PortfoliosLab logoPortfoliosLab logo

Documentation

Upgrade your plan
IEI vs. IEF
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

IEI vs. IEF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF).

IEI and IEF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IEI is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Index. It was launched on Jan 11, 2007. IEF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Index. It was launched on Jul 26, 2002. Both IEI and IEF 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

IEI vs. IEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Loading graphics...

IEI vs. IEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
IEI
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF		-0.05%6.96%1.81%4.42%-9.51%-2.54%6.95%5.71%1.36%1.22%
IEF
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF		-0.14%8.03%-0.63%3.64%-15.15%-3.33%10.01%8.03%0.99%2.55%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IEI achieves a -0.05% return, which is significantly higher than IEF's -0.14% return. Over the past 10 years, IEI has outperformed IEF with an annualized return of 1.35%, while IEF has yielded a comparatively lower 0.78% annualized return.

IEI

1D
0.14%
1M
-1.49%
YTD
-0.05%
6M
1.02%
1Y
4.01%
3Y*
3.43%
5Y*
0.47%
10Y*
1.35%

IEF

1D
0.18%
1M
-2.32%
YTD
-0.14%
6M
0.79%
1Y
3.95%
3Y*
2.25%
5Y*
-0.76%
10Y*
0.78%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF

iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF

Often compared with IEI:
IEI vs. VGITIEI vs. TLTIEI vs. BNDIEI vs. TLHIEI vs. IMTBIEI vs. TIPIEI vs. BSV
Often compared with IEF:
IEF vs. TLTIEF vs. VGITIEF vs. LQDIEF vs. SHYIEF vs. BNDIEF vs. TIPIEF vs. GOVT

IEI vs. IEF - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both IEI and IEF have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

IEI
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF
IEF
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF

Return for Risk

IEI vs. IEF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
IEI
IEI Risk / Return Rank: 6868
Overall Rank
IEI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6969
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IEI Sortino Ratio Rank: 7373
Sortino Ratio Rank
IEI Omega Ratio Rank: 6060
Omega Ratio Rank
IEI Calmar Ratio Rank: 7575
Calmar Ratio Rank
IEI Martin Ratio Rank: 6565
Martin Ratio Rank
IEF
IEF Risk / Return Rank: 4343
Overall Rank
IEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4343
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 4242
Sortino Ratio Rank
IEF Omega Ratio Rank: 3434
Omega Ratio Rank
IEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 5757
Calmar Ratio Rank
IEF Martin Ratio Rank: 3838
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

IEI vs. IEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF). 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.

IEIIEFDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

1.17

0.74

+0.43

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

1.76

1.09

+0.66

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.21

1.13

+0.08

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

1.88

1.32

+0.56

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

6.05

3.31

+2.73

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IEI vs. IEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IEI Sharpe Ratio is 1.17, which is higher than the IEF Sharpe Ratio of 0.74. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IEI and IEF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Loading graphics...

Sharpe Ratios by Period

IEIIEFDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.17

0.74

+0.43

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.10

-0.10

+0.20

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.35

0.12

+0.23

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.71

0.51

+0.20

Correlation

The correlation between IEI and IEF is 0.95, 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

IEI vs. IEF - Dividend Comparison

IEI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.55%, less than IEF's 3.82% yield.

TTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
IEI
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF		3.55%3.48%3.18%2.36%1.37%0.73%1.12%2.01%1.95%1.51%1.33%1.39%
IEF
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF		3.82%3.77%3.62%2.91%1.96%0.83%1.08%2.08%2.24%1.82%1.81%1.90%

Drawdowns

IEI vs. IEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IEI drawdown since its inception was -14.60%, smaller than the maximum IEF drawdown of -23.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEI and IEF.

Loading graphics...

Drawdown Indicators

IEIIEFDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-14.60%

-23.93%

+9.33%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-2.20%

-3.22%

+1.02%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-13.88%

-21.40%

+7.52%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-14.60%

-23.93%

+9.33%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-1.49%

-10.88%

+9.39%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-2.68%

-5.30%

+2.62%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

0.68%

1.28%

-0.60%

Volatility

IEI vs. IEF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) is 1.25%, while iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) has a volatility of 1.91%. This indicates that IEI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Loading graphics...

Volatility by Period

IEIIEFDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

1.25%

1.91%

-0.66%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

2.06%

3.22%

-1.16%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

3.44%

5.35%

-1.91%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

4.75%

7.70%

-2.95%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

3.93%

6.63%

-2.70%