XIJN vs. BILS

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XIJN (FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June) and BILS (SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XIJN is a Defined Outcome fund actively managed by First Trust, while BILS is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg 3-12 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. XIJN is actively managed, while BILS is passively managed. Over the past year, XIJN returned 7.42% vs 3.90% for BILS. At a correlation of -0.04, they often move in opposite directions. XIJN charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.14%/yr for BILS.

Performance

XIJN vs. BILS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June (XIJN) and SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XIJN achieves a 2.49% return, which is significantly higher than BILS's 1.40% return.

XIJN

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: 0.35%
• YTD: 2.49%
• 6M: 3.12%
• 1Y: 7.42%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BILS

• 1D: -0.01%
• 1M: 0.28%
• YTD: 1.40%
• 6M: 1.73%
• 1Y: 3.90%
• 3Y*: 4.66%
• 5Y*: 3.29%
• 10Y*: —

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

XIJN vs. BILS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
XIJN FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June	2.49%	7.47%	3.82%
BILS SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF	1.40%	4.23%	2.75%

Correlation

The correlation between XIJN and BILS is -0.01, 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	-0.01
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 25, 2024	-0.04

Return for Risk

XIJN vs. BILS — Risk / Return Rank

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

XIJN

XIJN Risk / Return Rank: 97
XIJN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
XIJN Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
XIJN Omega Ratio Rank: 98
XIJN Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
XIJN Martin Ratio Rank: 98

BILS

BILS Risk / Return Rank: 100
BILS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Omega Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

XIJN vs. BILS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June (XIJN) and SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS). 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.

	XIJN	BILS	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.97	16.80	-12.83
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	7.19	100.82	-93.63
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	2.04	42.08	-40.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	9.95	129.91	-119.96
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	53.25	1,442.41	-1,389.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XIJN vs. BILS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XIJN Sharpe Ratio is 3.97, which is lower than the BILS Sharpe Ratio of 16.80. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XIJN and BILS, 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

	XIJN	BILS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.97	16.80	-12.83
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	10.79	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.60	9.79	-8.20

Drawdowns

XIJN vs. BILS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XIJN drawdown since its inception was -4.65%, which is greater than BILS's maximum drawdown of -0.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XIJN and BILS.

Drawdown Indicators

	XIJN	BILS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.65%	-0.41%	-4.24%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.75%	-0.03%	-0.72%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-0.04%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-0.38%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-0.01%	+0.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.15%	-0.04%	-0.11%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.14%	0.00%	+0.14%

Volatility

XIJN vs. BILS - Volatility Comparison

FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June (XIJN) has a higher volatility of 0.20% compared to SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS) at 0.06%. This indicates that XIJN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BILS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XIJN	BILS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.20%	0.06%	+0.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.25%	0.14%	+1.11%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.88%	0.23%	+1.65%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.51%	0.31%	+4.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.51%	0.30%	+4.21%

XIJN vs. BILS - Expense Ratio Comparison

XIJN has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than BILS's 0.14% expense ratio.

Dividends

XIJN vs. BILS - Dividend Comparison

XIJN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.95%, more than BILS's 3.81% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022
BILS SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF	3.81%	4.08%	5.01%	4.98%	1.61%
XIJN FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June	6.95%	6.62%	2.68%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XIJN and BILS in my portfolio?

XIJN and BILS have a correlation of -0.01, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, XIJN or BILS?

XIJN has higher volatility (0.20%) compared to BILS (0.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XIJN dropped -4.65% vs BILS's -0.41%.

Which ETF is better, XIJN or BILS?

On 1-year performance, XIJN leads with 7.42% vs 3.90% for BILS. On fees, BILS is cheaper at 0.14% per year. On volatility, BILS has been the lower-risk option at 0.06%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, XIJN or BILS?

Over the 1-year period, XIJN has performed better with a 7.42% return vs 3.90%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, XIJN or BILS?

BILS is cheaper with a 0.14% expense ratio, compared with 0.85% for XIJN.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, XIJN or BILS?

XIJN has the higher dividend yield at 6.95%, compared with 3.81% for BILS.

What is the main difference between XIJN and BILS?

XIJN is categorized as Defined Outcome, while BILS is Ultrashort Bond. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.85% for XIJN and 0.14% for BILS.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BILS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (16.80 vs 3.97), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.