AVES vs. SDSI

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

AVES (Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF) and SDSI (American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - AVES is a Emerging Markets Equities fund actively managed by American Century, while SDSI is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index. AVES is actively managed, while SDSI is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, AVES returned 20.73%/yr vs 5.78%/yr for SDSI. At a 0.26 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. AVES charges 0.36%/yr vs 0.33%/yr for SDSI.

Performance

AVES vs. SDSI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF (AVES) and American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF (SDSI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AVES achieves a 16.79% return, which is significantly higher than SDSI's 1.26% return.

AVES

• 1D: -1.23%
• 1M: 4.98%
• YTD: 16.79%
• 6M: 19.15%
• 1Y: 37.50%
• 3Y*: 20.73%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SDSI

• 1D: 0.08%
• 1M: 0.26%
• YTD: 1.26%
• 6M: 1.78%
• 1Y: 5.24%
• 3Y*: 5.78%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AVES vs. SDSI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
AVES Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF	16.79%	30.49%	4.50%	16.79%	11.33%
SDSI American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF	1.26%	6.54%	5.63%	5.88%	2.05%

Correlation

The correlation between AVES and SDSI is 0.40, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.40
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.27
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 14, 2022	0.26

The correlation between AVES and SDSI shifts across timeframes, from 0.26 (all time) to 0.40 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

AVES vs. SDSI - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	AVES	SDSI
Financial Services	25.3%	-
Technology	21.4%	-
Industrials	13.3%	7.5%
Basic Materials	9.8%	-
Consumer Cyclical	9.6%	-
Communication Services	5.3%	90.0%
Energy	4.0%	-
Consumer Defensive	3.2%	-
Real Estate	2.4%	-
Healthcare	2.1%	2.5%
Utilities	1.7%	-

Return for Risk

AVES vs. SDSI — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AVES

AVES Risk / Return Rank: 61
AVES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
AVES Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
AVES Omega Ratio Rank: 65
AVES Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
AVES Martin Ratio Rank: 60

SDSI

SDSI Risk / Return Rank: 90
SDSI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
SDSI Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
SDSI Omega Ratio Rank: 93
SDSI Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
SDSI Martin Ratio Rank: 89

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AVES vs. SDSI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF (AVES) and American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF (SDSI). 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.

	AVES	SDSI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.19	3.22	-1.03
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.90	4.97	-2.07
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.66	-0.26
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.92	4.41	-1.49
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.84	20.71	-9.87
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AVES vs. SDSI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AVES Sharpe Ratio is 2.19, which is lower than the SDSI Sharpe Ratio of 3.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AVES and SDSI, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AVES	SDSI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.19	3.22	-1.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	2.60	-1.99

Drawdowns

AVES vs. SDSI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AVES drawdown since its inception was -27.40%, which is greater than SDSI's maximum drawdown of -1.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AVES and SDSI.

Drawdown Indicators

	AVES	SDSI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.40%	-1.29%	-26.11%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.90%	-1.17%	-11.73%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-18.50%	-1.29%	-17.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.36%	-0.03%	-1.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.73%	-0.24%	-7.49%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.47%	0.25%	+3.22%

Volatility

AVES vs. SDSI - Volatility Comparison

Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF (AVES) has a higher volatility of 6.93% compared to American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF (SDSI) at 0.43%. This indicates that AVES's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SDSI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AVES	SDSI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.93%	0.43%	+6.50%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.44%	1.14%	+13.30%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.19%	1.64%	+15.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.98%	2.28%	+14.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.98%	2.28%	+14.70%

AVES vs. SDSI - Expense Ratio Comparison

AVES has a 0.36% expense ratio, which is higher than SDSI's 0.33% expense ratio.

Dividends

AVES vs. SDSI - Dividend Comparison

AVES's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.81%, less than SDSI's 4.41% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
AVES Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF	2.81%	3.17%	4.09%	3.96%	3.70%	0.62%
SDSI American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF	4.41%	4.91%	5.49%	5.37%	0.98%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AVES and SDSI in my portfolio?

AVES and SDSI have a correlation of 0.40, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AVES or SDSI?

AVES has higher volatility (6.93%) compared to SDSI (0.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AVES dropped -27.40% vs SDSI's -1.29%.

Which ETF is better, AVES or SDSI?

On 3-year performance, AVES leads with 20.73% vs 5.78% for SDSI. On fees, SDSI is cheaper at 0.33% per year. On volatility, SDSI has been the lower-risk option at 0.43%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, AVES or SDSI?

Over the 3-year period, AVES has performed better with a 20.73% return vs 5.78%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, AVES or SDSI?

SDSI is cheaper with a 0.33% expense ratio, compared with 0.36% for AVES.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, AVES or SDSI?

SDSI has the higher dividend yield at 4.41%, compared with 2.81% for AVES.

What is the main difference between AVES and SDSI?

AVES is categorized as Emerging Markets Equities, while SDSI is Short-Term Bond. Their fees differ too: 0.36% for AVES and 0.33% for SDSI.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SDSI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.22 vs 2.19), 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.