AVUS vs. SHY
AVUS (Avantis U.S. Equity ETF) and SHY (iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - AVUS is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund actively managed by Avantis, while SHY is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index. AVUS is actively managed, while SHY is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, AVUS returned 12.87%/yr vs 1.74%/yr for SHY. At a 0.03 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.15% expense ratio.
Performance
AVUS vs. SHY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AVUS achieves a 13.94% return, which is significantly higher than SHY's 0.55% return.
AVUS
- 1D
- 0.65%
- 1M
- 0.95%
- YTD
- 13.94%
- 6M
- 13.87%
- 1Y
- 31.83%
- 3Y*
- 21.18%
- 5Y*
- 12.87%
- 10Y*
- —
SHY
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- 0.19%
- YTD
- 0.55%
- 6M
- 0.80%
- 1Y
- 3.29%
- 3Y*
- 4.15%
- 5Y*
- 1.74%
- 10Y*
- 1.65%
AVUS vs. SHY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVUS Avantis U.S. Equity ETF | 13.94% | 16.68% | 20.43% | 21.77% | -13.82% | 28.73% | 17.58% | 8.55% |
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.55% | 4.95% | 3.92% | 4.16% | -3.88% | -0.71% | 3.03% | 0.57% |
Correlation
The correlation between AVUS and SHY is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2019 | 0.03 |
The correlation between AVUS and SHY shifts across timeframes, from 0.03 (all time) to 0.23 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
AVUS vs. SHY — Risk / Return Rank
AVUS
SHY
AVUS vs. SHY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS) and iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY). 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.
| AVUS | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.01 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.71 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.50 | -0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.88 | 3.64 | +0.24 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 17.32 | 14.45 | +2.87 |
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Drawdowns
AVUS vs. SHY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AVUS drawdown since its inception was -37.04%, which is greater than SHY's maximum drawdown of -5.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AVUS and SHY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AVUS | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -37.04% | -5.71% | -31.33% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.85% | -0.89% | -6.96% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.74% | -0.97% | -18.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.19% | -5.71% | -16.48% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -5.71% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.97% | -0.18% | -0.79% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.08% | -0.52% | -4.56% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.76% | 0.22% | +1.54% |
Volatility
AVUS vs. SHY - Volatility Comparison
Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS) has a higher volatility of 4.40% compared to iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) at 0.40%. This indicates that AVUS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AVUS | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.40% | 0.40% | +4.00% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.64% | 0.95% | +8.69% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 12.60% | 1.33% | +11.27% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.35% | 1.99% | +15.36% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.84% | 1.57% | +19.27% |
AVUS vs. SHY - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both AVUS and SHY have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
AVUS vs. SHY - Dividend Comparison
AVUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.18%, less than SHY's 3.68% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVUS Avantis U.S. Equity ETF | 1.18% | 1.08% | 1.27% | 1.41% | 1.59% | 1.08% | 1.19% | 0.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.68% | 3.81% | 3.92% | 2.99% | 1.30% | 0.26% | 0.94% | 2.12% | 1.72% | 0.98% | 0.71% | 0.54% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AVUS and SHY have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AVUS has higher volatility (4.40%) compared to SHY (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AVUS dropped -37.04% vs SHY's -5.71%.
On 5-year performance, AVUS leads with 12.87% vs 1.74% for SHY. Both ETFs have the same 0.15% expense ratio. On volatility, SHY has been the lower-risk option at 0.40%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, AVUS has performed better with a 12.87% return vs 1.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
AVUS and SHY have the same expense ratio: 0.15% per year.
SHY has the higher dividend yield at 3.68%, compared with 1.18% for AVUS.
AVUS is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while SHY is Government Bonds. They also come from different issuers: Avantis and iShares.
SHY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.43 vs 2.42), 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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