GVI vs. CMF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and iShares California Muni Bond ETF (CMF).

GVI and CMF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GVI is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Intermediate Government/Credit Bond. It was launched on Jan 5, 2007. CMF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P California AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index. It was launched on Oct 4, 2007. Both GVI and CMF 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

GVI vs. CMF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and iShares California Muni Bond ETF (CMF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GVI vs. CMF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF	-0.03%	6.66%	2.92%	5.15%	-8.28%	-1.90%	6.38%	6.54%	0.77%	1.83%
CMF iShares California Muni Bond ETF	-0.57%	3.36%	1.65%	5.71%	-8.27%	0.78%	4.50%	6.94%	0.99%	4.63%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GVI achieves a -0.03% return, which is significantly higher than CMF's -0.57% return. Over the past 10 years, GVI has outperformed CMF with an annualized return of 1.85%, while CMF has yielded a comparatively lower 1.72% annualized return.

GVI

• 1D: 0.17%
• 1M: -1.20%
• YTD: -0.03%
• 6M: 1.07%
• 1Y: 4.24%
• 3Y*: 4.05%
• 5Y*: 1.12%
• 10Y*: 1.85%

CMF

• 1D: 0.25%
• 1M: -2.42%
• YTD: -0.57%
• 6M: 1.16%
• 1Y: 4.10%
• 3Y*: 2.44%
• 5Y*: 0.58%
• 10Y*: 1.72%

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

GVI vs. CMF - Expense Ratio Comparison

GVI has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than CMF's 0.25% 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%.

CMF

iShares California Muni Bond ETF

GVI

iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF

Return for Risk

GVI vs. CMF — Risk / Return Rank

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

GVI

GVI Risk / Return Rank: 82
GVI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
GVI Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
GVI Omega Ratio Rank: 76
GVI Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
GVI Martin Ratio Rank: 82

CMF

CMF Risk / Return Rank: 50
CMF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
CMF Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
CMF Omega Ratio Rank: 64
CMF Calmar Ratio Rank: 48
CMF Martin Ratio Rank: 40

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.

GVI vs. CMF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and iShares California Muni Bond ETF (CMF). 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.

	GVI	CMF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.55	0.92	+0.63
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.35	1.15	+1.21
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.23	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.43	1.13	+1.29
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.93	3.54	+5.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GVI vs. CMF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GVI Sharpe Ratio is 1.55, which is higher than the CMF Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GVI and CMF, 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

	GVI	CMF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.55	0.92	+0.63
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.28	0.14	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.34	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.77	0.39	+0.38

Correlation

The correlation between GVI and CMF is 0.42, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

GVI vs. CMF - Dividend Comparison

GVI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.54%, more than CMF's 2.98% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF	3.54%	3.48%	3.40%	2.75%	1.86%	1.46%	1.84%	2.29%	2.16%	1.91%	1.77%	1.75%
CMF iShares California Muni Bond ETF	2.98%	2.94%	2.78%	2.29%	1.91%	1.58%	1.80%	2.03%	2.17%	2.09%	2.21%	2.55%

Drawdowns

GVI vs. CMF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GVI drawdown since its inception was -12.93%, smaller than the maximum CMF drawdown of -16.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GVI and CMF.

Drawdown Indicators

	GVI	CMF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-12.93%	-16.45%	+3.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.79%	-3.84%	+2.05%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-12.93%	-12.45%	-0.48%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-12.93%	-14.57%	+1.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.20%	-2.42%	+1.22%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.87%	-4.80%	+2.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.49%	1.23%	-0.74%

Volatility

GVI vs. CMF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) is 1.09%, while iShares California Muni Bond ETF (CMF) has a volatility of 1.56%. This indicates that GVI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CMF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GVI	CMF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.09%	1.56%	-0.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.68%	2.00%	-0.32%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.74%	4.48%	-1.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.97%	4.17%	-0.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.52%	5.07%	-1.55%