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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and LQD −3.4%.

Which is cheaper, IUSB or LQD?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IUSB vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IUSB's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and LQD's 7.7 on Aug 31, 2026; IUSB charges 0.06% to LQD's 0.14%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $49.8bn for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF and $30.6bn for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.

IUSB on its own →LQD on its own →

At a glance

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

−3.4%

LQD total return, 1 year

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

0.14%

LQD expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.08 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.2 points; IUSB is 1.6 times larger.

IUSB vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	LQD
Return
Measure	IUSB	LQD
Total return, 1 year	−1.2%	−3.4%
Drawdown
Measure	IUSB	LQD
Below its high		6.3%, high on Sep 22, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	IUSB	LQD
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index	Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index
Cost and size
Measure	IUSB	LQD
Expense ratio	0.06%	0.14%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$49.8bn	$30.6bn
Holdings
Measure	IUSB	LQD
Holdings in common	11%

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

Risk and return

Jun 20, 2014 to Oct 23, 2026 · 644 weekly returns

IUSB LQD

Return

Total return edge LQD +28.3% +35.3%

Annualized edge LQD +2.0% +2.5%

Price return edge IUSB −10.7% −12.4%

Risk

Volatility edge IUSB 5.0% 9.4%

Max drawdown edge IUSB −17.7% −24.7%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge LQD 0.02 0.09

Sortino edge LQD 0.02 0.12

Calmar edge IUSB 0.11 0.10

Reading

LQD returned more: +35.3% to +28.3%. IUSB swung less: 5.0% to 9.4%. IUSB fell less at its worst: −17.7% to −24.7%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IUSB vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	LQD	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+28.3%	+35.3%	LQD	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+2.0%	+2.5%	LQD	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−10.7%	−12.4%	IUSB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	5.0%	9.4%	IUSB	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.6%	6.6%	IUSB	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−17.7%	−24.7%	IUSB	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.02	0.09	LQD	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.02	0.12	LQD	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.11	0.10	IUSB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 644 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

11%

By the books each fund has filed, IUSB and LQD hold 11% 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

11% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IUSB LQD

Anheuser-Busch Cos. LLC, due Feb 1, 2046 0.02% 0.18%

Comcast Corp., due Jan 15, 2037 0.02% 0.03%

T-Mobile USA, Inc., due Apr 15, 2030 0.02% 0.17%

CVS Health Corp., due Mar 25, 2048 0.02% 0.17%

AbbVie, Inc., due Nov 21, 2029 0.02% 0.12%

Meta Platforms, Inc., due Nov 15, 2035 0.02% 0.16%

Amazon.com, Inc., due Mar 13, 2036 0.02% 0.14%

Pfizer Investment Enterprises Pte. Ltd., due May 19, 2053 0.01% 0.14%

Bank of America Corp., due Jan 23, 2035 0.01% 0.13%

Bank of America Corp., due Mar 20, 2051 0.01% 0.11%

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The), due Jan 21, 2032 0.01% 0.09%

Boeing Co. (The), due May 1, 2050 0.01% 0.14%

Only in one fund ↓

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%

Only in LQD

Charter Communications Operating LLC / Charter Communications Operating Capital, due Sep 1, 2038 0.15%

Charter Communications Operating LLC / Charter Communications Operating Capital, due Sep 1, 2041 0.15%

Alphabet Inc, due Aug 15, 2056 0.12%

Alphabet Inc, due Aug 15, 2031 0.09%

Honeywell Aerospace Inc, due Mar 16, 2056 0.09%

Honeywell Aerospace Inc, due Mar 16, 2036 0.08%

HSBC Holdings PLC, due Aug 14, 2037 0.07%

Alphabet Inc, due Aug 15, 2066 0.07%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of Universal USD Bond Tracks an index of US investment grade bonds

Total return, 1 year −1.2% −3.4%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.2% (IUSB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −2.2 pts vs IUSB

Expense ratio 0.06% 0.14%

Holdings 18338 3191

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $49.8bn $30.6bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-48F080500C

IUSB and LQD do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index and LQD follows Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index.
Holdings in common. 11% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IUSB returned −1.2% and LQD −3.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.2 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

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.

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, IUSB or LQD?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and LQD −3.4%.
Which is cheaper, IUSB or LQD?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IUSB vs VCIT IGIB vs IUSB IUSB vs JAAA IUSB vs MINT BOND vs LQD JAAA vs LQD LQD vs SGOV LQD vs VTIP

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IUSB and LQD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

LQD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for LQD ↗

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

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