FTSM vs XHLF: Differences, Returns & Fees
On Jul 31, 2026 FTSM's duration was 0.7 years and XHLF's 0.5; XHLF charges 0.03% to FTSM's 0.29%. Net assets: $6.7bn on Oct 20, 2026 for First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF, and $1.9bn on Jul 31, 2026 for BondBloxx Bloomberg Six Month Target Duration US Treasury ETF.
XHLF costs 0.26 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; FTSM is 3.3 times larger.
| FTSM | XHLF | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.29% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Jul 31, 2026 | $6.5bn | $1.9bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +3.4% | +3.5% |
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Bloomberg US Treasury Six Month Target Duration Index |
| Holdings in common | not published | |
FTSM and XHLF are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. FTSM follows No index, actively managed and XHLF follows Bloomberg US Treasury Six Month Target Duration Index.
- Cost. FTSM charges 0.29% of assets a year and XHLF 0.03%, a gap of 0.26 points.
- Size. FTSM has $6.5bn in net assets and XHLF $1.9bn (net assets, as of Jul 31, 2026); FTSM is 3.4 times larger.
Data as of Oct 20, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.
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On the same fields
FTSM and XHLF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 20, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About FTSM
FTSM is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +3.4% with distributions reinvested, against −1.9% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.29% a year.
About XHLF
XHLF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, FTSM or XHLF?
- In the year to Oct 20, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTSM returned +3.4% and XHLF +3.5%.
- Which is cheaper, FTSM or XHLF?
- XHLF is cheaper, by 0.26 percentage points a year. That is about $26 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, FTSM against XHLF, data as of Oct 20, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-xhlf
ETFIQ. (Oct 20, 2026). FTSM against XHLF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-xhlf
[FTSM against XHLF (ETFIQ, Oct 20, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftsm-vs-xhlf)
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