XAR vs. BIL
XAR (SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF) and BIL (SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XAR is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index, while BIL is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XAR returned 18.01%/yr vs 2.18%/yr for BIL. At a 0.00 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XAR charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.14%/yr for BIL.
Performance
XAR vs. BIL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, XAR achieves a 13.40% return, which is significantly higher than BIL's 1.49% return. Over the past 10 years, XAR has outperformed BIL with an annualized return of 18.01%, while BIL has yielded a comparatively lower 2.18% annualized return.
XAR
- 1D
- -2.08%
- 1M
- 7.34%
- YTD
- 13.40%
- 6M
- 20.10%
- 1Y
- 41.33%
- 3Y*
- 34.11%
- 5Y*
- 16.26%
- 10Y*
- 18.01%
BIL
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- YTD
- 1.49%
- 6M
- 1.77%
- 1Y
- 3.87%
- 3Y*
- 4.64%
- 5Y*
- 3.41%
- 10Y*
- 2.18%
XAR vs. BIL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 13.40% | 46.15% | 23.32% | 23.79% | -5.02% | 2.31% | 6.18% | 39.33% | -4.58% | 33.00% |
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 1.49% | 4.15% | 5.19% | 4.94% | 1.40% | -0.10% | 0.40% | 2.03% | 1.74% | 0.69% |
Correlation
The correlation between XAR and BIL is -0.09, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.09 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.06 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.02 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 30, 2011 | 0.00 |
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Return for Risk
XAR vs. BIL — Risk / Return Rank
XAR
BIL
XAR vs. BIL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) and SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL). 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.
| XAR | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -18.16 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -171.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 87.91 | -86.65 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.41 | 355.35 | -352.94 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.85 | 2,817.77 | -2,810.92 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| XAR | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.55 | 19.71 | -18.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.70 | 13.16 | -12.46 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.73 | 8.52 | -7.79 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.85 | 2.78 | -1.93 |
Drawdowns
XAR vs. BIL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum XAR drawdown since its inception was -46.37%, which is greater than BIL's maximum drawdown of -0.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XAR and BIL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| XAR | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.37% | -0.78% | -45.59% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -17.22% | -0.01% | -17.21% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.73% | -0.01% | -19.72% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -32.40% | -0.10% | -32.30% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.37% | -0.21% | -46.16% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.55% | 0.00% | -6.55% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.79% | -0.26% | -6.53% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.05% | 0.00% | +6.05% |
Volatility
XAR vs. BIL - Volatility Comparison
SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) has a higher volatility of 9.52% compared to SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) at 0.05%. This indicates that XAR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BIL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| XAR | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.52% | 0.05% | +9.47% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 22.39% | 0.13% | +22.26% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 26.81% | 0.20% | +26.61% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.41% | 0.26% | +23.15% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 24.62% | 0.26% | +24.36% |
XAR vs. BIL - Expense Ratio Comparison
XAR has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than BIL's 0.14% expense ratio.
Dividends
XAR vs. BIL - Dividend Comparison
XAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.32%, less than BIL's 3.86% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 3.86% | 4.13% | 5.03% | 4.92% | 1.35% | 0.00% | 0.30% | 2.05% | 1.66% | 0.68% | 0.07% | 0.00% |
XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 0.32% | 0.40% | 0.66% | 0.54% | 0.50% | 0.83% | 0.63% | 0.75% | 1.19% | 0.76% | 1.09% | 2.31% |
Frequently Asked Questions
XAR and BIL have a correlation of -0.09, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
XAR has higher volatility (9.52%) compared to BIL (0.05%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XAR dropped -46.37% vs BIL's -0.78%.
On 10-year performance, XAR leads with 18.01% vs 2.18% for BIL. On fees, BIL is cheaper at 0.14% per year. On volatility, BIL has been the lower-risk option at 0.05%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, XAR has performed better with a 18.01% return vs 2.18%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
BIL is cheaper with a 0.14% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for XAR.
BIL has the higher dividend yield at 3.86%, compared with 0.32% for XAR.
XAR is categorized as Aerospace & Defense, while BIL is Government Bonds. XAR tracks S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index, while BIL tracks Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for XAR and 0.14% for BIL.
BIL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (19.71 vs 1.55), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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