Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
AGG vs CTA: how they differ
AGG is a bond index fund and CTA an equity index fund, and over the year CTA returned more, +17.0% against −0.7%.
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF.
| AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Simplify |
| What it is | US aggregate bonds | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.7% | +17.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.2 pts | −0.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.75% |
| Holdings | not filed | 10 |
AGG in plain words
AGG is a bond fund tracking the US aggregate bonds. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.7% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
CTA in plain words
CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, AGG or CTA?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AGG returned −0.7% and CTA returned +17.0%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, AGG or CTA?
- AGG charges 0.03% a year and CTA charges 0.75%, so AGG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, AGG against CTA, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AGG-CTA Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources