FUMBX vs. ISTB

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

FUMBX (Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund) and ISTB (iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF) are both funds - FUMBX is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Barclays 1-5 Year U.S. Treasury Index, while ISTB is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD). Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, FUMBX returned 1.29%/yr vs 1.90%/yr for ISTB. A 0.78 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. FUMBX charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for ISTB.

Performance

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund (FUMBX) and iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FUMBX achieves a 0.19% return, which is significantly lower than ISTB's 0.57% return.

FUMBX

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -0.13%
• YTD: 0.19%
• 6M: 0.46%
• 1Y: 3.39%
• 3Y*: 4.03%
• 5Y*: 1.29%
• 10Y*: —

ISTB

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.11%
• YTD: 0.57%
• 6M: 0.98%
• 1Y: 4.25%
• 3Y*: 4.98%
• 5Y*: 1.90%
• 10Y*: 2.28%

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

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FUMBX Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund	0.19%	5.83%	3.25%	4.47%	-5.84%	-1.38%	4.22%	4.19%	1.47%	-0.33%
ISTB iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF	0.57%	6.36%	4.37%	5.56%	-6.08%	-0.71%	4.75%	5.61%	1.02%	-0.23%

Correlation

The correlation between FUMBX and ISTB is 0.84, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.84
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.87
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.88
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 20, 2017	0.78

The correlation between FUMBX and ISTB shifts across timeframes, from 0.78 (all time) to 0.88 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

FUMBX vs. ISTB — Risk / Return Rank

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

FUMBX

FUMBX Risk / Return Rank: 35
FUMBX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 30
FUMBX Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
FUMBX Omega Ratio Rank: 37
FUMBX Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
FUMBX Martin Ratio Rank: 33

ISTB

ISTB Risk / Return Rank: 73
ISTB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 73
ISTB Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
ISTB Omega Ratio Rank: 78
ISTB Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
ISTB Martin Ratio Rank: 67

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.

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund (FUMBX) and iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB). 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.

	FUMBX	ISTB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.60	2.41	-0.81
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.58	3.76	-1.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.47	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.36	3.31	-0.95
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.59	12.67	-5.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FUMBX Sharpe Ratio is 1.60, which is lower than the ISTB Sharpe Ratio of 2.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FUMBX and ISTB, 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

	FUMBX	ISTB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.60	2.41	-0.81
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.44	0.68	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.91	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.73	0.84	-0.11

Drawdowns

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FUMBX drawdown since its inception was -8.83%, smaller than the maximum ISTB drawdown of -9.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FUMBX and ISTB.

Drawdown Indicators

	FUMBX	ISTB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-8.83%	-9.34%	+0.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.54%	-1.26%	-0.28%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-1.57%	-1.36%	-0.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-8.60%	-9.34%	+0.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-9.34%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.77%	-0.34%	-0.43%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.86%	-1.22%	-0.64%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.48%	0.33%	+0.15%

Volatility

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Volatility Comparison

Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund (FUMBX) has a higher volatility of 0.69% compared to iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) at 0.55%. This indicates that FUMBX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ISTB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FUMBX	ISTB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.69%	0.55%	+0.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.51%	1.29%	+0.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.06%	1.77%	+0.29%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.92%	2.79%	+0.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.49%	2.51%	-0.02%

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Expense Ratio Comparison

FUMBX has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than ISTB's 0.06% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

FUMBX vs. ISTB - Dividend Comparison

FUMBX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.76%, less than ISTB's 4.25% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FUMBX Fidelity Short-Term Treasury Bond Index Fund	3.76%	3.51%	2.91%	1.64%	0.86%	1.15%	1.41%	1.88%	1.64%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%
ISTB iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF	4.25%	4.12%	3.83%	2.97%	2.01%	1.69%	2.20%	2.75%	2.57%	2.06%	1.90%	1.58%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both FUMBX and ISTB in my portfolio?

FUMBX and ISTB have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, FUMBX or ISTB?

FUMBX has higher volatility (0.69%) compared to ISTB (0.55%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FUMBX dropped -8.83% vs ISTB's -9.34%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ISTB currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.41 vs 1.60), 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.