BAI vs IYR: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
BAI and IYR are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. BAI is iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF, while IYR is iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF. IYR is more concentrated at the top, based on top-10 holdings weight. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has IYR ahead on AIQ Score, 54 versus 39.
What is the main difference between BAI and IYR?
BAI puts 89% of its assets in Information Technology, while IYR spreads across 14 sectors with none above 18%.
| Metric | BAI | IYR |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.65% | 0.37% |
| Holdings | 56 | 63 |
| Top-10 concentration | 42.1% | 53.2% |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 1.36% | 2.45% |
| Average volume | 3,656,859 | 5,527,588 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | +22.2% | -0.9% |
| YTD return | +31% | +3.6% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 44.9% | 14.2% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -30.9% | -12.5% |
| Beta | 2.70 | 0.28 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.50 | -0.14 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.72 | -0.22 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 39/100 | 54/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 2/10 | 5/10 |
| Momentum | 37/100 | 52/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 14/100 | 80/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF vs iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF
IYR leads
IYR leads by 15 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience and Momentum, having only recently taken the lead back from BAI.
Fragile: 4 of 4 evidence groups support IYR, the lead recently changed hands, and its current signal state is conflicted.
iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors IYR over BAI, 54 versus 39 as of Oct 31, 2026. IYR's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience and momentum. IYR also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 4 covered evidence groups favor IYR today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. IYR lead: Reversed — BAI led by 4 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; IYR now leads by 15.
Compare iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF and iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
BAI vs IYR: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | BAI | IYR | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.65% | 0.37% | IYR |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 56 | 63 | Similar |
| Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings | 42.1% | 53.2% | BAI |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 1.36% | 2.45% | IYR |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 1 year | -30.9% | -12.5% | IYR |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 44.9% | 14.2% | IYR |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare BAI and IYR against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Risk Resilience14 vs 80IYR +66
- Momentum37 vs 52IYR +15
- Value28 vs 36IYR +8
- Quality64 vs 62Even
4 of 4 evidence groups favor IYR. IYR’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience and momentum.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.
Largest factor move: Momentum +7
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 2 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum -6
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
IYR's lead narrowed by 3 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — BAI and IYR both carry a full feed there.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | BAI | IYR | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.65% | 0.37% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 56 | 63 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 3,656,859 | 5,527,588 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 44.9% | 14.2% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -30.9% | -12.5% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.50 | -0.14 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 2.70 | 0.28 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
How much of the same holdings they own
BAI and IYR share 0% of their weighted exposure across 0 common holdings.
48 holdings are unique to BAI, and 60 holdings are unique to IYR. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
IYR is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 53.22% of the fund, against 42.13% for BAI (63 holdings vs 56). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
What BAI adds that IYR doesn’t
| Holding | BAI | IYR |
|---|---|---|
| MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY | 6.66% | Not held |
| NVDANVIDIA | 5.31% | Not held |
| AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES | 4.82% | Not held |
| AVGOBROADCOM INC | 4.68% | Not held |
| TSMTAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING | 4.66% | Not held |
| LRCXLAM RESEARCH | 4.2% | Not held |
What IYR adds that BAI doesn’t
| Holding | IYR | BAI |
|---|---|---|
| WELLWELLTOWER | 11.39% | Not held |
| PLDPROLOGIS REIT | 8.99% | Not held |
| DLRDIGITAL REALTY TRUST REIT | 4.92% | Not held |
| EQIXEQUINIX REIT | 4.61% | Not held |
| SPGSIMON PROPERTY GROUP REIT INC | 4.41% | Not held |
| OREALTY INCOME REIT | 4.2% | Not held |
Each list is a fund’s largest positions by weight that the other fund does not hold, or holds at less than half the weight.
BAI vs IYR: five-year payout growth
IYR grew its split-adjusted payout at 1.07% a year over 2020-2025. BAI began paying distributions in 2025, so it has no 2020-2025 growth rate to compare. IYR: The 2020 payout was 22.1% below 2019, so the growth rate measures a recovery from a weak starting year.
| Dividend metric | BAI | IYR |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 annual payout | $0.597 | $2.330 |
| Peer rank | not ranked | #125 of 138 |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 4 covered evidence groups favor IYR. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | IYR | 39 vs 54 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | IYR | Value 28 vs 36 |
| Technicals | IYR | Price vs 50-day -12.5% vs 0.6%; vs 200-day 3.4% vs -3% |
| Risk Resilience | IYR | Risk Resilience 14 vs 80 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of BAI and IYR and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 15 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- 4 of 4 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has swung materially session to session. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on IYR.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28IYR lead: Reversed — BAI led by 4 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; IYR now leads by 15.
- Today
- IYR +15
- 39 vs 54
- 7 sessions ago
- IYR +19
- 36 vs 55
- 30 sessions ago
- BAI +4
- 52 vs 48
- 90 sessions ago
- IYR +16
- 40 vs 56
The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Oct 9 when IYR moved ahead of BAI.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
Only BAI
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (6.41%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
1 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
Only IYR
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (1.29%)
- ATR Contraction - Coiling — neutral, volatility, short horizon (1.40%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
IYR leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -7.43%, AIQ +1 points).
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.19%, AIQ -2 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1BAI closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 66 points behind, the largest single contributor to IYR's edge.
- 2BAI's MACD Bearish Crossover resolves — a bearish momentum rule currently active against it.
- 3IYR's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Performance
BAI leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | BAI | IYR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 1.7% | 0.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -7.6% | 2.4% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 6.2% | -7.9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 5.1% | -3.6% |
| Year to date | 31% | 3.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 22.2% | -0.9% |
Technicals
IYR has the stronger structure| Metric | BAI | IYR |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 37.3 | 61.2 |
| ADX (14) | 28 | 22.8 |
| Price vs 50-day | -12.5% | 0.6% |
| Price vs 200-day | 3.4% | -3% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 44.6% | 15.4% |
Risk
IYR is the more resilient| Metric | BAI | IYR |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 2.7 | 0.28 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.5 | -0.14 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.72 | -0.22 |
| Max drawdown | -30.9% | -12.5% |
| Current drawdown | -19.6% | -9.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 44.9% | 14.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -5% | -1.4% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
What is the difference between BAI and IYR?
BAI puts 89% of its assets in Information Technology, while IYR spreads across 14 sectors with none above 18%.
How much do BAI and IYR overlap?
BAI and IYR share 0% of their weighted exposure across 0 common holdings. 48 holdings are unique to BAI, and 60 holdings are unique to IYR. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
Which ETF is more diversified, BAI or IYR?
They hold a similar number of positions: 56 for BAI and 63 for IYR.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
IYR has the lower expense ratio, 0.37% a year against 0.65% for BAI.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
IYR, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 2.45% against 1.36% for BAI.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
BAI has been more volatile over the past year, at 44.9% annualized against 14.2% for IYR.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
IYR fell less from peak to trough over the past year: -12.5% against -30.9% for BAI.
Compare BAI and IYR with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.