XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XHU.TO (iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF) and XAW.TO (iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XHU.TO is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Morningstar US Market TR CAD, while XAW.TO is a Global Equities fund tracking the Morningstar Gbl GR CAD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XHU.TO returned 7.81%/yr vs 13.26%/yr for XAW.TO. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XHU.TO charges 0.34%/yr vs 0.22%/yr for XAW.TO.

Performance

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (XHU.TO) and iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with XHU.TO having a 14.37% return and XAW.TO slightly lower at 14.15%. Over the past 10 years, XHU.TO has underperformed XAW.TO with an annualized return of 7.81%, while XAW.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 13.26% annualized return.

XHU.TO

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: 2.43%
• YTD: 14.37%
• 6M: 5.83%
• 1Y: 15.38%
• 3Y*: 11.29%
• 5Y*: 10.04%
• 10Y*: 7.81%

XAW.TO

• 1D: 0.40%
• 1M: 6.30%
• YTD: 14.15%
• 6M: 12.98%
• 1Y: 31.14%
• 3Y*: 21.98%
• 5Y*: 14.05%
• 10Y*: 13.26%

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

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XHU.TO iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF	14.37%	-0.28%	16.64%	-1.52%	12.37%	18.23%	-9.27%	13.08%	3.95%	5.12%
XAW.TO iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF	14.15%	15.87%	26.31%	18.45%	-11.84%	18.38%	12.37%	19.82%	-2.28%	16.10%

Correlation

The correlation between XHU.TO and XAW.TO is 0.19, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.19
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.30
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 23, 2015	0.47

Over the past year, the correlation between XHU.TO and XAW.TO has dropped to 0.19 - well below their long-term average of 0.47, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XHU.TO	XAW.TO
Consumer Defensive	24.1%	4.6%
Energy	21.2%	3.3%
Healthcare	16.8%	7.8%
Financial Services	10.8%	13.7%
Technology	9.0%	32.6%
Utilities	8.9%	2.2%
Consumer Cyclical	5.8%	8.8%
Industrials	2.0%	9.1%
Basic Materials	1.1%	2.8%
Communication Services	0.1%	8.7%
Real Estate	-	1.4%

Return for Risk

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XHU.TO

XHU.TO Risk / Return Rank: 37
XHU.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
XHU.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 32
XHU.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 41
XHU.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
XHU.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 39

XAW.TO

XAW.TO Risk / Return Rank: 80
XAW.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
XAW.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
XAW.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 82
XAW.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
XAW.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 79

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.

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (XHU.TO) and iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.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.

	XHU.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.32	2.55	-1.24
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.72	3.55	-1.83
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.49	-0.23
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.77	3.84	-2.07
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.15	15.47	-9.32
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XHU.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.32, which is lower than the XAW.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XHU.TO and XAW.TO, 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

	XHU.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.32	2.55	-1.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85	1.04	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	0.88	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.79	-0.23

Drawdowns

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XHU.TO drawdown since its inception was -29.94%, which is greater than XAW.TO's maximum drawdown of -27.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XHU.TO and XAW.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XHU.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-29.94%	-27.32%	-2.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.73%	-8.16%	-0.57%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-12.53%	-16.66%	+4.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-12.53%	-21.02%	+8.49%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.94%	-27.32%	-2.62%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.48%	0.00%	-1.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.73%	-3.91%	+0.18%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.51%	2.02%	+0.49%

Volatility

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (XHU.TO) is 3.50%, while iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF (XAW.TO) has a volatility of 4.12%. This indicates that XHU.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XAW.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XHU.TO	XAW.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.50%	4.12%	-0.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.23%	9.86%	+0.37%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.79%	12.25%	-0.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.89%	13.56%	-1.67%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.38%	15.12%	-0.74%

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XHU.TO has a 0.34% expense ratio, which is higher than XAW.TO's 0.22% expense ratio.

Dividends

XHU.TO vs. XAW.TO - Dividend Comparison

XHU.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.43%, more than XAW.TO's 1.16% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XAW.TO iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Index ETF	1.16%	1.33%	1.61%	1.71%	1.79%	1.77%	1.49%	2.02%	2.29%	1.92%	1.80%	1.83%
XHU.TO iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF	2.43%	2.75%	2.72%	2.86%	2.63%	2.60%	3.18%	2.25%	2.52%	2.27%	2.38%	2.30%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XHU.TO and XAW.TO in my portfolio?

XHU.TO and XAW.TO have a correlation of 0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XHU.TO or XAW.TO?

On fees, XAW.TO is cheaper at 0.22% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XHU.TO or XAW.TO?

XAW.TO is cheaper with a 0.22% expense ratio, compared with 0.34% for XHU.TO.

What is the main difference between XHU.TO and XAW.TO?

XHU.TO is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while XAW.TO is Global Equities. XHU.TO tracks Morningstar US Market TR CAD, while XAW.TO tracks Morningstar Gbl GR CAD. Their fees differ too: 0.34% for XHU.TO and 0.22% for XAW.TO.