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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and SMTH −1.7%.

Which is cheaper, IUSB or SMTH?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.53 percentage points a year. That is about $53 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IUSB vs SMTH: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IUSB's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and SMTH's 6.2 on May 31, 2026; IUSB charges 0.06% to SMTH's 0.59%.

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Net assets: $49.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF, and $2.7bn on May 31, 2026 for ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF.

IUSB on its own →SMTH on its own →

At a glance

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

−1.7%

SMTH total return, 1 year

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

0.59%

SMTH expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.53 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points.

IUSB vs SMTH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	SMTH
Return
Measure	IUSB	SMTH
Total return, 1 year	−1.2%	−1.7%
Benchmark
Measure	IUSB	SMTH
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	IUSB	SMTH
Expense ratio	0.06%	0.59%
Net assets, IUSB as of Oct 27, 2026 and SMTH as of May 31, 2026	$49.8bn	$2.7bn
Holdings
Measure	IUSB	SMTH
Holdings in common	4%

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

Risk and return

Dec 15, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 149 weekly returns

IUSB SMTH

Return

Total return edge IUSB (slight) +9.4% +9.1%

Annualized edge IUSB (slight) +3.2% +3.1%

Price return edge IUSB −2.4% −4.1%

Risk

Volatility edge Tie 4.6% 4.6%

Max drawdown edge IUSB (slight) −4.2% −4.6%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IUSB (slight) −0.26 −0.28

Sortino edge IUSB (slight) −0.34 −0.37

Calmar edge IUSB 0.75 0.67

Reading

IUSB returned slightly more: +9.4% to +9.1%. IUSB and SMTH swung about the same: 4.6% and 4.6%. IUSB fell slightly less at its worst: −4.2% to −4.6%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IUSB vs SMTH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	SMTH	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+9.4%	+9.1%	IUSB (slight)	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+3.2%	+3.1%	IUSB (slight)	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−2.4%	−4.1%	IUSB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	4.6%	4.6%	Tie	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.4%	3.4%	Tie	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−4.2%	−4.6%	IUSB (slight)	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.26	−0.28	IUSB (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.34	−0.37	IUSB (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.75	0.67	IUSB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 149 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, IUSB and SMTH hold 4% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

4% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IUSB SMTH

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2036 0.37% 1.68%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2036 0.33% 1.52%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2031 0.23% 0.49%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2028 0.23% 0.73%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2030 0.22% 2.90%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2030 0.22% 1.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 31, 2027 0.21% 1.88%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Oct 31, 2029 0.18% 4.31%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Oct 31, 2027 0.17% 1.35%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2055 0.16% 3.03%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2056 0.16% 1.60%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2055 0.15% 3.52%

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 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%

Only in SMTH

Fannie Mae Pool, due Feb 1, 2051 0.47%

TransDigm, Inc., due Feb 28, 2031 0.41%

Fannie Mae REMICS, due Jun 25, 2045 0.38%

Freddie Mac REMICS, due May 25, 2054 0.33%

United States Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2027 0.29%

UBS Group AG, due Dec 31, 9999 0.29%

Charles Schwab Corp., due Dec 31, 9999 0.28%

American Electric Power Co., Inc., due Feb 15, 2062 0.28%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF SMTH ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares ALPS

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

Total return, 1 year −1.2% −1.7%

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

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.3 pts vs AGG

Expense ratio 0.06% 0.59%

Holdings 18338 984

Net assets, IUSB as of Oct 27, 2026 and SMTH as of May 31, 2026 $49.8bn $2.7bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-EEF836221D

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

What each follows. IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index and SMTH follows No index, actively managed.
Holdings in common. 4% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
Number of holdings. IUSB holds 18,338 positions and SMTH holds 984.

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.

SMTH

SMTH is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.7% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.59% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IUSB or SMTH?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and SMTH −1.7%.
Which is cheaper, IUSB or SMTH?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.53 percentage points a year. That is about $53 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IUSB vs PTRB FIXD vs IUSB EVTR vs IUSB BOND vs IUSB FBND vs SMTH JCPB vs SMTH CGCP vs SMTH BOND vs SMTH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

SMTH filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

SMTH prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

ALPS website ↗

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 SMTH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iusb-vs-smth

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