AIRR vs. VGUS
AIRR (First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF) and VGUS (Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - AIRR is a Building & Construction fund tracking the Richard Bernstein Advisors American Industrial Renaissance Index, while VGUS is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg Short Treasury Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, AIRR returned 71.43% vs 3.86% for VGUS. At a correlation of -0.19, they often move in opposite directions. AIRR charges 0.69%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VGUS.
Performance
AIRR vs. VGUS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AIRR achieves a 35.61% return, which is significantly higher than VGUS's 1.59% return.
AIRR
- 1D
- 1.80%
- 1M
- 6.55%
- YTD
- 35.61%
- 6M
- 31.10%
- 1Y
- 71.43%
- 3Y*
- 37.98%
- 5Y*
- 27.26%
- 10Y*
- 22.39%
VGUS
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.18%
- YTD
- 1.59%
- 6M
- 1.69%
- 1Y
- 3.86%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
AIRR vs. VGUS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF | 35.61% | 23.18% |
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 1.59% | 3.78% |
Correlation
The correlation between AIRR and VGUS is -0.14, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.14 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 11, 2025 | -0.19 |
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Return for Risk
AIRR vs. VGUS — Risk / Return Rank
AIRR
VGUS
AIRR vs. VGUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF (AIRR) and Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| AIRR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -9.13 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -30.68 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 10.51 | -9.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.49 | 53.22 | -47.74 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 20.05 | 402.91 | -382.86 |
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Drawdowns
AIRR vs. VGUS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AIRR drawdown since its inception was -42.37%, which is greater than VGUS's maximum drawdown of -0.07%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AIRR and VGUS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AIRR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -42.37% | -0.07% | -42.30% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.09% | -0.07% | -13.02% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -27.95% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -27.95% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.37% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.47% | -0.00% | -7.47% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.57% | 0.01% | +3.56% |
Volatility
AIRR vs. VGUS - Volatility Comparison
First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF (AIRR) has a higher volatility of 8.25% compared to Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) at 0.12%. This indicates that AIRR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AIRR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.25% | 0.12% | +8.13% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 20.44% | 0.18% | +20.26% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 26.28% | 0.33% | +25.95% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 25.42% | 0.34% | +25.08% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 26.35% | 0.34% | +26.01% |
AIRR vs. VGUS - Expense Ratio Comparison
AIRR has a 0.69% expense ratio, which is higher than VGUS's 0.07% expense ratio.
Dividends
AIRR vs. VGUS - Dividend Comparison
AIRR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.13%, less than VGUS's 3.60% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF | 0.13% | 0.19% | 0.18% | 0.23% | 0.12% | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.20% | 0.43% | 0.30% | 0.08% | 0.47% |
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 3.60% | 3.12% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AIRR and VGUS have a correlation of -0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AIRR has higher volatility (8.25%) compared to VGUS (0.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AIRR dropped -42.37% vs VGUS's -0.07%.
On 1-year performance, AIRR leads with 71.43% vs 3.86% for VGUS. On fees, VGUS is cheaper at 0.07% per year. On volatility, VGUS has been the lower-risk option at 0.12%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, AIRR has performed better with a 71.43% return vs 3.86%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VGUS is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.69% for AIRR.
VGUS has the higher dividend yield at 3.60%, compared with 0.13% for AIRR.
AIRR is categorized as Building & Construction, while VGUS is Ultrashort Bond. AIRR tracks Richard Bernstein Advisors American Industrial Renaissance Index, while VGUS tracks Bloomberg Short Treasury Index. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.69% for AIRR and 0.07% for VGUS.
VGUS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (11.86 vs 2.74), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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