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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTCB returned −2.0% and IUSB −1.2%.

Which is cheaper, FTCB or IUSB?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.50 percentage points a year. That is about $50 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

FTCB vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On Jul 31, 2026 FTCB's duration was 6.0 years and IUSB's 5.5; IUSB charges 0.06% to FTCB's 0.56%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $2.7bn for First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF and $49.8bn for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF.

FTCB on its own →IUSB on its own →

At a glance

−2.0%

FTCB total return, 1 year

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

0.56%

FTCB expense ratio

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.50 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.8 points; IUSB is 18.4 times larger.

FTCB vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FTCB	IUSB
Return
Measure	FTCB	IUSB
Total return, 1 year	−2.0%	−1.2%
Drawdown
Measure	FTCB	IUSB
Below its high	3.7%, high on Feb 27, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	FTCB	IUSB
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index
Cost and size
Measure	FTCB	IUSB
Expense ratio	0.56%	0.06%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$2.7bn	$49.8bn
Holdings
Measure	FTCB	IUSB
Holdings in common	3%

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

Risk and return

Nov 17, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 153 weekly returns

FTCB IUSB

Return

Total return edge FTCB (slight) +14.5% +13.9%

Annualized edge FTCB (slight) +4.7% +4.5%

Price return edge IUSB −1.1% +1.0%

Risk

Volatility edge IUSB (slight) 5.3% 4.8%

Max drawdown edge IUSB −5.3% −4.2%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge FTCB 0.06 0.02

Sortino edge FTCB 0.08 0.03

Calmar edge IUSB 0.88 1.07

Reading

FTCB returned slightly more: +14.5% to +13.9%. IUSB swung slightly less: 4.8% to 5.3%. IUSB fell less at its worst: −4.2% to −5.3%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: FTCB vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FTCB	IUSB	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+14.5%	+13.9%	FTCB (slight)	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.7%	+4.5%	FTCB (slight)	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−1.1%	+1.0%	IUSB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	5.3%	4.8%	IUSB (slight)	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.7%	3.4%	IUSB	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−5.3%	−4.2%	IUSB	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.06	0.02	FTCB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.08	0.03	FTCB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.88	1.07	IUSB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 153 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, FTCB and IUSB hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

3% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FTCB IUSB

T 3.875 05/15/29, due May 15, 2029 0.39% 0.21%

T 3.5 03/15/29, due Mar 15, 2029 0.19% 0.23%

G2 MA7192, due Feb 20, 2051 1.48% 0.18%

FNMA-30YR, due Aug 15, 2056 1.41% 0.16%

G2-30YR-Multi, due Aug 15, 2056 0.30% 0.16%

T 4.125 06/15/29, due Jun 15, 2029 1.36% 0.14%

T 4.625 05/15/54, due May 15, 2054 0.11% 0.16%

T 5 05/15/56, due May 15, 2056 0.31% 0.11%

T 4.25 02/15/54, due Feb 15, 2054 0.10% 0.15%

FNMA-30YR, due Aug 15, 2056 0.23% 0.10%

G2-30YR-Multi, due Aug 15, 2056 0.09% 0.13%

T 5 05/15/46, due May 15, 2046 0.21% 0.09%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FTCB

FNMA-30YR, due Sep 15, 2056 1.50%

FHS 459 GE, due Jul 25, 2031 0.97%

S 0 11/15/34, due Nov 15, 2034 0.81%

S 0 11/15/33, due Nov 15, 2033 0.69%

S 0 08/15/34, due Aug 15, 2034 0.67%

S 0 08/15/39, due Aug 15, 2039 0.65%

S 0 05/15/39, due May 15, 2039 0.63%

FNR 2024-98 FG, due Nov 25, 2054 0.63%

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 May 15, 2036 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%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

FTCB First Trust Core Investment Grade 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 −2.0% −1.2%

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

Gap to its benchmark −0.6 pts vs AGG not measured

Expense ratio 0.56% 0.06%

Holdings 793 18338

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $2.7bn $49.8bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-9ACEC672C5

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

What each follows. FTCB follows No index, actively managed and IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index.
Holdings in common. 3% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026).
Number of holdings. FTCB holds 793 positions and IUSB holds 18338.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

FTCB

FTCB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −2.0% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.56% a year. It sat 3.7% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 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, FTCB or IUSB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTCB returned −2.0% and IUSB −1.2%.
Which is cheaper, FTCB or IUSB?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.50 percentage points a year. That is about $50 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

FTCB vs JCPB CGCP vs FTCB BOND vs FTCB FTCB vs SMTH IUSB vs UBND IUSB vs SYSB IUSB vs PTRB IUSB vs JCPB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

FTCB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FTCB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for FTCB ↗

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

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