GOVZ vs. BIL
GOVZ (iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bond ETF) and BIL (SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF) are both Government Bonds funds - GOVZ tracks the ICE BofA Long US Treasury Principal STRIPS Index while BIL tracks the Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, GOVZ returned -14.55%/yr vs 3.54%/yr for BIL. Their 0.01 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. GOVZ charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.14%/yr for BIL.
Performance
GOVZ vs. BIL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GOVZ achieves a -6.61% return, which is significantly lower than BIL's 2.10% return.
GOVZ
- 1D
- 0.34%
- 1M
- -6.59%
- 6M
- -5.59%
- YTD
- -6.61%
- 1Y
- -7.04%
- 3Y*
- -6.86%
- 5Y*
- -14.55%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- -14.11%
BIL
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- 6M
- 1.78%
- YTD
- 2.10%
- 1Y
- 3.78%
- 3Y*
- 4.54%
- 5Y*
- 3.54%
- 10Y*
- 2.24%
- ALL TIME*
- 1.37%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $915.12M | $889.94M | $918.56M | |
| $6.32M | $6.57M | $8.03M |
GOVZ vs. BIL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GOVZ iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bond ETF | -6.61% | -1.81% | -16.24% | 0.90% | -41.03% | -4.86% | -5.61% |
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 2.10% | 4.15% | 5.19% | 4.94% | 1.40% | -0.10% | 0.00% |
Correlation
The correlation between GOVZ and BIL is -0.20, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | -0.20 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | -0.08 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.00 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 24, 2020 | 0.01 |
The correlation between GOVZ and BIL shifts across timeframes, from -0.20 (1 year) to 0.01 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
GOVZ vs. BIL — Risk / Return Rank
GOVZ
BIL
GOVZ vs. BIL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bond ETF (GOVZ) and SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| GOVZ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -19.63 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -152.51 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.94 | 68.82 | -67.89 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.48 | 346.53 | -347.01 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.96 | 2,457.45 | -2,458.41 |
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Drawdowns
GOVZ vs. BIL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GOVZ drawdown since its inception was -59.65%, which is greater than BIL's maximum drawdown of -0.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GOVZ and BIL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GOVZ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.65% | -0.78% | -58.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.87% | -0.01% | -14.86% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.42% | -0.01% | -26.41% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -57.63% | -0.08% | -57.55% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -0.21% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -58.96% | 0.00% | -58.96% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -40.35% | -0.26% | -40.09% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 7.33% | 0.00% | +7.33% |
Volatility
GOVZ vs. BIL - Volatility Comparison
iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bond ETF (GOVZ) has a higher volatility of 4.53% compared to SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) at 0.06%. This indicates that GOVZ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BIL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GOVZ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.53% | 0.06% | +4.47% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.06% | 0.14% | +10.92% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.52% | 0.20% | +15.32% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.80% | 0.26% | +23.54% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.17% | 0.26% | +22.91% |
GOVZ vs. BIL - Expense Ratio Comparison
GOVZ has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than BIL's 0.14% 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%.
Dividends
GOVZ vs. BIL - Dividend Comparison
GOVZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.53%, more than BIL's 3.77% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 3.77% | 4.13% | 5.03% | 4.92% | 1.35% | 0.00% | 0.30% | 2.05% | 1.66% | 0.68% | 0.07% |
GOVZ iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bond ETF | 5.53% | 5.00% | 4.68% | 3.84% | 3.69% | 1.76% | 0.39% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GOVZ and BIL have a correlation of -0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GOVZ has higher volatility (4.53%) compared to BIL (0.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GOVZ dropped -59.65% vs BIL's -0.78%.
On 5-year performance, BIL leads with 3.54% vs -14.55% for GOVZ. On fees, BIL is cheaper at 0.14% per year. On volatility, BIL has been the lower-risk option at 0.06%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, BIL has performed better with a 3.54% return vs -14.55%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
BIL is cheaper with a 0.14% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for GOVZ.
GOVZ has the higher dividend yield at 5.53%, compared with 3.77% for BIL.
GOVZ tracks ICE BofA Long US Treasury Principal STRIPS Index, while BIL tracks Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for GOVZ and 0.14% for BIL.
BIL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (19.17 vs -0.46), 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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