VS
iShares Conservative Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF (XSC) and iShares U.S. High Yield Bond Index ETF (XHY) offer distinct profiles for Canadian ETF investors. A direct comparison shows that XSC focuses its top 3 sector exposures on Sovereign, Finance, and Consumer Cyclicals, while XHY leans towards Finance, Consumer Services, and Industrials. When evaluating costs, XSC features a management fee (MER) of 0.4%, compared to 0.5% for XHY. Performance-wise, XSC has returned 0.19% year-to-date with +$2 M in net flows, whereas XHY is at 1.02% with +$231 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
XSC
XHY
| AuM | $66.15 M | $1,158.04 M |
| Management Fees | 0.40% | 0.50% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.43% | 0.55% |
| Tracking Difference | - | -0.31% |
Historical performance and flows
As of September 2, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | XSC | -0.26% | -0.20% | -0.19% | +0.72% | +13.00% |
XHY | +0.06% | +0.28% | +1.02% | +2.82% | +21.65% | |
| Flows | XSC | -$2 M | -$2 M | +$2 M | +$7 M | -$3 M |
XHY | +$6 M | +$76 M | +$231 M | +$343 M | +$787 M |
XSC vs XHY exposure
Countries
XSC
USA
75.56%
Canada
16.17%
Other
8.28%
XHY
USA
86.06%
Other
13.94%
Sectors
XSC
Sovereign
46.90%
Finance
17.85%
Other
35.25%
XHY
Finance
17.86%
Consumer Services
13.42%
Industrials
9.27%
Energy
8.56%
Non-Energy Materials
8.09%
Business Services
7.44%
Other
35.36%
As of September 2, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
XSC
Canada, Bonds 3.5% 1dec2057, CAD
0.87%
USA, Notes 1.25% 30apr2028, USD (K-2028)
0.68%
Canada, Bond 2 1jan2051 30Y
0.62%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1dec2055, CAD
0.61%
USA, Notes 3.5% 31jan2028, USD (U-2028)
0.60%
BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury
0.59%
USA, Notes 1.25% 30jun2028, USD (M-2028)
0.55%
USA, Notes 4.625% 30apr2029, USD (Y-2029)
0.52%
USA, Notes 3.75% 15aug2027, USD (AR-2027)
0.52%
USA, Notes 4.5% 31may2029, USD (Z-2029)
0.51%
XHY
1261229 B.C., 10% 15apr2032, USD
0.51%
Meridian Arc HoldCo, 6.25% 30apr2031, USD
0.49%
EchoStar, 10.75% 30nov2029, USD
0.44%
Cloud Software Group, 9% 30sep2029, USD
0.36%
PR RNO Property Owner 1, 6.5% 1may2031, USD
0.34%
Nexstar Media, 6.5% 15sep2033, USD
0.33%
Quikrete Holdings, 6.375% 1mar2032, USD
0.32%
Cloud Software Group, 6.5% 31mar2029, USD
0.32%
Centene, 4.625% 15dec2029, USD
0.32%
Asurion LLC, 8% 31dec2032, USD
0.31%
Diversification
XSC
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 7,488 total
6.07%
XHY
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 1,332 total
3.74%
Characteristics
Compare
XSC
XHY
| Provider | iShares | iShares |
| Management | Actively managed | Passively managed |
| Benchmark | - | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index - CAD Hedged |
| Replication Method | Direct (Physical) | |
| Asset Class | Fixed Income | Fixed Income |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 3.88% | 6.19% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | No |
| Inception Date | January 9, 2015 | January 21, 2010 |
Frequently asked questions about XSC and XHY
Which ETF has performed better year to date: XSC or XHY?
As of September 2, 2026, XSC has returned -0.19% year to date, while XHY has returned 1.02%. XHY is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: XSC or XHY?
As of September 2, 2026, XSC manages $66.15 M in assets, while XHY manages $1.16 B. XHY is the larger fund by AUM.
How are XSC and XHY managed?
XSC is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index. XHY is passively managed by iShares. It tracks the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index - CAD Hedged benchmark.
What sectors do XSC and XHY emphasize?
XSC is most exposed to Sovereign, Finance, and Consumer Cyclicals. XHY is most exposed to Finance, Consumer Services, and Industrials.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: XSC or XHY?
Year to date, XSC has seen +$1.78 M in net flows, compared with +$230.97 M for XHY. XHY has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of XSC and XHY compare?
XSC has an expense ratio of 0.43%, while XHY has an expense ratio of 0.55%.
What are the top holdings of XSC and XHY?
XSC's largest holdings include Canada, Bonds 3.5% 1dec2057, CAD, USA, Notes 1.25% 30apr2028, USD (K-2028), and Canada, Bond 2 1jan2051 30Y. XHY's top holdings include 1261229 B.C., 10% 15apr2032, USD, Meridian Arc HoldCo, 6.25% 30apr2031, USD, and EchoStar, 10.75% 30nov2029, USD.
Which ETF is more diversified: XSC or XHY?
XSC holds 7463 securities, while XHY holds 1325. On holdings count, XSC 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.