Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BOXX vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to LQD's −3.4%, and LQD charges 0.14% to BOXX's 0.19%.
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Net assets: $14.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF, and $30.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
LQD costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.4 points; LQD is 2.1 times larger.
| Measure | BOXX | LQD |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +4.0% | −3.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 6.3%, high on Sep 22, 2021 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.14% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 23, 2026 | $14.4bn | $30.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Side by side
BOXX and LQD on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
BOXX
BOXX is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +4.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% a year.
LQD
LQD tracks an index of US investment grade bonds. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.4% with distributions reinvested, against −1.2% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year. It sat 6.3% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or LQD?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and LQD −3.4%.
- Which is cheaper, BOXX or LQD?
- LQD is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, BOXX against LQD, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-lqd
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BOXX against LQD. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-lqd
[BOXX against LQD (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-lqd)
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