XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF (XST.TO) and iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.TO).

XST.TO and XQQ.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XST.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Gbl GR CAD. It was launched on Apr 12, 2011. XQQ.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Market TR CAD. It was launched on May 3, 2011. Both XST.TO and XQQ.TO are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF (XST.TO) and iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XST.TO iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF	2.31%	16.38%	19.83%	6.37%	8.76%	20.39%	3.48%	12.13%	1.65%	6.95%
XQQ.TO iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	-6.47%	18.38%	24.23%	52.23%	-33.67%	22.29%	45.23%	37.48%	-2.33%	31.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XST.TO achieves a 2.31% return, which is significantly higher than XQQ.TO's -6.47% return. Over the past 10 years, XST.TO has underperformed XQQ.TO with an annualized return of 9.64%, while XQQ.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 16.78% annualized return.

XST.TO

• 1D: 0.46%
• 1M: -2.19%
• YTD: 2.31%
• 6M: 9.02%
• 1Y: 15.82%
• 3Y*: 12.66%
• 5Y*: 13.50%
• 10Y*: 9.64%

XQQ.TO

• 1D: 3.44%
• 1M: -5.05%
• YTD: -6.47%
• 6M: -4.62%
• 1Y: 21.12%
• 3Y*: 20.32%
• 5Y*: 10.45%
• 10Y*: 16.78%

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

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XST.TO has a 0.61% expense ratio, which is higher than XQQ.TO's 0.39% expense ratio.

XST.TO

iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF

XQQ.TO

iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)

Return for Risk

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XST.TO

XST.TO Risk / Return Rank: 61
XST.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 57
XST.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
XST.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 49
XST.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
XST.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 61

XQQ.TO

XQQ.TO Risk / Return Rank: 63
XQQ.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
XQQ.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
XQQ.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 62
XQQ.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
XQQ.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 63

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.

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF (XST.TO) and iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.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.

	XST.TO	XQQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.95	+0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.45	1.50	-0.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.21	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.22	1.65	+0.58
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.70	5.80	-0.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XST.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the XQQ.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XST.TO and XQQ.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

	XST.TO	XQQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.95	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.97	0.47	+0.51
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	0.76	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-1.35	-1.32	-0.04

Correlation

The correlation between XST.TO and XQQ.TO is 0.29, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Dividend Comparison

XST.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.68%, more than XQQ.TO's 0.27% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XST.TO iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF	0.68%	0.67%	0.86%	0.79%	0.74%	0.68%	0.74%	0.73%	0.81%	0.90%	0.52%	0.62%
XQQ.TO iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	0.27%	0.25%	0.32%	0.31%	0.43%	0.17%	0.26%	0.46%	0.52%	0.53%	0.76%	0.62%

Drawdowns

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XST.TO drawdown since its inception was -99.99%, roughly equal to the maximum XQQ.TO drawdown of -100.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XST.TO and XQQ.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XST.TO	XQQ.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.99%	-100.00%	+0.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.12%	-12.76%	+4.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-10.86%	-38.55%	+27.69%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.65%	-38.55%	+15.90%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.95%	-99.98%	+0.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-96.77%	-99.99%	+3.22%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.17%	3.63%	-0.46%

Volatility

XST.TO vs. XQQ.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares S&P/TSX Capped Consumer Staples Index ETF (XST.TO) is 5.44%, while iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.TO) has a volatility of 6.56%. This indicates that XST.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XQQ.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XST.TO	XQQ.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.44%	6.56%	-1.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.32%	12.66%	-0.34%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.63%	22.22%	-5.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.96%	22.54%	-8.58%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.89%	22.29%	-7.40%