Which returned more over the last year, BIL or CTA?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BIL returned +3.7% and CTA returned +17.0%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, BIL or CTA?

BIL charges 0.14% a year and CTA charges 0.75%, so BIL is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

BIL vs CTA: how they differ

BIL is a short-term Treasury fund and CTA an equity index fund, and over the year CTA returned more, +17.0% against +3.7%.

SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF and Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF.

BIL and CTA on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF	CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	State Street	Simplify
What it is	1-3 month T-bills	Simplify Managed Futures Strategy
Total return, 1 year	+3.7%	+17.0%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−13.8 pts	−0.5 pts
Expense ratio	0.14%	0.75%
Holdings	not filed	10

BIL in plain words

BIL is a cash and treasury bills tracking the 1-3 month T-bills. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +3.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year.

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, BIL or CTA?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BIL returned +3.7% and CTA returned +17.0%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, BIL or CTA?: BIL charges 0.14% a year and CTA charges 0.75%, so BIL 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.

BIL against CTA, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, BIL against CTA, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/BIL-CTA Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources