GVI vs. SCHO
GVI (iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF) and SCHO (Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GVI is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Intermediate Government/Credit Bond, while SCHO is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, GVI returned 1.81%/yr vs 1.72%/yr for SCHO. A 0.73 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. GVI charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SCHO.
Performance
GVI vs. SCHO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GVI achieves a 0.09% return, which is significantly lower than SCHO's 0.50% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with GVI having a 1.81% annualized return and SCHO not far behind at 1.72%.
GVI
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- 0.02%
- YTD
- 0.09%
- 6M
- 0.31%
- 1Y
- 3.57%
- 3Y*
- 4.23%
- 5Y*
- 1.00%
- 10Y*
- 1.81%
SCHO
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- 0.10%
- YTD
- 0.50%
- 6M
- 0.90%
- 1Y
- 3.35%
- 3Y*
- 4.16%
- 5Y*
- 1.82%
- 10Y*
- 1.72%
GVI vs. SCHO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF | 0.09% | 6.66% | 2.92% | 5.15% | -8.28% | -1.90% | 6.38% | 6.54% | 0.77% | 1.83% |
SCHO Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.50% | 5.49% | 3.65% | 4.31% | -3.87% | -0.64% | 3.11% | 3.47% | 1.37% | 0.33% |
Correlation
The correlation between GVI and SCHO is 0.84, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.84 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.87 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.86 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.79 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 6, 2010 | 0.73 |
The correlation between GVI and SCHO shifts across timeframes, from 0.73 (all time) to 0.87 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
GVI vs. SCHO — Risk / Return Rank
GVI
SCHO
GVI vs. SCHO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO). 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 | SCHO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.00 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.81 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 1.49 | -0.23 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.04 | 16.82 | -10.78 |
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 | SCHO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.45 | 2.46 | -1.00 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.25 | 0.92 | -0.67 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.52 | 1.11 | -0.59 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.76 | 1.00 | -0.23 |
Drawdowns
GVI vs. SCHO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GVI drawdown since its inception was -12.93%, which is greater than SCHO's maximum drawdown of -5.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GVI and SCHO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GVI | SCHO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.93% | -5.69% | -7.24% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.79% | -0.86% | -0.93% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -2.65% | -0.98% | -1.67% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -12.93% | -5.69% | -7.24% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.93% | -5.69% | -7.24% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.08% | -0.18% | -0.90% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.86% | -0.61% | -1.25% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.59% | 0.20% | +0.39% |
Volatility
GVI vs. SCHO - Volatility Comparison
iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) has a higher volatility of 0.78% compared to Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO) at 0.42%. This indicates that GVI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SCHO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GVI | SCHO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.78% | 0.42% | +0.36% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.78% | 0.91% | +0.87% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.50% | 1.37% | +1.13% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.97% | 1.98% | +1.99% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.53% | 1.56% | +1.97% |
GVI vs. SCHO - Expense Ratio Comparison
GVI has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHO's 0.03% 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
GVI vs. SCHO - Dividend Comparison
GVI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.62%, less than SCHO's 3.90% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF | 3.62% | 3.48% | 3.40% | 2.75% | 1.86% | 1.46% | 1.84% | 2.29% | 2.16% | 1.91% | 1.77% | 1.75% |
SCHO Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 3.90% | 4.06% | 4.29% | 3.76% | 1.34% | 0.41% | 1.27% | 2.27% | 1.60% | 1.12% | 0.82% | 0.68% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GVI and SCHO have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GVI has higher volatility (0.78%) compared to SCHO (0.42%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GVI dropped -12.93% vs SCHO's -5.69%.
On 10-year performance, GVI leads with 1.81% vs 1.72% for SCHO. On fees, SCHO is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SCHO has been the lower-risk option at 0.42%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, GVI has performed better with a 1.81% return vs 1.72%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SCHO is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for GVI.
SCHO has the higher dividend yield at 3.90%, compared with 3.62% for GVI.
GVI is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while SCHO is Government Bonds. GVI tracks Bloomberg U.S. Intermediate Government/Credit Bond, while SCHO tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Charles Schwab. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for GVI and 0.03% for SCHO.
SCHO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.46 vs 1.45), 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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