BIV vs SPAB ETF Comparison
Compare BIV and SPAB across fund costs, diversification, holdings, performance, income, risk and current AlgovestIQ evidence.
What is the main difference between BIV and SPAB?
BIV is Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF, while SPAB is State Street SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF. BIV is tied to Core Investment Grade Bond; SPAB is tied to Fixed Income. SPAB is broader by holdings count, with 8,507 positions versus 298 for BIV.
| Metric | BIV | SPAB | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.03% | Fund |
| Assets under management | $51.9B | $10.2B | Fund |
| Holdings | 298 | 8,507 | Fund |
| Average volume | 1,470,616 | 2,627,881 | Fund |
| Underlying exposure | Core Investment Grade Bond | Fixed Income | Fund |
| 1Y return | -4.9% | -3.9% | Performance |
| YTD return | -3.9% | -3% | Performance |
| Annualized volatility | 4.2% | 3.9% | Risk |
| Max drawdown | -6.2% | -5.3% | Risk |
| Beta | 0.11 | 0.10 | Risk |
| Sharpe ratio | -2.19 | -2.11 | Risk |
| Sortino ratio | -3.14 | -3.01 | Risk |
| AIQ Score | 50/100 | 50/100 | AlgovestIQ |
| AIQ Edge Score | 5/10 | 5/10 | AlgovestIQ |
| Momentum | 25/100 | 25/100 | AlgovestIQ |
| Risk Resilience | 93/100 | 94/100 | AlgovestIQ |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF
BIV and SPAB are effectively level
BIV and SPAB are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF
State Street SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate BIV and SPAB as of Sep 11, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
Compare Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF and State Street SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison for both ETFs using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare BIV and SPAB 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.
- Quality65 vs 62Even
- Risk Resilience93 vs 94Even
- Value36 vs 36Even
- Momentum25 vs 25Even
Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience -1
New signals
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience -1
New signals
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
BIV's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — BIV and SPAB both carry a full feed there.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
EvenNeither separates on the overall score.
Growth
EvenGrowth figures are not covered for both names.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
EvenDownside measures are level or not covered.
Analyst upside
EvenAnalyst targets are level or not covered for both names.
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 | BIV | SPAB | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.03% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Assets under management | $51.9B | $10.2B | Larger funds generally carry tighter spreads. |
| Holdings | 298 | 8,507 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 1,470,616 | 2,627,881 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 4.2% | 3.9% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown | -6.2% | -5.3% | The worst peak-to-trough loss on record for the fund. |
| Sharpe ratio | -2.19 | -2.11 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 0.11 | 0.10 | 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.
Weighted holdings overlap is not available for this pair. Sector exposure above is a related but different measure — it says how much of each fund sits in the same parts of the market, not how much of the same securities they hold.
ETF comparison questions
Short answers to the fund-specific questions behind this comparison.
Which ETF is more diversified, BIV or SPAB?
SPAB currently has more reported holdings, with 8,507 positions versus 298.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
The current fund profile does not show a lower-cost winner.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
The current dataset does not show a higher-yield winner.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
BIV has the higher annualized volatility in the current risk snapshot.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
SPAB has the less severe max drawdown in the current risk snapshot.
Which ETF has the stronger current AlgovestIQ evidence?
The current AlgovestIQ evidence does not show a clear leader.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 50 vs 50 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | Even | Value 36 vs 36 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day -2.1% vs -1.7%; vs 200-day -3% vs -2.5% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 93 vs 94 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- 6 of 4 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10- Today
- Level
- 50 vs 50
- 7 sessions ago
- SPAB +1
- 52 vs 53
- 30 sessions ago
- Level
- 55 vs 55
- 90 sessions ago
- Level
- 53 vs 53
The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Jun 22 when BIV moved ahead of SPAB.
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.
2 bullish / 5 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (1.83%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
2 bullish / 5 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (1.57%)
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -0.13%, AIQ -1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.08%, AIQ 0 points).
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
SPAB leads 6 of 6 windows| Metric | BIV | SPAB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -1% | -0.8% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -1.8% | -1.4% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -2.5% | -2.3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -4.4% | -3.7% |
| Year to date | -3.9% | -3% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -4.9% | -3.9% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | BIV | SPAB |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 24.1 | 27.2 |
| ADX (14) | 19.1 | 17.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | -2.1% | -1.7% |
| Price vs 200-day | -3% | -2.5% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 4.9% | 4.5% |
Risk
Split| Metric | BIV | SPAB |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.11 | 0.1 |
| Sharpe ratio | -2.19 | -2.11 |
| Sortino ratio | -3.14 | -3.01 |
| Max drawdown | -6.2% | -5.3% |
| Current drawdown | -6.2% | -5.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -0.5% | -0.4% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better value, BIV or SPAB?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, BIV or SPAB?
Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, BIV or SPAB?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, BIV or SPAB?
The two are close on downside measures. Downside measures are level or not covered. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is BIV more profitable than SPAB?
Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.
What do the current signals say about BIV and SPAB?
BIV: 2 bullish / 5 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. SPAB: 2 bullish / 5 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on BIV is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On SPAB it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare BIV and SPAB 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.