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Compare Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL) vs iShares Balanced Income CorePortfolio Index ETF (XBAL) to find the best fit for your portfolio. VBAL provides Finance, Sovereign, and Technology exposures, while XBAL is primarily weighted in Finance, Technology, 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 8.56% year-to-date with +$1 B in net flows, whereas XBAL is at 8.99% with +$664 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 | $5,907.01 M | $3,487.40 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.18% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.24% | 0.18% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of September 17, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VBAL | -0.62% | -0.65% | +8.56% | +11.42% | +52.04% |
XBAL | -0.94% | +0.66% | +8.99% | +12.28% | +51.03% | |
| Flows | VBAL | +$107 M | +$364 M | +$1,140 M | +$1,515 M | +$2,258 M |
XBAL | +$66 M | +$205 M | +$664 M | +$931 M | +$1,816 M |
VBAL vs XBAL exposure
Countries
VBAL
Canada
40.49%
USA
33.91%
Other
25.59%
XBAL
Canada
43.67%
USA
35.10%
Other
21.23%
Sectors
VBAL
Finance
21.18%
Sovereign
16.68%
Technology
15.59%
Municipal
7.34%
Other
39.20%
XBAL
Finance
24.28%
Technology
15.65%
Sovereign
11.66%
Industrials
7.63%
Other
40.78%
As of September 17, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
VBAL
NVIDIA Corp.
1.75%
Apple, Inc.
1.72%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.53%
Microsoft Corp.
1.31%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.05%
Amazon.com, Inc.
1.00%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.79%
Shopify, Inc.
0.75%
Broadcom Inc.
0.70%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
0.69%
XBAL
Apple, Inc.
1.89%
NVIDIA Corp.
1.82%
Microsoft Corp.
1.29%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.28%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.89%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
0.87%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.76%
Broadcom Inc.
0.71%
Shopify, Inc.
0.65%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.61%
Diversification
VBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 33,826 total
11.27%
XBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 21,952 total
10.78%
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 | 2.11% | 2.20% |
| 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 September 17, 2026, VBAL has returned 8.56% year to date, while XBAL has returned 8.99%. XBAL is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VBAL or XBAL?
As of September 17, 2026, VBAL manages $5.91 B in assets, while XBAL manages $3.49 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 Finance, Sovereign, and Technology. XBAL is most exposed to Finance, Technology, and Sovereign.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VBAL or XBAL?
Year to date, VBAL has seen +$1,140.22 M in net flows, compared with +$663.86 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 0.18%.
What are the top holdings of VBAL and XBAL?
VBAL's largest holdings include NVIDIA Corp., Apple, Inc., and Royal Bank of Canada. XBAL's top holdings include Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp., and Alphabet, Inc..
Which ETF is more diversified: VBAL or XBAL?
VBAL holds 28294 securities, while XBAL holds 21822. On holdings count, VBAL is the more diversified portfolio.
Recent articles about VBAL and XBAL
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