XIGS.TO vs. ISTB

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XIGS.TO (iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)) and ISTB (iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XIGS.TO is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the ICE BofA 1-5 Year US Corporate Index (CAD-Hedged), while ISTB is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD). Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, XIGS.TO returned 4.01%/yr vs 6.17%/yr for ISTB. At a 0.08 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XIGS.TO charges 0.16%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for ISTB.

Performance

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XIGS.TO) and iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XIGS.TO achieves a -0.14% return, which is significantly lower than ISTB's 1.77% return.

XIGS.TO

• 1D: -0.03%
• 1M: 0.08%
• YTD: -0.14%
• 6M: -0.01%
• 1Y: 2.52%
• 3Y*: 4.01%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

ISTB

• 1D: 0.33%
• 1M: 2.15%
• YTD: 1.77%
• 6M: 0.32%
• 1Y: 5.53%
• 3Y*: 6.17%
• 5Y*: 4.76%
• 10Y*: 3.01%

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

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
XIGS.TO iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	-0.14%	4.82%	3.76%	5.39%	-5.89%	-0.97%
ISTB iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF	1.77%	1.49%	13.34%	3.23%	0.62%	0.62%

Correlation

The correlation between XIGS.TO and ISTB is 0.06, 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	0.06
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.08
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 13, 2021	0.08

Return for Risk

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB — Risk / Return Rank

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

XIGS.TO

XIGS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 31
XIGS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 30
XIGS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
XIGS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 31
XIGS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
XIGS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 33

ISTB

ISTB Risk / Return Rank: 73
ISTB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ISTB Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
ISTB Omega Ratio Rank: 77
ISTB Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
ISTB Martin Ratio Rank: 68

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.

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XIGS.TO) and iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB). 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.

	XIGS.TO	ISTB	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.07	1.22	-0.15
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.58	1.72	-0.14
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.22	-0.01
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.58	1.44	+0.14
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.82	3.59	+1.24
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XIGS.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.07, which is comparable to the ISTB Sharpe Ratio of 1.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XIGS.TO and ISTB, 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

	XIGS.TO	ISTB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.07	1.22	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.78	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.45	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.66	-0.26

Drawdowns

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XIGS.TO drawdown since its inception was -10.12%, smaller than the maximum ISTB drawdown of -14.17%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XIGS.TO and ISTB.

Drawdown Indicators

	XIGS.TO	ISTB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.12%	-14.17%	+4.05%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.60%	-3.85%	+2.25%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-1.60%	-5.23%	+3.63%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-7.87%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-14.17%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.86%	-0.67%	-0.19%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.92%	-4.63%	+1.71%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.52%	1.55%	-1.03%

Volatility

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Volatility Comparison

iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XIGS.TO) has a higher volatility of 0.95% compared to iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) at 0.79%. This indicates that XIGS.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ISTB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XIGS.TO	ISTB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.95%	0.79%	+0.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.59%	3.48%	-1.89%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.36%	4.55%	-2.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.31%	6.16%	-2.85%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.31%	6.64%	-3.33%

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Expense Ratio Comparison

XIGS.TO has a 0.16% expense ratio, which is higher than ISTB's 0.06% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

XIGS.TO vs. ISTB - Dividend Comparison

XIGS.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.47%, more than ISTB's 4.25% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ISTB iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF	4.25%	4.12%	3.83%	2.97%	2.01%	1.69%	2.20%	2.75%	2.57%	2.06%	1.90%	1.58%
XIGS.TO iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	4.47%	4.10%	3.71%	3.03%	1.75%	0.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XIGS.TO and ISTB in my portfolio?

XIGS.TO and ISTB have a correlation of 0.06, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XIGS.TO or ISTB?

On fees, ISTB is cheaper at 0.06% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XIGS.TO or ISTB?

ISTB is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 0.16% for XIGS.TO.

What is the main difference between XIGS.TO and ISTB?

XIGS.TO is categorized as Corporate Bonds, while ISTB is Short-Term Bond. XIGS.TO tracks ICE BofA 1-5 Year US Corporate Index (CAD-Hedged), while ISTB tracks BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD). Their fees differ too: 0.16% for XIGS.TO and 0.06% for ISTB.