XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF (XESG.TO) and iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio (GEQT.TO).

XESG.TO and GEQT.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XESG.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Canada GR CAD. It was launched on Mar 18, 2019. GEQT.TO is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Sep 2, 2020.

Performance

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF (XESG.TO) and iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio (GEQT.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
XESG.TO iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF	3.17%	26.25%	20.05%	10.13%	-7.77%	22.91%	8.25%
GEQT.TO iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio	-2.17%	17.85%	25.42%	22.35%	-15.18%	21.99%	9.67%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XESG.TO achieves a 3.17% return, which is significantly higher than GEQT.TO's -2.17% return.

XESG.TO

• 1D: 2.43%
• 1M: -4.49%
• YTD: 3.17%
• 6M: 5.51%
• 1Y: 29.40%
• 3Y*: 18.21%
• 5Y*: 12.49%
• 10Y*: —

GEQT.TO

• 1D: 3.54%
• 1M: -4.79%
• YTD: -2.17%
• 6M: -1.46%
• 1Y: 17.52%
• 3Y*: 17.92%
• 5Y*: 11.56%
• 10Y*: —

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

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XESG.TO has a 0.16% expense ratio, which is lower than GEQT.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%.

GEQT.TO

iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio

XESG.TO

iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF

Return for Risk

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XESG.TO

XESG.TO Risk / Return Rank: 88
XESG.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
XESG.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
XESG.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 90
XESG.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
XESG.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 91

GEQT.TO

GEQT.TO Risk / Return Rank: 65
GEQT.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
GEQT.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
GEQT.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 61
GEQT.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
GEQT.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF (XESG.TO) and iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio (GEQT.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.

	XESG.TO	GEQT.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.83	1.06	+0.76
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.32	1.54	+0.78
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.22	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.63	1.64	+0.99
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.84	6.71	+5.13
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XESG.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.83, which is higher than the GEQT.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.06. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XESG.TO and GEQT.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

	XESG.TO	GEQT.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.83	1.06	+0.76
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.93	0.82	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.77	0.97	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between XESG.TO and GEQT.TO is 0.64, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Dividend Comparison

XESG.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.10%, more than GEQT.TO's 1.29% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
XESG.TO iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF	2.10%	2.13%	2.45%	2.74%	2.63%	1.88%	2.15%	1.05%
GEQT.TO iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio	1.29%	1.25%	1.38%	1.58%	1.82%	1.32%	0.87%	0.00%

Drawdowns

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XESG.TO drawdown since its inception was -37.36%, which is greater than GEQT.TO's maximum drawdown of -23.64%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XESG.TO and GEQT.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XESG.TO	GEQT.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.36%	-23.64%	-13.72%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.51%	-10.88%	-0.63%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.91%	-23.64%	+5.73%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.15%	-6.08%	+0.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.63%	-5.07%	+0.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.55%	2.66%	-0.11%

Volatility

XESG.TO vs. GEQT.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF (XESG.TO) is 6.03%, while iShares ESG Equity ETF Portfolio (GEQT.TO) has a volatility of 7.15%. This indicates that XESG.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GEQT.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XESG.TO	GEQT.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.03%	7.15%	-1.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.38%	11.22%	+0.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.19%	16.53%	-0.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.53%	14.11%	-0.58%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.93%	13.91%	+3.02%