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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 and XBAL provide the same top sector exposures: 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 7.74% year-to-date with +$1 B in net flows, whereas XBAL is at 8.07% with +$743 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 | $5,980.86 M | $3,520.41 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.18% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.24% | 0.18% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of October 30, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VBAL | -0.24% | -0.17% | +7.74% | +8.08% | +56.73% |
XBAL | -0.62% | -0.23% | +8.07% | +8.40% | +55.44% | |
| Flows | VBAL | +$122 M | +$329 M | +$1,289 M | +$1,550 M | +$2,389 M |
XBAL | +$68 M | +$180 M | +$743 M | +$912 M | +$1,871 M |
VBAL vs XBAL exposure
Countries
VBAL
Canada
39.67%
USA
34.33%
Other
25.99%
XBAL
Canada
44.02%
USA
34.94%
Other
21.04%
Sectors
VBAL
Finance
20.47%
Technology
17.01%
Sovereign
16.27%
Municipal
7.20%
Other
39.05%
XBAL
Finance
23.11%
Technology
16.51%
Sovereign
12.52%
Municipal
7.30%
Industrials
7.14%
Other
33.42%
As of October 30, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
VBAL
NVIDIA Corp.
1.99%
Apple, Inc.
1.85%
Microsoft Corp.
1.45%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.43%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.00%
Shopify, Inc.
0.94%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.92%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.77%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
0.73%
Broadcom Inc.
0.64%
XBAL
US4642871507
27.30%
CA46430T1093
25.75%
CA46434T1057
15.08%
CA46430J1012
14.89%
CA46431X1096
5.69%
US46429B2676
4.03%
US4642886208
4.01%
CA46434U1021
3.06%
Diversification
VBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 33,787 total
11.73%
XBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 21,951 total
99.81%
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 | 2.17% | 2.27% |
| 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 October 30, 2026, VBAL has returned 7.74% year to date, while XBAL has returned 8.07%. XBAL is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VBAL or XBAL?
As of October 30, 2026, VBAL manages $5.98 B in assets, while XBAL manages $3.52 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.
Which ETF is more diversified: VBAL or XBAL?
VBAL holds 28110 securities, while XBAL holds 1. On holdings count, VBAL is the more diversified portfolio.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VBAL or XBAL?
Year to date, VBAL has seen +$1,289.31 M in net flows, compared with +$742.61 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 sectors do VBAL and XBAL emphasize?
VBAL is most exposed to Finance, Technology, and Sovereign. XBAL is most exposed to Finance, Technology, and Sovereign.
Recent articles about VBAL and XBAL
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