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IRTR vs SPLS

iShares LifePath Retirement ETF

IRTRANYSE Arca

PIMCO US Stocks PLUS Active Bond ETF

SPLSCCboe

Overlap

Expense ratio

IRTR −0.30pt a year

IRTR0.08%SPLS0.38%

Avg volume · 30D

SPLS 1.1×the volume

IRTR12.7KSPLS14.4K

IRTR vs SPLS Performance

Jul 31, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026

0.0%IRTR+0.3%SPLS

Jul 31, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026. IRTR 0.0%. SPLS +0.3%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−1%1%2%3%4%Jul 2026Sep 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
IRTR 0.08%, better
SPLS 0.38%
Fund size
IRTR $60M
SPLS $80M
1Y total return
IRTR +5.1%
SPLS No data
Yield (12M)
IRTR 3.17%
SPLS No data
Holdings
IRTR 29140
SPLS 15
Avg volume (30D)
IRTR 12.7K sh
SPLS 14.4K sh, better
NAV per share
IRTR $31.52
SPLS $55.53
52W range

ETF.net Grade

IRTR: Cost 97, Risk 82, Mission 100, Tradability 62, Holdings 80, Durability 56. SPLS: Cost 69, Risk 76, Mission 10, Tradability 48, Holdings 38, Durability 54.
Pillar letters and Scores for IRTR, SPLS, with each pillar’s weight
PillarIRTRSPLS
Cost30% weightA97HigherB69
Mission25% weightA100HigherF10
Risk15% weightA82HigherA76
Tradability15% weightB62HigherC48
Holdings10% weightA80HigherD38
Durability5% weightB56HigherC54

Rank among Multi-Asset Allocation funds

Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. IRTR and SPLS are both graded against the same 37 Multi-Asset Allocation funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Multi-Asset Allocation⁠

Category · 37 funds
See all 37 ›

IRTR ranks 3rd and SPLS 24th of 37 funds in the Multi-Asset Allocation Category.

  1. Rank 1AUCBGState Street SPDR UC Investments 90/10 Endowment Strategy Index ETFScore 95
  2. Rank 2AAOAiShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETFScore 88
  3. Rank 3AIRTRiShares LifePath Retirement ETFScore 86
  4. Rank 4AINCEFranklin Income Equity Focus ETFScore 74
  5. Rank 23CPPIAstoria Real Assets ETFScore 49
  6. Rank 24CSPLSPIMCO US Stocks PLUS Active Bond ETFScore 48
  7. Rank 25CHECAHedgeye Capital Allocation ETFScore 41

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

IRTRAiShares LifePath Retirement ETF

SPLSCPIMCO US Stocks PLUS Active Bond ETF

In short

IRTR A whole retirement portfolio in one ticker: global stock and bond ETFs blended at the conservative end, for 0.08% a year. That is index-fund pricing on a job most allocation funds charge roughly ten times more to do.

SPLS PIMCO's StocksPLUS idea, pioneered in 1986, finally in a US ETF: exposure to the 500 largest US companies out front, an actively managed PIMCO bond portfolio working underneath.

Stated mandate

IRTR The fund seeks conservative exposure through a broad portfolio of stock and bond ETFs spanning global asset classes.

SPLS The Fund seeks two sources of exposure: U.S.-listed equities mainly representing the 500 largest companies by market capitalization, and fixed-income instruments of varying maturities, primarily through actively managed PIMCO fixed-income ETFs.

Why people hold it

  • IRTR Costs 0.08% a year against a 0.78% median for allocation funds. Roughly a tenth of the going rate for a portfolio-in-a-box.
  • One line item, global coverage. The fund holds a spread of stock and bond ETFs across asset classes, so the mixing happens inside the wrapper.ishares.com
  • Distributions come monthly rather than quarterly.
  • One of the strongest all-in-one allocation funds in its peer group, and the cheapest of that top tier: iShares' own AOA runs 0.19%.
  • SPLS Two engines, one ticker: US large-cap equity exposure plus fixed income of varying maturities, run mainly through PIMCO's own actively managed bond ETFs.pimco.com
  • Charges 0.43% a year, roughly half the typical allocation fund's fee, for two sleeves that would otherwise mean buying a stock fund and a bond manager separately.
  • PIMCO pioneered the StocksPLUS approach in 1986 and lists SPLS as the ETF version of it, run by a team from its fixed income desk.pimco.com

Worth knowing

  • IRTR Thinly traded. Spreads can run wider than on household-name ETFs, so limit orders matter more here.
  • Launched in 2023, so the track record is short and the fund is still building scale.
  • Conservative by construction: it is built to move less than an all-stock portfolio, and that cuts in both directions.ishares.com
  • SPLS Bonds cut both ways here. The fixed income sleeve can subtract from S&P 500 returns as easily as add, and stocks and bonds can fall in the same week.
  • Launched January 2026 and started small and thinly traded, so spreads can run wider than in established allocation funds.
  • Capital-efficient rivals go cheaper: NTSX and GDE both charge 0.20%. You are paying up for the active bond sleeve.

Full IRTR profile⁠

Full SPLS profile⁠

IRTR vs SPLS 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.

IRTR vs SPLS Cost

Overpaying SPLS vs IRTR

$6,017

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

  • IRTR 0.08%

    $1,689

  • SPLS 0.38%

    $7,706

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • IRTR 0.08%
  • SPLS 0.38%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K$8K051015202530SPLS $7,706IRTR $1,689

Year by year

YearIRTRSPLSOverpaying
10$147$688$541
20$575$2,658$2,083
30$1,689$7,706$6,017

Expense ratio

  • 0.08%IRTR, cheaper
  • 0.38%SPLS
  • Middle half of Multi-Asset Allocation funds
  • Median 0.57%

IRTR 2nd cheapest of 37 funds

SPLS 12th cheapest of 37 funds

IRTR vs SPLS Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
IRTR 3.17%
SPLS No data
Payout (12M)
IRTR $1.00
SPLS No data
Last payment
IRTR $0.08
SPLS $0.07
Ex-dividend
IRTR Oct 2, 2026
SPLS Oct 1, 2026
Paid on
IRTR Oct 7, 2026
SPLS Oct 5, 2026
Frequency
IRTR Monthly
SPLS Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2023 to 2026, same scale for both

IRTRMonthly · 35 paymentsAll IRTR payments⁠
One bar per payment. 35 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Dec 4, 2023 $0.09; Dec 22, 2023 $0.37; Feb 2, 2024 $0.03; Mar 4, 2024 $0.04; Apr 2, 2024 $0.07; May 2, 2024 $0.06; Jun 4, 2024 $0.06; Jul 2, 2024 $0.12; Aug 2, 2024 $0.07; Sep 4, 2024 $0.05; Oct 2, 2024 $0.08; Nov 4, 2024 $0.69; Dec 3, 2024 $0.05; Dec 20, 2024 $0.17; Feb 4, 2025 $0.05; Mar 4, 2025 $0.05; Apr 2, 2025 $0.09; May 2, 2025 $0.06; Jun 3, 2025 $0.06; Jul 2, 2025 $0.14; Aug 4, 2025 $0.06; Sep 3, 2025 $0.06; Oct 2, 2025 $0.08; Nov 4, 2025 $0.06; Dec 2, 2025 $0.06; Dec 23, 2025 $0.17; Feb 3, 2026 $0.05; Mar 3, 2026 $0.05; Apr 2, 2026 $0.07; May 4, 2026 $0.07; Jun 2, 2026 $0.08; Jul 2, 2026 $0.16; Aug 4, 2026 $0.08; Sep 2, 2026 $0.06; Oct 2, 2026 $0.08. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.5020232026YTD
SPLSQuarterly · 3 paymentsAll SPLS payments⁠
One bar per payment. 3 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Apr 1, 2026 $0.12; Jul 1, 2026 $0.18; Oct 1, 2026 $0.07. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.5020232026YTD

IRTR vs SPLS Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
IRTR 7.3%SPLS No data
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
IRTR 1.14SPLS No data
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
IRTR −6.3%since Oct 2023SPLS No data
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
IRTR 0.47SPLS 1.01

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