%, more than BOXA's 0.13% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
XAGG.TO iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF	3.96%	3.86%	3.06%	2.29%	1.62%	1.02%
BOXA Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF	0.13%	0.13%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XAGG.TO drawdown since its inception was -12.50%, which is greater than BOXA's maximum drawdown of -6.92%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XAGG.TO and BOXA.

Drawdown Indicators

	XAGG.TO	BOXA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-12.50%	-2.87%	-9.63%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.67%	-2.87%	-2.80%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.33%	-1.98%	+0.65%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.54%	-0.59%	-3.95%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.45%	0.91%	+2.54%

Volatility

XAGG.TO vs. BOXA - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XAGG.TO) and Alpha Architect Aggregate Bond ETF (BOXA) have volatilities of 1.99% and 2.04%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XAGG.TO	BOXA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.99%	2.04%	-0.05%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.37%	4.13%	+0.24%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.15%	6.20%	+0.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.82%	6.39%	+3.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.82%	6.39%	+3.43%