Which returned more over the last year, FIXD or IUSB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FIXD returned −2.6% and IUSB −1.2%.

Which is cheaper, FIXD or IUSB?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.59 percentage points a year. That is about $59 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

FIXD vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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FIXD's duration was 6.2 years on Aug 31, 2026 and IUSB's 5.5 on Jul 31, 2026; IUSB charges 0.06% to FIXD's 0.65%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $2.8bn for First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF and $49.8bn for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF.

FIXD on its own →IUSB on its own →

At a glance

−2.6%

FIXD total return, 1 year

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

0.65%

FIXD expense ratio

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.59 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.4 points; IUSB is 17.8 times larger.

FIXD vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FIXD	IUSB
Return
Measure	FIXD	IUSB
Total return, 1 year	−2.6%	−1.2%
Drawdown
Measure	FIXD	IUSB
Below its high	5.7%, high on Aug 4, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	FIXD	IUSB
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index
Cost and size
Measure	FIXD	IUSB
Expense ratio	0.65%	0.06%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$2.8bn	$49.8bn
Holdings
Measure	FIXD	IUSB
Holdings in common	2%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Feb 24, 2017 to Oct 23, 2026 · 504 weekly returns

FIXD IUSB

Return

Total return edge IUSB +16.8% +19.3%

Annualized edge IUSB +1.6% +1.8%

Price return edge IUSB −17.3% −11.8%

Risk

Volatility edge IUSB (slight) 5.9% 5.4%

Max drawdown edge IUSB −20.1% −17.7%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IUSB −0.14 −0.11

Sortino edge IUSB −0.19 −0.16

Calmar edge IUSB 0.08 0.10

Reading

IUSB returned more: +19.3% to +16.8%. IUSB swung slightly less: 5.4% to 5.9%. IUSB fell less at its worst: −17.7% to −20.1%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: FIXD vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FIXD	IUSB	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+16.8%	+19.3%	IUSB	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+1.6%	+1.8%	IUSB	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−17.3%	−11.8%	IUSB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	5.9%	5.4%	IUSB (slight)	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	4.3%	3.9%	IUSB (slight)	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−20.1%	−17.7%	IUSB	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.14	−0.11	IUSB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.19	−0.16	IUSB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.08	0.10	IUSB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 504 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, FIXD and IUSB hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

2% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FIXD IUSB

T 4.375 05/15/36, due May 15, 2036 4.97% 0.37%

T 3.875 05/15/29, due May 15, 2029 0.37% 0.21%

T 4.125 10/31/29, due Oct 31, 2029 2.17% 0.18%

T 4.75 08/15/55, due Aug 15, 2055 0.48% 0.16%

T 4.625 11/15/55, due Nov 15, 2055 2.58% 0.15%

T 4.125 06/30/31, due Jun 30, 2031 0.48% 0.12%

T 4.625 11/15/45, due Nov 15, 2045 3.39% 0.12%

T 4.875 08/15/45, due Aug 15, 2045 2.41% 0.12%

T 5 05/15/56, due May 15, 2056 2.71% 0.11%

T 5 05/15/46, due May 15, 2046 0.51% 0.09%

T 1.625 11/15/50, due Nov 15, 2050 0.74% 0.08%

G2 MA9963, due Oct 20, 2054 0.48% 0.02%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FIXD

T 4.625 08/15/36, due Aug 15, 2036 4.31%

T 5.125 08/15/56, due Aug 15, 2056 1.25%

T 4.375 07/31/31, due Jul 31, 2031 1.00%

FN FA4541, due Feb 1, 2056 0.68%

G2 MA8347, due Oct 20, 2052 0.63%

G2 788648, due Dec 20, 2052 0.62%

GS V1.542 09/10/27, due Sep 10, 2027 0.59%

FR SD7553, due Mar 1, 2052 0.59%

Only in IUSB

Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities, due Aug 25, 2056 0.41%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Dec 31, 2029 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 0.36%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 0.35%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2035 0.33%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

FIXD First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer First Trust iShares

What it is Actively managed Tracks an index of Universal USD Bond

Total return, 1 year −2.6% −1.2%

Its benchmark over the same days −1.4% (AGG) not measured

Gap to its benchmark −1.2 pts vs AGG not measured

Expense ratio 0.65% 0.06%

Holdings 410 18338

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $2.8bn $49.8bn

FIXD and IUSB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-66053B3C15

FIXD and IUSB are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

What each follows. FIXD follows No index, actively managed and IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index.
Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026).
Number of holdings. FIXD holds 410 positions and IUSB holds 18338.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

FIXD

FIXD is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −2.6% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.65% a year. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 4, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.

IUSB

IUSB tracks an index of Universal USD Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FIXD or IUSB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FIXD returned −2.6% and IUSB −1.2%.
Which is cheaper, FIXD or IUSB?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.59 percentage points a year. That is about $59 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

FIXD vs JCPB BOND vs FIXD FIXD vs SMTH FIXD vs FTCB FTCB vs IUSB GTO vs IUSB HTRB vs IUSB IUSB vs VPLS

Where to next

FIXD on its own →IUSB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →FIXD dividend history →FIXD holdings →IUSB dividend history →IUSB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FIXD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FIXD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for FIXD ↗

IUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, FIXD against IUSB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fixd-vs-iusb

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.