GVI vs. GBF
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (GBF).
GVI and GBF 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. GBF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Government/Credit Bond Index. It was launched on Jan 11, 2007. Both GVI and GBF 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. GBF - Performance Comparison
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GVI vs. GBF - 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% |
GBF iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF | 0.09% | 6.41% | 0.99% | 5.79% | -13.85% | -2.30% | 8.76% | 9.47% | -0.52% | 4.10% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GVI achieves a -0.03% return, which is significantly lower than GBF's 0.09% return. Over the past 10 years, GVI has outperformed GBF with an annualized return of 1.85%, while GBF has yielded a comparatively lower 1.58% annualized return.
GVI
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -0.89%
- YTD
- -0.03%
- 6M
- 0.82%
- 1Y
- 4.09%
- 3Y*
- 4.05%
- 5Y*
- 1.12%
- 10Y*
- 1.85%
GBF
- 1D
- -0.01%
- 1M
- -1.35%
- YTD
- 0.09%
- 6M
- 0.44%
- 1Y
- 3.51%
- 3Y*
- 3.20%
- 5Y*
- -0.04%
- 10Y*
- 1.58%
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GVI vs. GBF - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both GVI and GBF have an expense ratio of 0.20%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Return for Risk
GVI vs. GBF — Risk / Return Rank
GVI
GBF
GVI vs. GBF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (GBF). 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 | GBF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.50 | 0.83 | +0.67 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.27 | 1.19 | +1.08 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.15 | +0.13 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.36 | 1.53 | +0.83 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.58 | 4.29 | +4.29 |
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
| GVI | GBF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.50 | 0.83 | +0.67 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.28 | -0.01 | +0.29 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.53 | 0.30 | +0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.77 | 0.58 | +0.18 |
Correlation
The correlation between GVI and GBF is 0.75, 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
GVI vs. GBF - Dividend Comparison
GVI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.57%, less than GBF's 3.77% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF | 3.57% | 3.48% | 3.40% | 2.75% | 1.86% | 1.46% | 1.84% | 2.29% | 2.16% | 1.91% | 1.77% | 1.75% |
GBF iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF | 3.77% | 3.81% | 3.94% | 3.03% | 2.13% | 1.22% | 1.64% | 2.64% | 2.59% | 2.31% | 2.09% | 2.04% |
Drawdowns
GVI vs. GBF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GVI drawdown since its inception was -12.93%, smaller than the maximum GBF drawdown of -19.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GVI and GBF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GVI | GBF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.93% | -19.67% | +6.74% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.79% | -2.50% | +0.71% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -12.93% | -18.45% | +5.52% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.93% | -19.67% | +6.74% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.20% | -4.96% | +3.76% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.87% | -3.66% | +1.79% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.49% | 0.89% | -0.40% |
Volatility
GVI vs. GBF - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) is 1.09%, while iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (GBF) has a volatility of 1.64%. This indicates that GVI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GBF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GVI | GBF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.09% | 1.64% | -0.55% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.68% | 2.53% | -0.85% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.74% | 4.23% | -1.49% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.97% | 5.92% | -1.95% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.52% | 5.27% | -1.75% |