GOVT vs. TLT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT).

GOVT and TLT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GOVT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. Treasury Bond Index. It was launched on Feb 14, 2012. TLT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. It was launched on Jul 22, 2002. Both GOVT and TLT 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

GOVT vs. TLT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GOVT vs. TLT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF	0.08%	3.77%	2.95%	4.17%	-13.39%	-1.11%	7.28%	7.36%	0.26%	2.19%
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF	0.17%	4.25%	-8.05%	2.77%	-31.23%	-4.60%	18.15%	14.12%	-1.61%	9.18%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GOVT achieves a 0.08% return, which is significantly lower than TLT's 0.17% return. Over the past 10 years, GOVT has outperformed TLT with an annualized return of 0.96%, while TLT has yielded a comparatively lower -1.38% annualized return.

GOVT

• 1D: 0.09%
• 1M: -1.70%
• YTD: 0.08%
• 6M: 0.83%
• 1Y: 3.24%
• 3Y*: 2.55%
• 5Y*: -0.24%
• 10Y*: 0.96%

TLT

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -4.23%
• YTD: 0.17%
• 6M: -0.87%
• 1Y: -0.49%
• 3Y*: -2.78%
• 5Y*: -5.85%
• 10Y*: -1.38%

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

GOVT vs. TLT - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both GOVT and TLT 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%.

GOVT

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF

TLT

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

Return for Risk

GOVT vs. TLT — Risk / Return Rank

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

GOVT

GOVT Risk / Return Rank: 45
GOVT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
GOVT Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
GOVT Omega Ratio Rank: 36
GOVT Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
GOVT Martin Ratio Rank: 40

TLT

TLT Risk / Return Rank: 12
TLT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
TLT Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
TLT Omega Ratio Rank: 10
TLT Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
TLT Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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.

GOVT vs. TLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT). 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.

	GOVT	TLT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.80	-0.04	+0.84
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.17	0.02	+1.15
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.00	+0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.35	0.05	+1.30
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.49	0.11	+3.37
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GOVT vs. TLT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GOVT Sharpe Ratio is 0.80, which is higher than the TLT Sharpe Ratio of -0.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GOVT and TLT, 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

	GOVT	TLT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.80	-0.04	+0.84
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.04	-0.37	+0.33
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.18	-0.09	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.26	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between GOVT and TLT is 0.91, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

GOVT vs. TLT - Dividend Comparison

GOVT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.53%, less than TLT's 4.49% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF	3.53%	3.49%	3.14%	2.65%	1.77%	0.96%	2.17%	1.98%	1.97%	1.57%	1.40%	1.25%
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF	4.49%	4.43%	4.30%	3.38%	2.67%	1.50%	1.50%	2.27%	2.63%	2.43%	2.60%	2.61%

Drawdowns

GOVT vs. TLT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GOVT drawdown since its inception was -19.07%, smaller than the maximum TLT drawdown of -48.35%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GOVT and TLT.

Drawdown Indicators

	GOVT	TLT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.07%	-48.35%	+29.28%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.58%	-9.23%	+6.65%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.60%	-43.70%	+27.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-19.07%	-48.35%	+29.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.00%	-40.17%	+33.17%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.23%	-13.62%	+8.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.00%	4.38%	-3.38%

Volatility

GOVT vs. TLT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) is 1.45%, while iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) has a volatility of 3.71%. This indicates that GOVT experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GOVT	TLT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.45%	3.71%	-2.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.45%	6.61%	-4.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.06%	11.44%	-7.38%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.03%	15.90%	-9.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.23%	14.93%	-9.70%