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FIXD vs IUSB

First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF

FIXDCNasdaq

iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF

IUSBANasdaq

Overlap

No data

Expense ratio

IUSB −0.59pt a year

FIXD0.65%IUSB0.06%

Avg volume · 30D

IUSB 13.3×the volume

FIXD462KIUSB6.13M

5Y return · a year

IUSB +1.0pt

FIXD−0.8%IUSB+0.2%

FIXD vs IUSB Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

−4.0%FIXD+0.9%IUSB

Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. FIXD −4.0%. IUSB +0.9%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−15%−10%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026
Expense ratio
FIXD 0.65%
IUSB 0.06%, better
Fund size
FIXD $2.83B
IUSB $50.2B
1Y total return
FIXD −1.2%
IUSB 0.0%, better
Yield (12M)
FIXD 4.83%, better
IUSB 4.32%
Holdings
FIXD 411
IUSB 18280
Avg volume (30D)
FIXD 462K sh
IUSB 6.13M sh, better
NAV per share
FIXD $42.05
IUSB $44.91
52W range

ETF.net Grade

FIXD: Cost 7, Risk 29, Mission 100, Tradability 59, Holdings 52, Durability 75. IUSB: Cost 92, Risk 54, Mission 100, Tradability 89, Holdings 76, Durability 94.
Pillar letters and Scores for FIXD, IUSB, with each pillar’s weight
PillarFIXDIUSB
Cost30% weightF7A92Higher
Mission25% weightA100A100
Risk15% weightD29C54Higher
Tradability15% weightB59A89Higher
Holdings10% weightC52A76Higher
Durability5% weightA75A94Higher

Rank among US Aggregate Bond funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. FIXD and IUSB are both graded against the same 114 US Aggregate Bond funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

US Aggregate Bond⁠

Category · 114 funds
See all 114 ›

IUSB ranks 2nd and FIXD 85th of 114 funds in the US Aggregate Bond Category.

  1. Rank 1AAGGiShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETFScore 87
  2. Rank 2AIUSBiShares Core Universal USD Bond ETFScore 86
  3. Rank 2ASCHZSchwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETFScore 86
  4. Rank 81CSMTHALPS Funds Smith Core Plus Bond ETFScore 50
  5. Rank 85CFIXDFirst Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETFScore 49
  6. Rank 86CSDCPVirtus Newfleet Short Duration Core Plus Bond ETFScore 48

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

FIXDCFirst Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF

IUSBAiShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF

In short

FIXD Most of the aggregate-bond aisle is index tracking on autopilot. FIXD goes the other way: an active manager roaming roughly 900 bonds under a mandate to maximize long-term total return, with distributions paid monthly.

IUSB Most core bond funds stop at investment grade. IUSB keeps going, folding high-yield USD debt into the same wrapper across roughly 18,000 bonds, for 0.06% a year.

Stated mandate

FIXD The Fund seeks to maximize long-term total return. Under normal market conditions, it invests at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities.

IUSB The Fund seeks to track an index of U.S.-dollar-denominated bonds spanning investment-grade and high-yield sectors.

Why people hold it

  • FIXD Genuinely active: at least 80% of net assets sit in fixed income, but the manager roams sectors by conviction rather than replicating an index.ftportfolios.com
  • Roughly 900 bond positions under the hood, so no single issuer carries the portfolio.
  • Distributions land monthly, the cadence many core bond holders build income around.
  • Live since its 2017 launch and now a multi-billion-dollar fund that has stayed inside its stated fixed income mandate.
  • IUSB 0.06% a year, a fraction of what the typical broad bond fund in its category charges, and iShares has run it since 2014.
  • Roughly 18,000 bonds spanning investment-grade and high-yield sectors, so one ticker covers ground a plain Agg tracker leaves on the table.ishares.com
  • Tracks its index closely, trades heavily, and sits on a multi-billion-dollar asset base. Income is paid monthly.
  • Among the strongest implementations in a crowded field of nearly 200 core bond funds.

Worth knowing

  • FIXD The 0.65% fee is the trade-off. Index core bond funds like BND and SPAB charge 0.03%, so the manager's calls have to cover that gap.
  • No index anchors it. Outcomes follow a manager's positioning, so it can diverge from the broad bond market in either direction.
  • Trading is moderate rather than heavy next to the category's index giants, so spreads can matter more on larger orders.
  • IUSB That high-yield sleeve is the trade-off: more credit risk than an investment-grade-only fund, and more movement when spreads widen.
  • BND, SPAB and SCHZ charge 0.03%, half IUSB's fee, but they stay inside investment grade.
  • Payouts land monthly, but the amount floats with the coupons underneath. Nothing about the income stream is fixed.

Full FIXD profile⁠

Full IUSB profile⁠

FIXD vs IUSB Holdings

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

FIXD vs IUSB Cost

Overpaying FIXD vs IUSB

$11,447

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • FIXD 0.65%

    $12,717

  • IUSB 0.06%

    $1,270

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • FIXD 0.65%
  • IUSB 0.06%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K051015202530FIXD $12,717IUSB $1,270

Year by year

YearFIXDIUSBOverpaying
10$1,163$110$1,053
20$4,440$432$4,008
30$12,717$1,270$11,447

Expense ratio

  • 0.65%FIXD
  • 0.06%IUSB, cheaper
  • Middle half of US Aggregate Bond funds
  • Median 0.34%

IUSB 10th cheapest of 114 funds

FIXD 105th cheapest of 114 funds

FIXD vs IUSB Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
FIXD 4.83%, better
IUSB 4.32%
Payout (12M)
FIXD $2.03
IUSB $1.94
Last payment
FIXD $0.17
IUSB $0.15
Ex-dividend
FIXD Oct 21, 2026
IUSB Oct 1, 2026
Paid on
FIXD Oct 30, 2026
IUSB Oct 6, 2026
Frequency
FIXD Monthly
IUSB Monthly

Distribution history

Per share, 2023 to 2026, same scale for both

FIXDMonthly · 46 paymentsAll FIXD payments⁠
One bar per payment. 46 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Jan 24, 2023 $0.15; Feb 22, 2023 $0.14; Mar 24, 2023 $0.13; Apr 21, 2023 $0.13; May 23, 2023 $0.13; Jun 27, 2023 $0.13; Jul 21, 2023 $0.14; Aug 22, 2023 $0.17; Sep 22, 2023 $0.17; Oct 24, 2023 $0.17; Nov 21, 2023 $0.17; Dec 22, 2023 $0.17; Jan 23, 2024 $0.17; Feb 21, 2024 $0.16; Mar 21, 2024 $0.16; Apr 23, 2024 $0.16; May 21, 2024 $0.16; Jun 27, 2024 $0.16; Jul 23, 2024 $0.16; Aug 21, 2024 $0.16; Sep 26, 2024 $0.16; Oct 22, 2024 $0.16; Nov 21, 2024 $0.15; Dec 13, 2024 $0.15; Jan 22, 2025 $0.16; Feb 21, 2025 $0.16; Mar 27, 2025 $0.16; Apr 22, 2025 $0.16; May 21, 2025 $0.16; Jun 26, 2025 $0.16; Jul 22, 2025 $0.17; Aug 21, 2025 $0.17; Sep 25, 2025 $0.17; Oct 21, 2025 $0.19; Nov 21, 2025 $0.19; Dec 12, 2025 $0.19; Jan 21, 2026 $0.17; Feb 20, 2026 $0.17; Mar 26, 2026 $0.17; Apr 21, 2026 $0.17; May 21, 2026 $0.17; Jun 25, 2026 $0.17; Jul 21, 2026 $0.17; Aug 21, 2026 $0.17; Sep 24, 2026 $0.17; Oct 21, 2026 $0.17. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.2020232026YTD
IUSBMonthly · 45 paymentsAll IUSB payments⁠
One bar per payment. 45 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Feb 1, 2023 $0.12; Mar 1, 2023 $0.12; Apr 3, 2023 $0.12; May 1, 2023 $0.13; Jun 1, 2023 $0.14; Jul 3, 2023 $0.13; Aug 1, 2023 $0.14; Sep 1, 2023 $0.13; Oct 2, 2023 $0.13; Nov 1, 2023 $0.14; Dec 1, 2023 $0.14; Dec 14, 2023 $0.15; Feb 1, 2024 $0.13; Mar 1, 2024 $0.15; Apr 1, 2024 $0.15; May 1, 2024 $0.15; Jun 3, 2024 $0.15; Jul 1, 2024 $0.15; Aug 1, 2024 $0.16; Sep 3, 2024 $0.16; Oct 1, 2024 $0.15; Nov 1, 2024 $0.16; Dec 2, 2024 $0.16; Dec 18, 2024 $0.16; Feb 3, 2025 $0.15; Mar 3, 2025 $0.16; Apr 1, 2025 $0.16; May 1, 2025 $0.16; Jun 2, 2025 $0.17; Jul 1, 2025 $0.16; Aug 1, 2025 $0.17; Sep 2, 2025 $0.16; Oct 1, 2025 $0.17; Nov 3, 2025 $0.16; Dec 1, 2025 $0.16; Dec 19, 2025 $0.16; Feb 2, 2026 $0.17; Mar 2, 2026 $0.16; Apr 1, 2026 $0.16; May 1, 2026 $0.16; Jun 1, 2026 $0.15; Jul 1, 2026 $0.16; Aug 3, 2026 $0.17; Sep 1, 2026 $0.17; Oct 1, 2026 $0.15. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.2020232026YTD

FIXD vs IUSB Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

  • FIXD
  • IUSB
Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. Worst fall: FIXD −19.7% · Oct 2022. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−20%−15%−10%−5%0%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
FIXD 6.5%IUSB 5.5%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
FIXD 0.14IUSB 0.25, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
FIXD −19.7%IUSB −17.4%, better
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
FIXD 1.13IUSB 0.96

FIXD and IUSB in the news

All news⁠

Popular comparisons

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