VS
RBC 1-5 Year Laddered Canadian Corporate Bond ETF (RBO) and Vanguard Canadian Short-Term Bond Index ETF (VSB) offer distinct profiles for Canadian ETF investors. A direct comparison shows that RBO focuses its top 3 sector exposures on Finance, Energy, and Utilities, while VSB leans towards Sovereign, Finance, and Municipal. When evaluating costs, RBO features a management fee (MER) of 0.25%, compared to 0.1% for VSB. Performance-wise, RBO has returned 1.09% year-to-date with +$24 M in net flows, whereas VSB is at 0.88% with +$499 M. Use the comparison tool below to benchmark these funds across top 10 holdings, yield, sector weights and historical returns.
NAV Performance and Flows
Key Data
Compare
RBO
VSB
| AuM | $207.05 M | $1,834.66 M |
| Management Fees | 0.25% | 0.10% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.28% | 0.12% |
| Tracking Difference | - | -0.35% |
Historical performance and flows
As of September 2, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | RBO | -0.36% | -0.06% | +1.09% | +2.25% | +16.50% |
VSB | -0.42% | -0.12% | +0.88% | +2.03% | +16.16% | |
| Flows | RBO | +$5 M | +$12 M | +$24 M | +$42 M | +$99 M |
VSB | +$234 M | +$297 M | +$499 M | +$678 M | +$702 M |
RBO vs VSB exposure
Countries
RBO
Canada
95.95%
VSB
Canada
95.70%
Sectors
RBO
Finance
67.05%
Energy
10.08%
Utilities
7.39%
Other
15.48%
VSB
Sovereign
39.60%
Finance
23.54%
Municipal
15.65%
Government Agencies
10.03%
Other
11.19%
As of September 2, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
RBO
Bank of Nova Scotia, 3.61% 30jan2032, CAD
1.66%
CIBC, 3.65% 13jan2032, CAD
1.64%
Bank of Montreal, 3.539% 3mar2032, CAD
1.45%
Royal Bank of Canada, 3.626% 10dec2028, CAD
1.41%
Royal Bank of Canada, 3.985% 22jul2031, CAD
1.34%
Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec, 3.714% 16jul2031, CAD
1.30%
Toronto-Dominion Bank, 3.687% 9jan2032, CAD
1.24%
National Bank of Canada, 5.219% 14jun2028, CAD
1.22%
Goldman Sachs, 3.641% 5mar2032, CAD
1.20%
Bank of Montreal, 4.42% 17jul2029, CAD
1.19%
VSB
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1sep2030, CAD
3.69%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1mar2031, CAD
3.59%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1mar2030, CAD
2.84%
Canada, Bonds 2.5% 1may2028, CAD
2.69%
Canada, Bonds 2.25% 1feb2028, CAD
2.59%
Canada, Bonds 2.5% 1aug2027, CAD
2.57%
Canada, Bond 1.5 1jun2031 10Y
2.56%
Canada, Bonds 3.5% 1sep2029, CAD
2.50%
Canada, Bonds 2.5% 1nov2027, CAD
2.49%
Canada, Bonds 4% 1mar2029, CAD
2.37%
Diversification
RBO
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 214 total
13.66%
VSB
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 576 total
27.90%
Characteristics
Compare
RBO
VSB
| Provider | RBC Global Asset Management | Vanguard |
| Management | Actively managed | Passively managed |
| Benchmark | - | Bloomberg Global Aggregate Canadian Government/Credit 1-5 Year Float Adjusted Bond Total Return Index - CAD |
| Replication Method | Direct (Physical) | |
| Asset Class | Fixed Income | Fixed Income |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 3.98% | 3.01% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | No |
| Inception Date | January 15, 2014 | November 30, 2011 |
Frequently asked questions about RBO and VSB
Which ETF has performed better year to date: RBO or VSB?
As of September 2, 2026, RBO has returned 1.09% year to date, while VSB has returned 0.88%. RBO is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: RBO or VSB?
As of September 2, 2026, RBO manages $207.05 M in assets, while VSB manages $1.83 B. VSB is the larger fund by AUM.
How are RBO and VSB managed?
RBO is actively managed by RBC Global Asset Management. It does not track an index. VSB is passively managed by Vanguard. It tracks the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Canadian Government/Credit 1-5 Year Float Adjusted Bond Total Return Index - CAD benchmark.
What sectors do RBO and VSB emphasize?
RBO is most exposed to Finance, Energy, and Utilities. VSB is most exposed to Sovereign, Finance, and Municipal.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: RBO or VSB?
Year to date, RBO has seen +$24.27 M in net flows, compared with +$498.83 M for VSB. VSB has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of RBO and VSB compare?
RBO has an expense ratio of 0.28%, while VSB has an expense ratio of 0.12%.
What are the top holdings of RBO and VSB?
RBO's largest holdings include Bank of Nova Scotia, 3.61% 30jan2032, CAD, CIBC, 3.65% 13jan2032, CAD, and Bank of Montreal, 3.539% 3mar2032, CAD. VSB's top holdings include Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1sep2030, CAD, Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1mar2031, CAD, and Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1mar2030, CAD.
Which ETF is more diversified: RBO or VSB?
RBO holds 214 securities, while VSB holds 576. On holdings count, VSB is the more diversified portfolio.
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All content on the ETF Market Canada is for your general information use only, Cboe is not responsible for any use of content by you outside this scope. In particular, the content does not constitute any form of advice, recommendation, representation, endorsement or arrangement by Cboe and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decisions.