BRLN vs. ULST
BRLN (BlackRock Floating Rate Loan ETF) and ULST (State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - BRLN is a Bank Loan fund actively managed by BlackRock, while ULST is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US Treasury Bellwether 3 Month Index. BRLN is actively managed, while ULST is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, BRLN returned 7.50%/yr vs 4.96%/yr for ULST. At a 0.04 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. BRLN charges 0.55%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for ULST.
Performance
BRLN vs. ULST - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BRLN achieves a 1.44% return, which is significantly higher than ULST's 1.30% return.
BRLN
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- 0.87%
- YTD
- 1.44%
- 6M
- 2.08%
- 1Y
- 5.39%
- 3Y*
- 7.50%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
ULST
- 1D
- 0.06%
- 1M
- 0.30%
- YTD
- 1.30%
- 6M
- 1.60%
- 1Y
- 3.99%
- 3Y*
- 4.96%
- 5Y*
- 3.53%
- 10Y*
- 2.70%
BRLN vs. ULST - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BRLN BlackRock Floating Rate Loan ETF | 1.44% | 5.38% | 7.49% | 13.42% | 2.13% |
ULST State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF | 1.30% | 4.80% | 5.23% | 5.60% | 1.15% |
Correlation
The correlation between BRLN and ULST is -0.08, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.08 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 7, 2022 | 0.04 |
The correlation between BRLN and ULST shifts across timeframes, from -0.08 (1 year) to 0.04 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
BRLN vs. ULST — Risk / Return Rank
BRLN
ULST
BRLN vs. ULST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Floating Rate Loan ETF (BRLN) and State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST). 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.
| BRLN | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -4.37 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -9.54 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.34 | 2.77 | -1.43 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.70 | 16.92 | -14.21 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.51 | 87.50 | -76.99 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| BRLN | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.77 | 6.14 | -4.37 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 3.68 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 1.87 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 2.19 | 1.50 | +0.69 |
Drawdowns
BRLN vs. ULST - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BRLN drawdown since its inception was -3.85%, smaller than the maximum ULST drawdown of -6.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BRLN and ULST.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BRLN | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -3.85% | -6.20% | +2.35% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.00% | -0.24% | -1.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -3.85% | -0.54% | -3.31% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -1.22% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -6.20% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.12% | 0.00% | -0.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.31% | -0.16% | -0.15% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.51% | 0.05% | +0.46% |
Volatility
BRLN vs. ULST - Volatility Comparison
BlackRock Floating Rate Loan ETF (BRLN) has a higher volatility of 0.80% compared to State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST) at 0.17%. This indicates that BRLN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ULST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BRLN | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.80% | 0.17% | +0.63% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.24% | 0.43% | +1.81% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.06% | 0.65% | +2.41% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.73% | 0.96% | +2.77% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.73% | 1.45% | +2.28% |
BRLN vs. ULST - Expense Ratio Comparison
BRLN has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than ULST's 0.20% expense ratio.
Dividends
BRLN vs. ULST - Dividend Comparison
BRLN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.35%, more than ULST's 4.29% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BRLN BlackRock Floating Rate Loan ETF | 6.35% | 6.50% | 7.87% | 9.06% | 1.48% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
ULST State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF | 4.29% | 4.46% | 5.03% | 4.45% | 1.70% | 0.54% | 1.34% | 2.56% | 2.13% | 1.21% | 0.93% | 0.37% |
Frequently Asked Questions
BRLN and ULST have a correlation of -0.08, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
BRLN has higher volatility (0.80%) compared to ULST (0.17%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BRLN dropped -3.85% vs ULST's -6.20%.
On 3-year performance, BRLN leads with 7.50% vs 4.96% for ULST. On fees, ULST is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, ULST has been the lower-risk option at 0.17%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, BRLN has performed better with a 7.50% return vs 4.96%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
ULST is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.55% for BRLN.
BRLN has the higher dividend yield at 6.35%, compared with 4.29% for ULST.
BRLN is categorized as Bank Loan, while ULST is Ultrashort Bond. They also come from different issuers: BlackRock and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.55% for BRLN and 0.20% for ULST.
ULST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.14 vs 1.77), 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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