ICSH vs. BILS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF (ICSH) and SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS).

ICSH and BILS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ICSH is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE BofA US 6-Month Treasury Bill Index (USD). It was launched on Dec 11, 2013. BILS is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg 3-12 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. It was launched on Sep 24, 2020. Both ICSH and BILS 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

ICSH vs. BILS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF (ICSH) and SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ICSH vs. BILS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
ICSH iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF	0.74%	4.96%	5.52%	5.58%	0.97%	0.16%	0.14%
BILS SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF	0.80%	4.23%	5.17%	4.92%	0.90%	-0.08%	0.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ICSH achieves a 0.74% return, which is significantly lower than BILS's 0.80% return.

ICSH

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: 0.12%
• YTD: 0.74%
• 6M: 1.89%
• 1Y: 4.40%
• 3Y*: 5.21%
• 5Y*: 3.55%
• 10Y*: 2.71%

BILS

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: 0.26%
• YTD: 0.80%
• 6M: 1.82%
• 1Y: 3.99%
• 3Y*: 4.67%
• 5Y*: 3.17%
• 10Y*: —

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

ICSH vs. BILS - Expense Ratio Comparison

ICSH has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than BILS's 0.14% 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%.

BILS

SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF

ICSH

iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF

Return for Risk

ICSH vs. BILS — Risk / Return Rank

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

ICSH

ICSH Risk / Return Rank: 100
ICSH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
ICSH Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
ICSH Omega Ratio Rank: 100
ICSH Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
ICSH Martin Ratio Rank: 100

BILS

BILS Risk / Return Rank: 100
BILS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Omega Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
BILS Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

ICSH vs. BILS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF (ICSH) and SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS). 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.

	ICSH	BILS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	10.86	16.39	-5.53
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	25.58	75.13	-49.55
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	6.41	26.69	-20.29
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	45.33	132.67	-87.34
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	283.87	1,118.82	-834.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ICSH vs. BILS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ICSH Sharpe Ratio is 10.86, which is lower than the BILS Sharpe Ratio of 16.39. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ICSH and BILS, 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

	ICSH	BILS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.86	16.39	-5.53
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	7.40	10.37	-2.96
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	2.55	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.90	9.65	-7.75

Correlation

The correlation between ICSH and BILS 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

ICSH vs. BILS - Dividend Comparison

ICSH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.46%, more than BILS's 3.96% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ICSH iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF	4.46%	4.55%	5.24%	4.78%	1.66%	0.42%	1.21%	2.61%	2.20%	1.36%	0.88%	0.54%
BILS SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF	3.96%	4.08%	5.01%	4.98%	1.61%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ICSH vs. BILS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ICSH drawdown since its inception was -3.94%, which is greater than BILS's maximum drawdown of -0.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ICSH and BILS.

Drawdown Indicators

	ICSH	BILS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.94%	-0.41%	-3.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.10%	-0.03%	-0.07%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-0.73%	-0.40%	-0.33%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-3.94%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.08%	-0.04%	-0.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.02%	0.00%	+0.02%

Volatility

ICSH vs. BILS - Volatility Comparison

iShares Ultra Short Duration Bond Active ETF (ICSH) has a higher volatility of 0.16% compared to SPDR Bloomberg 3-12 Month T-Bill ETF (BILS) at 0.05%. This indicates that ICSH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BILS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ICSH	BILS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.16%	0.05%	+0.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.26%	0.15%	+0.11%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.41%	0.24%	+0.17%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	0.48%	0.31%	+0.17%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.06%	0.30%	+0.76%