ESGU vs. SGOV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV).

ESGU and SGOV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ESGU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. It was launched on Dec 1, 2016. SGOV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE 0-3 Month US Treasury Securities Index. It was launched on May 26, 2020. Both ESGU and SGOV are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

ESGU vs. SGOV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ESGU vs. SGOV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
ESGU iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF	-4.15%	16.90%	24.31%	25.79%	-20.27%	26.89%	27.38%
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF	0.88%	4.24%	5.27%	5.12%	1.58%	0.04%	0.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ESGU achieves a -4.15% return, which is significantly lower than SGOV's 0.88% return.

ESGU

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.33%
• YTD: -4.15%
• 6M: -1.98%
• 1Y: 17.59%
• 3Y*: 17.76%
• 5Y*: 10.58%
• 10Y*: —

SGOV

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: 0.30%
• YTD: 0.88%
• 6M: 1.89%
• 1Y: 4.07%
• 3Y*: 4.80%
• 5Y*: 3.41%
• 10Y*: —

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

ESGU vs. SGOV - Expense Ratio Comparison

ESGU has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than SGOV's 0.09% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

ESGU

iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF

SGOV

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF

Return for Risk

ESGU vs. SGOV — Risk / Return Rank

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

ESGU

ESGU Risk / Return Rank: 56
ESGU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
ESGU Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
ESGU Omega Ratio Rank: 56
ESGU Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
ESGU Martin Ratio Rank: 65

SGOV

SGOV Risk / Return Rank: 100
SGOV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
SGOV Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
SGOV Omega Ratio Rank: 100
SGOV Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
SGOV Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

ESGU vs. SGOV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV). 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.

	ESGU	SGOV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.94	20.61	-19.67
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.45	283.87	-282.43
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	201.33	-200.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.46	411.31	-409.84
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.77	4,618.08	-4,611.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESGU vs. SGOV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESGU Sharpe Ratio is 0.94, which is lower than the SGOV Sharpe Ratio of 20.61. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESGU and SGOV, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ESGU	SGOV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.94	20.61	-19.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	14.12	-13.51
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.75	12.34	-11.60

Correlation

The correlation between ESGU and SGOV is -0.02. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

ESGU vs. SGOV - Dividend Comparison

ESGU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, less than SGOV's 3.95% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ESGU iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF	1.06%	0.99%	1.18%	1.43%	1.58%	1.06%	1.27%	1.32%	1.73%	1.82%
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF	3.95%	4.10%	5.10%	4.87%	1.45%	0.03%	0.05%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ESGU vs. SGOV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESGU drawdown since its inception was -33.87%, which is greater than SGOV's maximum drawdown of -0.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESGU and SGOV.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESGU	SGOV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.87%	-0.03%	-33.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.35%	-0.01%	-12.34%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.15%	-0.03%	-26.12%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.92%	0.00%	-5.92%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.97%	0.00%	-4.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.67%	0.00%	+2.67%

Volatility

ESGU vs. SGOV - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) has a higher volatility of 5.46% compared to iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) at 0.06%. This indicates that ESGU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SGOV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESGU	SGOV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.46%	0.06%	+5.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.79%	0.13%	+9.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.75%	0.20%	+18.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.33%	0.24%	+17.09%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.70%	0.24%	+18.46%