VS
Compare Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL) vs iShares Balanced Income CorePortfolio Index ETF (XBAL) to find the best fit for your portfolio. VBAL and XBAL provide the same top sector exposures: Technology, Finance, and Sovereign. When evaluating costs, VBAL features a management fee (MER) of 0.22%, compared to 0.18% for XBAL. Performance-wise, VBAL has returned 9.97% year-to-date with +$977 M in net flows, whereas XBAL is at 10.26% with +$571 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
VBAL
XBAL
| AuM | $5,819.62 M | $3,434.42 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.18% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.24% | 0.19% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of August 4, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VBAL | +0.29% | +6.08% | +9.97% | +17.85% | +53.60% |
XBAL | +0.36% | +6.50% | +10.26% | +18.10% | +52.53% | |
| Flows | VBAL | +$141 M | +$387 M | +$977 M | +$1,431 M | +$2,112 M |
XBAL | +$72 M | +$243 M | +$571 M | +$926 M | +$1,740 M |
VBAL vs XBAL exposure
Countries
VBAL
Canada
34.54%
USA
32.04%
Other
11.45%
Other
21.98%
XBAL
Canada
36.21%
USA
33.43%
Other
10.22%
Other
20.14%
Sectors
VBAL
Technology
16.09%
Finance
15.25%
Sovereign
11.82%
Other
11.44%
Other
45.39%
XBAL
Technology
16.15%
Finance
15.20%
Other
10.21%
Sovereign
8.09%
Other
50.35%
As of August 4, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
VBAL
NVIDIA Corp.
1.74%
Apple, Inc.
1.61%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.51%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.06%
Microsoft Corp.
1.05%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.87%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.79%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
0.73%
Shopify, Inc.
0.73%
Broadcom Inc.
0.68%
XBAL
NVIDIA Corp.
1.88%
Apple, Inc.
1.65%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.27%
Microsoft Corp.
1.07%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.90%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
0.89%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.81%
Broadcom Inc.
0.69%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.65%
Shopify, Inc.
0.61%
Diversification
VBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 33,998 total
10.77%
XBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 21,894 total
10.41%
Characteristics
Compare
VBAL
XBAL
| Provider | Vanguard | iShares |
| Management | Actively managed | Actively managed |
| Benchmark | - | - |
| Replication Method | ||
| Asset Class | Equity, Fixed Income | Equity, Fixed Income |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 2.08% | 2.18% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | No |
| Inception Date | February 1, 2018 | June 21, 2007 |
Frequently asked questions about VBAL and XBAL
Which ETF has performed better year to date: VBAL or XBAL?
As of August 4, 2026, VBAL has returned 9.97% year to date, while XBAL has returned 10.26%. XBAL is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VBAL or XBAL?
As of August 4, 2026, VBAL manages $5.82 B in assets, while XBAL manages $3.43 B. VBAL is the larger fund by AUM.
How are VBAL and XBAL managed?
VBAL is actively managed by Vanguard. It does not track an index. XBAL is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index.
What sectors do VBAL and XBAL emphasize?
VBAL is most exposed to Technology, Finance, and Sovereign. XBAL is most exposed to Technology, Finance, and Sovereign.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VBAL or XBAL?
Year to date, VBAL has seen +$977.43 M in net flows, compared with +$571.07 M for XBAL. VBAL has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of VBAL and XBAL compare?
VBAL has an expense ratio of 0.24%, while XBAL has an expense ratio of 0.19%.
What are the top holdings of VBAL and XBAL?
VBAL's largest holdings include NVIDIA Corp. and Apple, Inc.. XBAL's top holdings include NVIDIA Corp. and Apple, Inc..
Which ETF is more diversified: VBAL or XBAL?
VBAL holds 25326 securities, while XBAL holds 18916. On holdings count, VBAL is the more diversified portfolio.
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