XSAB.TO vs. HYXF

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XSAB.TO (iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF) and HYXF (iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XSAB.TO is a Canadian Government Bonds fund tracking the Morningstar Can Core Bd GR CAD, while HYXF is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg MSCI US High Yield Corporate Choice ESG Screened. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XSAB.TO returned 0.61%/yr vs 6.66%/yr for HYXF. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XSAB.TO charges 0.17%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for HYXF.

Performance

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XSAB.TO) and iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYXF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XSAB.TO achieves a 1.61% return, which is significantly lower than HYXF's 2.40% return.

XSAB.TO

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: 1.57%
• YTD: 1.61%
• 6M: 1.04%
• 1Y: 2.74%
• 3Y*: 4.06%
• 5Y*: 0.61%
• 10Y*: —

HYXF

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: 2.42%
• YTD: 2.40%
• 6M: 1.22%
• 1Y: 7.56%
• 3Y*: 9.95%
• 5Y*: 6.66%
• 10Y*: —

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

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
XSAB.TO iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF	1.61%	2.22%	4.03%	6.35%	-11.42%	-2.71%	7.79%	2.30%
HYXF iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	2.40%	3.88%	17.66%	9.41%	-5.62%	1.67%	4.27%	3.81%

Correlation

The correlation between XSAB.TO and HYXF is 0.28, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.28
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.33
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 29, 2019	0.27

Return for Risk

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF — Risk / Return Rank

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

XSAB.TO

XSAB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 20
XSAB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
XSAB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
XSAB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 19
XSAB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
XSAB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 21

HYXF

HYXF Risk / Return Rank: 49
HYXF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
HYXF Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
HYXF Omega Ratio Rank: 46
HYXF Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
HYXF 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.

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XSAB.TO) and iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYXF). 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.

	XSAB.TO	HYXF	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.66	1.47	-0.82
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.92	2.07	-1.15
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.27	-0.15
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.01	2.09	-1.08
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.36	5.42	-3.06
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XSAB.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.66, which is lower than the HYXF Sharpe Ratio of 1.47. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XSAB.TO and HYXF, 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

	XSAB.TO	HYXF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.66	1.47	-0.82
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10	0.84	-0.75
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.19	0.68	-0.50

Drawdowns

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XSAB.TO drawdown since its inception was -17.96%, which is greater than HYXF's maximum drawdown of -14.73%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XSAB.TO and HYXF.

Drawdown Indicators

	XSAB.TO	HYXF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.96%	-14.73%	-3.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.72%	-3.62%	+0.90%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-5.30%	-7.25%	+1.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.66%	-14.73%	-0.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.87%	0.00%	-1.87%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.47%	-2.89%	-3.58%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.17%	1.40%	-0.23%

Volatility

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (XSAB.TO) has a higher volatility of 1.49% compared to iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYXF) at 1.10%. This indicates that XSAB.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HYXF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XSAB.TO	HYXF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.49%	1.10%	+0.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.30%	4.06%	-0.76%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.21%	5.16%	-0.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.32%	7.92%	-1.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.66%	8.67%	-2.01%

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Expense Ratio Comparison

XSAB.TO has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is lower than HYXF's 0.35% expense ratio.

Dividends

XSAB.TO vs. HYXF - Dividend Comparison

XSAB.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.26%, less than HYXF's 6.09% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
HYXF iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	6.09%	6.19%	6.40%	5.93%	5.37%	4.56%	4.96%	5.29%	6.14%	5.85%	3.16%
XSAB.TO iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF	3.26%	3.20%	3.01%	2.81%	2.75%	2.35%	2.49%	2.05%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XSAB.TO and HYXF in my portfolio?

XSAB.TO and HYXF have a correlation of 0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XSAB.TO or HYXF?

On fees, XSAB.TO is cheaper at 0.17% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XSAB.TO or HYXF?

XSAB.TO is cheaper with a 0.17% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for HYXF.

What is the main difference between XSAB.TO and HYXF?

XSAB.TO is categorized as Canadian Government Bonds, while HYXF is High Yield Bonds. XSAB.TO tracks Morningstar Can Core Bd GR CAD, while HYXF tracks Bloomberg MSCI US High Yield Corporate Choice ESG Screened. Their fees differ too: 0.17% for XSAB.TO and 0.35% for HYXF.