XAGG.TO vs. SPAB

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XAGG.TO (iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF) and SPAB (SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF) are both Total Bond Market funds - XAGG.TO tracks the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index while SPAB tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, XAGG.TO returned 4.71%/yr vs 5.14%/yr for SPAB. At a 0.45 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XAGG.TO charges 0.10%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SPAB.

Performance

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB - 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 SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

XAGG.TO is traded in CAD, while SPAB is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the SPAB 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 0.76% return, which is significantly lower than SPAB's 1.57% return.

XAGG.TO

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 1.87%
• YTD: 0.76%
• 6M: -0.88%
• 1Y: 5.87%
• 3Y*: 4.71%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SPAB

• 1D: 0.29%
• 1M: 2.31%
• YTD: 1.57%
• 6M: -0.24%
• 1Y: 6.60%
• 3Y*: 5.14%
• 5Y*: 2.94%
• 10Y*: 2.28%

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

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
XAGG.TO iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF	0.76%	1.84%	10.40%	1.08%	-6.23%	-1.74%
SPAB SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF	1.57%	2.33%	9.94%	3.24%	-6.85%	-2.53%

Correlation

The correlation between XAGG.TO and SPAB is 0.67, 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	0.67
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.59
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 23, 2021	0.45

Over the past year, XAGG.TO and SPAB have become more correlated (0.67) than their long-term average of 0.45, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB — 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: 33
XAGG.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 34
XAGG.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 35
XAGG.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 33
XAGG.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
XAGG.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 27

SPAB

SPAB Risk / Return Rank: 38
SPAB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
SPAB Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
SPAB Omega Ratio Rank: 37
SPAB Calmar Ratio Rank: 38
SPAB 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. SPAB - 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 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.

	XAGG.TO	SPAB	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.22	1.22	0.00
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.83	1.77	+0.06
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.22	0.00
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.75	1.50	+0.25
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.67	3.44	+0.23
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. SPAB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XAGG.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.22, which is comparable to the SPAB Sharpe Ratio of 1.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XAGG.TO and SPAB, 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

	XAGG.TO	SPAB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.22	1.22	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.38	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.28	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.22	0.43	-0.21

Drawdowns

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XAGG.TO drawdown since its inception was -12.43%, smaller than the maximum SPAB drawdown of -19.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XAGG.TO and SPAB.

Drawdown Indicators

	XAGG.TO	SPAB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-12.43%	-19.67%	+7.24%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.06%	-4.41%	+0.35%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-6.98%	-6.77%	-0.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-12.86%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-19.67%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.01%	-1.50%	-0.51%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.36%	-6.37%	+2.01%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.56%	1.92%	+1.64%

Volatility

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XAGG.TO) has a higher volatility of 1.83% compared to SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) at 1.28%. This indicates that XAGG.TO'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

	XAGG.TO	SPAB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.83%	1.28%	+0.55%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.22%	4.19%	+0.03%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.87%	5.43%	+0.44%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.62%	7.71%	+1.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.62%	8.11%	+1.51%

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB - Expense Ratio Comparison

XAGG.TO has a 0.10% 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%.

Dividends

XAGG.TO vs. SPAB - Dividend Comparison

XAGG.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.10%, more than SPAB's 4.05% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPAB SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF	4.05%	3.97%	3.86%	3.34%	2.59%	2.11%	2.43%	2.92%	2.96%	2.67%	2.63%	2.59%
XAGG.TO iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF	4.10%	3.86%	3.07%	2.59%	1.67%	1.04%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XAGG.TO and SPAB in my portfolio?

XAGG.TO and SPAB have a correlation of 0.67, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XAGG.TO or SPAB?

On fees, SPAB is cheaper at 0.03% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XAGG.TO or SPAB?

SPAB is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.10% for XAGG.TO.

What is the main difference between XAGG.TO and SPAB?

XAGG.TO tracks Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index, while SPAB tracks Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.10% for XAGG.TO and 0.03% for SPAB.