GVI vs. VSDB
GVI (iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF) and VSDB (Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares) are both Short-Term Bond funds. GVI is passively managed, while VSDB is actively managed. Over the past year, GVI returned 3.57% vs 5.06% for VSDB. Their correlation of 0.86 suggests significant overlap in exposure. GVI charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for VSDB.
Performance
GVI vs. VSDB - 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 VSDB's 1.00% return.
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%
VSDB
- 1D
- 0.06%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- YTD
- 1.00%
- 6M
- 1.50%
- 1Y
- 5.06%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
GVI vs. VSDB - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF | 0.09% | 3.63% |
VSDB Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares | 1.00% | 4.85% |
Correlation
The correlation between GVI and VSDB is 0.85, 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 | 0.85 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 4, 2025 | 0.86 |
The correlation between GVI and VSDB has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.85 to 0.86 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
GVI vs. VSDB — Risk / Return Rank
GVI
VSDB
GVI vs. VSDB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) and Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares (VSDB). 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 | VSDB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.49 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.40 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 1.61 | -0.35 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 3.57 | -1.57 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.04 | 15.78 | -9.73 |
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 | VSDB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.45 | 2.94 | -1.49 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.25 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.52 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.76 | 2.68 | -1.91 |
Drawdowns
GVI vs. VSDB - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GVI drawdown since its inception was -12.93%, which is greater than VSDB's maximum drawdown of -1.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GVI and VSDB.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GVI | VSDB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.93% | -1.42% | -11.51% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.79% | -1.42% | -0.37% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -2.65% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -12.93% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.93% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.08% | -0.10% | -0.98% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.86% | -0.19% | -1.67% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.59% | 0.32% | +0.27% |
Volatility
GVI vs. VSDB - Volatility Comparison
iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF (GVI) has a higher volatility of 0.78% compared to Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares (VSDB) at 0.55%. This indicates that GVI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VSDB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GVI | VSDB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.78% | 0.55% | +0.23% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.78% | 1.35% | +0.43% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.50% | 1.75% | +0.75% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.97% | 1.89% | +2.08% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.53% | 1.89% | +1.64% |
GVI vs. VSDB - Expense Ratio Comparison
GVI has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than VSDB's 0.15% 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. VSDB - Dividend Comparison
GVI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.62%, less than VSDB's 4.16% 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% |
VSDB Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares | 4.16% | 3.30% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GVI and VSDB have a correlation of 0.85, 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 VSDB (0.55%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GVI dropped -12.93% vs VSDB's -1.42%.
On 1-year performance, VSDB leads with 5.06% vs 3.57% for GVI. On fees, VSDB is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, VSDB has been the lower-risk option at 0.55%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, VSDB has performed better with a 5.06% return vs 3.57%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VSDB is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for GVI.
VSDB has the higher dividend yield at 4.16%, compared with 3.62% for GVI.
They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for GVI and 0.15% for VSDB.
VSDB currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.94 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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