GCAD vs. IBTF
GCAD (Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF) and IBTF (iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GCAD is a Aerospace & Defense fund actively managed by Gabelli, while IBTF is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE 2025 Maturity US Treasury Index. GCAD is actively managed, while IBTF is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, GCAD returned 33.27%/yr vs 3.66%/yr for IBTF. At a correlation of -0.07, they often move in opposite directions. GCAD charges 0.00%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for IBTF.
Performance
GCAD vs. IBTF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
GCAD
- 1D
- -1.56%
- 1M
- 5.29%
- YTD
- 14.09%
- 6M
- 19.16%
- 1Y
- 35.52%
- 3Y*
- 33.27%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
IBTF
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.00%
- YTD
- 0.00%
- 6M
- 0.09%
- 1Y
- 2.14%
- 3Y*
- 3.66%
- 5Y*
- 0.90%
- 10Y*
- —
GCAD vs. IBTF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GCAD Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 14.09% | 39.28% | 26.61% | 17.61% |
IBTF iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF | 0.00% | 3.81% | 4.60% | 3.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between GCAD and IBTF is -0.04, 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 | -0.04 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.03 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 5, 2023 | -0.07 |
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Return for Risk
GCAD vs. IBTF — Risk / Return Rank
GCAD
IBTF
GCAD vs. IBTF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD) and iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF (IBTF). 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.
| GCAD | IBTF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -5.22 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -17.37 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.32 | 6.23 | -4.91 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.38 | 59.41 | -57.02 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.24 | 269.70 | -261.46 |
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
| GCAD | IBTF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.86 | 7.08 | -5.22 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.39 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.56 | 0.44 | +1.12 |
Drawdowns
GCAD vs. IBTF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GCAD drawdown since its inception was -16.14%, which is greater than IBTF's maximum drawdown of -10.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GCAD and IBTF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GCAD | IBTF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -16.14% | -10.45% | -5.69% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.96% | -0.04% | -14.92% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -16.14% | -0.67% | -15.47% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -9.53% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.92% | 0.00% | -5.92% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.03% | -3.33% | +0.30% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.32% | 0.01% | +4.31% |
Volatility
GCAD vs. IBTF - Volatility Comparison
Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD) has a higher volatility of 7.14% compared to iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF (IBTF) at 0.00%. This indicates that GCAD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IBTF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GCAD | IBTF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.14% | 0.00% | +7.14% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.33% | 0.19% | +16.14% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.25% | 0.36% | +18.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.49% | 2.38% | +16.11% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.49% | 2.56% | +15.93% |
GCAD vs. IBTF - Expense Ratio Comparison
GCAD has a 0.00% expense ratio, which is lower than IBTF's 0.07% 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
GCAD vs. IBTF - Dividend Comparison
GCAD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.81%, less than IBTF's 2.08% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GCAD Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 1.81% | 2.06% | 4.94% | 3.62% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
IBTF iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF | 2.08% | 3.83% | 4.32% | 4.03% | 1.93% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GCAD and IBTF have a correlation of -0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GCAD has higher volatility (7.14%) compared to IBTF (0.00%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GCAD dropped -16.14% vs IBTF's -10.45%.
On 3-year performance, GCAD leads with 33.27% vs 3.66% for IBTF. On fees, GCAD is cheaper at 0.00% per year. On volatility, IBTF has been the lower-risk option at 0.00%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, GCAD has performed better with a 33.27% return vs 3.66%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
GCAD is cheaper with a 0.00% expense ratio, compared with 0.07% for IBTF.
IBTF has the higher dividend yield at 2.08%, compared with 1.81% for GCAD.
GCAD is categorized as Aerospace & Defense, while IBTF is Government Bonds. They also come from different issuers: Gabelli and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.00% for GCAD and 0.07% for IBTF.
IBTF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (7.08 vs 1.86), 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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