IEF vs. NEAR
IEF (iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF) and NEAR (iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IEF is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index, while NEAR is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by iShares. IEF is passively managed, while NEAR is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, IEF returned 0.59%/yr vs 2.85%/yr for NEAR. At a 0.36 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IEF charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for NEAR.
Performance
IEF vs. NEAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IEF achieves a -0.47% return, which is significantly lower than NEAR's 0.79% return. Over the past 10 years, IEF has underperformed NEAR with an annualized return of 0.59%, while NEAR has yielded a comparatively higher 2.85% annualized return.
IEF
- 1D
- -0.17%
- 1M
- 1.05%
- YTD
- -0.47%
- 6M
- -0.18%
- 1Y
- 3.78%
- 3Y*
- 2.86%
- 5Y*
- -1.24%
- 10Y*
- 0.59%
NEAR
- 1D
- -0.03%
- 1M
- 0.35%
- YTD
- 0.79%
- 6M
- 1.16%
- 1Y
- 4.12%
- 3Y*
- 5.61%
- 5Y*
- 3.87%
- 10Y*
- 2.85%
IEF vs. NEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.47% | 8.03% | -0.63% | 3.64% | -15.15% | -3.33% | 10.01% | 8.03% | 0.99% | 2.55% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 0.79% | 5.90% | 5.09% | 7.42% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 1.39% | 3.55% | 1.71% | 1.41% |
Correlation
The correlation between IEF and NEAR is 0.82, 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 | 0.82 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.73 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.62 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.43 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2013 | 0.36 |
Over the past year, IEF and NEAR have become more correlated (0.82) than their long-term average of 0.36, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
IEF vs. NEAR — Risk / Return Rank
IEF
NEAR
IEF vs. NEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) and iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| IEF | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.27 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.61 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.12 | 1.62 | -0.49 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.84 | 3.59 | -2.75 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.35 | 16.36 | -14.02 |
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Drawdowns
IEF vs. NEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IEF drawdown since its inception was -23.93%, which is greater than NEAR's maximum drawdown of -9.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEF and NEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IEF | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -23.93% | -9.61% | -14.32% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.07% | -1.13% | -2.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -7.74% | -1.16% | -6.58% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.40% | -1.32% | -20.08% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -23.93% | -9.61% | -14.32% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -11.18% | -0.03% | -11.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.35% | -0.16% | -5.19% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.45% | 0.25% | +1.20% |
Volatility
IEF vs. NEAR - Volatility Comparison
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) has a higher volatility of 1.62% compared to iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) at 0.44%. This indicates that IEF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IEF | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.62% | 0.44% | +1.18% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.42% | 1.02% | +2.40% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.72% | 1.36% | +3.36% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.71% | 1.34% | +6.37% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.63% | 2.50% | +4.13% |
IEF vs. NEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
IEF has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than NEAR'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%.
Dividends
IEF vs. NEAR - Dividend Comparison
IEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.89%, less than NEAR's 4.43% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.89% | 3.77% | 3.62% | 2.91% | 1.96% | 0.83% | 1.08% | 2.08% | 2.24% | 1.82% | 1.81% | 1.90% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 4.43% | 4.54% | 5.00% | 4.59% | 1.78% | 0.76% | 1.53% | 2.69% | 2.25% | 1.52% | 1.07% | 0.85% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IEF and NEAR have a correlation of 0.82, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IEF has higher volatility (1.62%) compared to NEAR (0.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IEF dropped -23.93% vs NEAR's -9.61%.
On 10-year performance, NEAR leads with 2.85% vs 0.59% for IEF. On fees, IEF is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, NEAR has been the lower-risk option at 0.44%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, NEAR has performed better with a 2.85% return vs 0.59%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IEF is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for NEAR.
NEAR has the higher dividend yield at 4.43%, compared with 3.89% for IEF.
IEF is categorized as Government Bonds, while NEAR is Short-Term Bond. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for IEF and 0.25% for NEAR.
NEAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.99 vs 0.72), 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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