iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (GBF)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (GBF) has returned 0.09% so far this year and 3.82% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, GBF has returned 1.58% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 11, 2007, GBF's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.26%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 22.2 years.

Historically, 58% of months were positive and 42% were negative. The best month was Nov 2008 with a return of +5.5%, while the worst month was Sep 2022 at -4.0%. The longest winning streak lasted 9 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.

On a daily basis, GBF closed higher 52% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 18, 2009 with a return of +2.0%, while the worst single day was Mar 17, 2020 at -3.1%.

iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF has an annualized alpha of 3.47%, beta of -0.03, and R² of 0.01 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 12, 2007.

• This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (11.22%) than losses (2.54%) — typical of diversified or defensive assets.
• Beta of -0.03 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.01 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index — low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
• R² of 0.01 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index — capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.

GBF has an expense ratio of 0.20%, which is considered low.

GBF ranks 48 for risk / return — on par with similar ETFs. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (GBF) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF provided a 3.74% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $3.89 per share.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.

The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.

The maximum drawdown for the iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF was 19.67%, occurring on Oct 24, 2022. The portfolio has not yet recovered.

The current iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF drawdown is 4.96%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.