iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XSTH)
Important Information
WOWA.ca is an independent information website. We are not affiliated with iShares or iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged). This page is for general information only and is not investment advice, an offer or a solicitation. Past returns don’t guarantee future results.
- Investment focus:Short-term US inflation-protected Treasury bonds, hedged to CAD
- Category:US and global bonds
- Management style:Index (passive)
- Managed by:iShares
- Market data as of:October 30, 2026
With C$2.60 billion in assets, XSTH is the 18th largest of the 42 bond ETFs WOWA tracks. Its management expense ratio (MER) is 0.11%, and over the past 12 months it paid out 4.84% of its unit price in distributions.
Jump to section: Overview • Index • Performance • Distributions • Risks • Fit • Ranking • Compare
AUM
C$2.60B
as of Oct 30, 2026
MER
0.11%
annual cost
Trailing yield
4.84%
past 12 months
5-year return
1.89%
annualized
About XSTH
iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XSTH) is a bond ETF from iShares, launched on July 6, 2021. It tracks an ICE index of US Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) with under five years to maturity, hedged to Canadian dollars. It holds iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond ETF (STIP).
What XSTH tracks
| Fund detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Index | ICE US Treasury 0-5 Year Inflation Linked Bond Index (CAD-Hedged) |
| Rebalancing | Monthly, following the index |
The index holds US Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, that mature within five years. A TIPS pays a fixed rate on a principal amount that is adjusted for US inflation, so its return keeps up with inflation as it happens. Every bond comes from the US government. The currency hedge is built into the index. XSTH gets its bonds by holding the US-listed iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond ETF (STIP) and uses currency forward contracts for the hedge.
Currency
All of XSTH's holdings are in US dollars, and the fund hedges that exposure back to Canadian dollars. The hedge takes out most of the effect of exchange-rate moves, so returns depend mainly on the bonds. It is not perfect, and its cost or benefit depends on the gap between Canadian and foreign interest rates.
XSTH fund facts
ETF data as of October 30, 2026
Updated weekly| Fund detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Fund basics | |
| Ticker | XSTH |
| Provider | iShares |
| Inception date | July 6, 2021 |
| Legal structure | Mutual fund trust |
| Management style | Index (passive) |
| Portfolio | |
| Bond market | US |
| Bond sector | Government |
| Maturity segment | Short |
| Credit mandate | Investment grade |
| Currency treatment | Hedged to CAD |
| Strategy type | Inflation-linked |
| Number of holdings | 25 (as of September 15, 2026) |
| Costs and distributions | |
| Management fee | 0.10% |
| MER | 0.11% |
| Distribution frequency | Monthly |
| Trailing distribution yield | 4.84% |
| Risk rating (issuer) | Low |
| Size and trading | |
| Assets under management | C$2.60 billion (as of October 30, 2026) |
| Average daily volume | 11,890 units a day (listing exchange) |
XSTH performance
ETF data as of October 30, 2026
Updated weekly| Period | XSTH | US and global median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 0.85% | -2.11% |
| 3 years, annualized | 3.54% | 4.38% |
| 5 years, annualized | 1.89% | 0.92% |
| 10 years, annualized | N/A | 2.00% |
Total returns with distributions reinvested, in CAD, as of October 30, 2026. Category median: the middle value among the funds in the US and global group with a return for that period (10 funds for one and three years, 9 for five years, 6 for ten years). N/A: no complete return record for the period. Past performance does not predict future results.
$10,000 invested in XSTH five years ago would be worth about $11,000 as of October 30, 2026, with distributions reinvested and before taxes and trading costs.
Risk and return measures
ETF data as of October 30, 2026
Updated weekly| Measure | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility | 1.98% | 2.94% | N/A |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.11 | -0.41 | N/A |
Volatility shows how much monthly returns have swung, as a yearly percentage. The Sharpe ratio compares the return above 3-month Government of Canada T-bills with that volatility. Higher means more return for each unit of risk, and below 0 means the fund earned less than T-bills.
XSTH distributions
XSTH pays distributions monthly. Over the 12 months to October 30, 2026, it paid 4.84% of its unit price, its trailing distribution yield. Amounts can change from one payment to the next.
What XSTH’s 2025 distributions were made of
| Component | Share of total |
|---|---|
| Total distribution per unit | $1.4701 |
| Foreign income | 98.60% |
| Return of capital | 1.40% |
- Foreign income is also taxed as regular income. For funds that hold foreign bonds, it is mostly interest from those bonds.
- Return of capital is not taxed when you receive it, but it lowers your adjusted cost base, which raises the capital gain when you sell.
Inside a TFSA or RRSP, the type of income does not change your tax. Our guide to registered and non-registered accounts explains the trade-offs.
2025 tax-year breakdown reported for the fund. Shares of the total distribution per unit.
Risks to know
iShares rates XSTH’s risk as low on the standard Canadian fund scale, which runs from low to high. The rating reflects how much the fund’s returns have varied, not the chance that a borrower defaults.
Its inflation protection is linked to US consumer prices, not Canadian ones. Short maturities keep rate sensitivity low, and hedging removes most currency effects.
- Credit: Its borrowers are governments, so default risk is low.
- Currency: Its foreign-currency exposure is hedged to Canadian dollars, which removes most, not all, exchange-rate effects and has a cost.
- Inflation link: Its inflation protection follows US consumer prices, not Canadian ones.
Is XSTH a good fit?
| Good fit if you | Think twice if you |
|---|---|
| want income that keeps pace with US inflation over the next few years. | want protection against Canadian inflation: its payments follow US prices. |
| want bonds from outside Canada, to spread your bond holdings across more markets. | want to lock in today's yields for many years: short-term bonds reinvest at whatever rates are on offer when they mature. |
| may need the money within a few years and want smaller price swings than a broad bond fund. | need a set amount back on a set date: a bond ETF has no maturity date, unlike a GIC. |
General pointers based on the fund’s category, structure and costs, not personal advice.
How XSTH ranks
By assets
18th
of 42 bond ETFs
By lowest MER
15th (tied)
of 42 bond ETFs
By 5-year return
3rd
of 9 US and global bond ETFs
XSTH ranks 18th by assets among the 42 bond ETFs WOWA monitors, 15th (tied) by lowest MER, and 3rd of 9 by five-year return in the US and global group, as of October 30, 2026. See the full list of Canadian bond ETFs.
Compare XSTH with similar bond ETFs
XSTH is in the US and global group on our Best Canadian Bond ETFs page. These are the largest other funds in that group.
ETF data as of October 30, 2026
Updated weekly| Ticker | Exposure and strategy | 5-year return | MER | Trailing yield | AUM (CAD B) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XSTH | Short-term US inflation-protected Treasury bonds, hedged to CAD | 1.89% | 0.11% | 4.84% | 2.60 |
| ZIC | Mid-term US investment-grade corporate bonds, unhedged | 3.04% | 0.28% | 4.70% | 3.35 |
| ZMU | Mid-term US investment-grade corporate bonds, hedged to CAD | -0.54% | 0.28% | 4.81% | 3.31 |
| NUBF | Global bonds of all credit qualities · active | 0.92% | 0.88% | 4.57% | 2.98 |
| VBU | US investment-grade bonds, hedged to CAD | -1.48% | 0.21% | 3.76% | 1.96 |
See all 10 funds in this group.
Other bond ETFs from iShares
| Fund | Investment focus | AUM | Fund page |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETF (XBB) | Canadian investment-grade government and corporate bonds | C$10.94B | Learn more |
| iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF (XSB) | Short-term Canadian investment-grade bonds | C$4.54B | Learn more |
| iShares Core Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF (XCB) | Canadian investment-grade corporate bonds | C$3.88B | Learn more |
| iShares Core Canadian Short Term Corporate Bond Index ETF (XSH) | Short-term corporate bonds issued in Canadian dollars | C$3.17B | Learn more |
| iShares Canadian Government Bond Index ETF (XGB) | Canadian federal, provincial and municipal government bonds | C$1.61B |
We cover 1 more bond ETFs from iShares. See them all on our Best Canadian Bond ETFs page.
How to buy XSTH
You can buy XSTH through any Canadian brokerage account, including a TFSA, RRSP or FHSA, by searching for its ticker. When comparing Canadian trading platforms, look at commissions, account fees and currency-conversion costs.
Before you place the order, check the bid-ask spread and consider a limit order, which caps the price you pay but may not fill. If this is your first account, our brokerage account guide walks you through opening one. Buying inside a TFSA? Our guide to the best TFSA investment options covers the other choices for that account.
If you’re from iShares and would like to add or update information on this page, please contact us.
Returns, volatility, Sharpe ratios, trailing yield and trading volume: WOWA calculations from Yahoo Finance prices adjusted for distributions, as of October 30, 2026. Assets under management: as of October 30, 2026. Fees, risk rating and inception date: iShares fund documents. Distribution breakdown: 2025 tax year. Fund page: iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged).
Disclaimer: This page is for general information only and is not investment advice. WOWA does not recommend any specific fund. Figures come from issuer and third-party sources, may contain errors and can change after publication, so check the fund’s own documents before you invest.