XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (XCNS.TO) and Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO).

XCNS.TO and VCNS.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XCNS.TO is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Aug 7, 2019. VCNS.TO is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Jan 25, 2018.

Performance

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (XCNS.TO) and Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
XCNS.TO iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio	0.28%	9.44%	11.73%	10.66%	-11.25%	5.93%	10.28%	3.45%
VCNS.TO Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio	0.22%	8.13%	9.74%	10.32%	-11.72%	5.79%	9.46%	3.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XCNS.TO achieves a 0.28% return, which is significantly higher than VCNS.TO's 0.22% return.

XCNS.TO

• 1D: 1.49%
• 1M: -2.82%
• YTD: 0.28%
• 6M: 0.46%
• 1Y: 8.57%
• 3Y*: 9.16%
• 5Y*: 4.95%
• 10Y*: —

VCNS.TO

• 1D: 1.35%
• 1M: -3.05%
• YTD: 0.22%
• 6M: -0.17%
• 1Y: 7.67%
• 3Y*: 7.95%
• 5Y*: 4.15%
• 10Y*: —

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

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XCNS.TO has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than VCNS.TO's 0.25% 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%.

VCNS.TO

Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio

XCNS.TO

iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio

Return for Risk

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XCNS.TO

XCNS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 65
XCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
XCNS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
XCNS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 65
XCNS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
XCNS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 62

VCNS.TO

VCNS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 60
VCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
VCNS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
VCNS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 60
VCNS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
VCNS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 58

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.

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (XCNS.TO) and Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.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.

	XCNS.TO	VCNS.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.14	1.04	+0.10
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.56	1.42	+0.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.21	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.58	1.50	+0.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.83	5.47	+0.36
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.14, which is comparable to the VCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XCNS.TO and VCNS.TO, 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

	XCNS.TO	VCNS.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.14	1.04	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	0.62	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.78	0.25	+0.53

Correlation

The correlation between XCNS.TO and VCNS.TO is 0.83, 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

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Dividend Comparison

XCNS.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.63%, more than VCNS.TO's 2.54% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
XCNS.TO iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio	2.63%	2.55%	2.58%	2.49%	2.26%	1.81%	2.15%	0.92%	0.00%
VCNS.TO Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio	2.54%	2.54%	2.58%	2.57%	2.28%	2.09%	1.88%	2.28%	75.90%

Drawdowns

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XCNS.TO drawdown since its inception was -16.96%, smaller than the maximum VCNS.TO drawdown of -18.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XCNS.TO and VCNS.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XCNS.TO	VCNS.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-16.96%	-18.04%	+1.08%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.60%	-5.38%	-0.22%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.09%	-15.73%	-0.36%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.00%	-3.20%	+0.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.56%	-3.09%	-0.47%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.52%	1.48%	+0.04%

Volatility

XCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (XCNS.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.47% compared to Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO) at 3.29%. This indicates that XCNS.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VCNS.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XCNS.TO	VCNS.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.47%	3.29%	+0.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.06%	4.90%	+0.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.55%	7.42%	+0.13%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.72%	6.73%	-0.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.57%	92.46%	-84.89%