XBAL.TO vs. CASH

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XBAL.TO (iShares Core Balanced ETF Portfolio) is Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by iShares, while CASH (Meta Financial Group, Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, XBAL.TO returned 7.69%/yr vs 17.88%/yr for CASH. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares Core Balanced ETF Portfolio (XBAL.TO) and Meta Financial Group, Inc. (CASH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XBAL.TO achieves a 7.81% return, which is significantly lower than CASH's 10.95% return. Over the past 10 years, XBAL.TO has underperformed CASH with an annualized return of 7.69%, while CASH has yielded a comparatively higher 17.88% annualized return.

XBAL.TO

• 1D: -0.36%
• 1M: 4.13%
• YTD: 7.81%
• 6M: 6.00%
• 1Y: 17.48%
• 3Y*: 14.21%
• 5Y*: 8.15%
• 10Y*: 7.69%

CASH

• 1D: -4.12%
• 1M: -7.50%
• YTD: 10.95%
• 6M: 4.62%
• 1Y: 1.16%
• 3Y*: 18.69%
• 5Y*: 11.36%
• 10Y*: 17.88%

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

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XBAL.TO iShares Core Balanced ETF Portfolio	7.81%	11.87%	15.76%	13.01%	-11.19%	10.11%	10.67%	15.28%	-2.80%	5.48%
CASH Meta Financial Group, Inc.	10.95%	-7.68%	51.45%	20.73%	-22.32%	62.34%	-0.77%	80.36%	-31.45%	-15.16%

Correlation

The correlation between XBAL.TO and CASH is 0.32, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.32
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.37
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.41
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.34
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 23, 2009	0.23

The correlation between XBAL.TO and CASH shifts across timeframes, from 0.23 (all time) to 0.41 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

XBAL.TO vs. CASH — Risk / Return Rank

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

XBAL.TO

XBAL.TO Risk / Return Rank: 61
XBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
XBAL.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
XBAL.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 62
XBAL.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
XBAL.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 65

CASH

CASH Risk / Return Rank: 37
CASH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
CASH Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
CASH Omega Ratio Rank: 34
CASH Calmar Ratio Rank: 40
CASH Martin Ratio Rank: 40

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.

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Balanced ETF Portfolio (XBAL.TO) and Meta Financial Group, Inc. (CASH). 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.

	XBAL.TO	CASH	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.06	0.04	+2.02
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.87	0.25	+2.62
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.03	+0.35
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.89	0.06	+2.84
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	12.15	0.12	+12.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XBAL.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.06, which is higher than the CASH Sharpe Ratio of 0.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XBAL.TO and CASH, 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

	XBAL.TO	CASH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.06	0.04	+2.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.93	0.35	+0.58
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.82	0.45	+0.38
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.68	0.44	+0.24

Drawdowns

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XBAL.TO drawdown since its inception was -28.83%, smaller than the maximum CASH drawdown of -66.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XBAL.TO and CASH.

Drawdown Indicators

	XBAL.TO	CASH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.83%	-66.56%	+37.73%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.06%	-20.76%	+14.70%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-9.35%	-21.86%	+12.51%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.12%	-48.53%	+31.41%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-20.93%	-62.70%	+41.77%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.36%	-20.76%	+20.40%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.39%	-20.89%	+17.50%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.44%	9.74%	-8.30%

Volatility

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Core Balanced ETF Portfolio (XBAL.TO) is 3.14%, while Meta Financial Group, Inc. (CASH) has a volatility of 7.96%. This indicates that XBAL.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CASH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XBAL.TO	CASH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.14%	7.96%	-4.82%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.21%	22.41%	-15.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.51%	28.48%	-19.97%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.79%	32.39%	-23.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.37%	40.31%	-30.94%

Dividends

XBAL.TO vs. CASH - Dividend Comparison

XBAL.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.10%, more than CASH's 0.26% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CASH Meta Financial Group, Inc.	0.26%	0.28%	0.27%	0.38%	0.46%	0.34%	0.55%	0.55%	0.96%	0.56%	0.51%	1.13%
XBAL.TO iShares Core Balanced ETF Portfolio	2.10%	2.24%	2.68%	2.40%	2.09%	1.74%	1.99%	2.26%	3.39%	2.93%	3.64%	3.29%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XBAL.TO and CASH in my portfolio?

XBAL.TO and CASH have a correlation of 0.32, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.