IEI vs. TFLO
IEI (iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF) and TFLO (iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF) are both Government Bonds funds from iShares - IEI tracks the ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index while TFLO tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IEI returned 1.30%/yr vs 2.36%/yr for TFLO. At a 0.01 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.15% expense ratio.
Performance
IEI vs. TFLO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IEI achieves a -0.33% return, which is significantly lower than TFLO's 1.59% return. Over the past 10 years, IEI has underperformed TFLO with an annualized return of 1.30%, while TFLO has yielded a comparatively higher 2.36% annualized return.
IEI
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- -0.13%
- YTD
- -0.33%
- 6M
- -0.22%
- 1Y
- 2.93%
- 3Y*
- 3.54%
- 5Y*
- 0.25%
- 10Y*
- 1.30%
TFLO
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.29%
- YTD
- 1.59%
- 6M
- 1.92%
- 1Y
- 3.97%
- 3Y*
- 4.74%
- 5Y*
- 3.63%
- 10Y*
- 2.36%
IEI vs. TFLO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.33% | 6.96% | 1.81% | 4.42% | -9.51% | -2.54% | 6.95% | 5.71% | 1.36% | 1.22% |
TFLO iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.59% | 4.22% | 5.34% | 5.12% | 1.99% | -0.02% | 0.43% | 2.04% | 1.76% | 1.01% |
Correlation
The correlation between IEI and TFLO is -0.06, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.06 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.01 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.01 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 5, 2014 | 0.01 |
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Return for Risk
IEI vs. TFLO — Risk / Return Rank
IEI
TFLO
IEI vs. TFLO - 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 Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF (TFLO). 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.
| IEI | TFLO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -13.11 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -49.39 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 13.94 | -12.77 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.18 | 201.22 | -200.04 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.52 | 823.26 | -819.75 |
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
| IEI | TFLO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.98 | 14.09 | -13.11 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.05 | 10.30 | -10.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.33 | 5.20 | -4.86 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.70 | 0.99 | -0.29 |
Drawdowns
IEI vs. TFLO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IEI drawdown since its inception was -14.60%, which is greater than TFLO's maximum drawdown of -5.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEI and TFLO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IEI | TFLO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -14.60% | -5.01% | -9.59% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.50% | -0.02% | -2.48% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -3.66% | -0.04% | -3.62% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -13.88% | -0.13% | -13.75% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -14.60% | -0.16% | -14.44% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.76% | 0.00% | -1.76% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.67% | -0.10% | -2.57% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.84% | 0.00% | +0.84% |
Volatility
IEI vs. TFLO - Volatility Comparison
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) has a higher volatility of 0.91% compared to iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF (TFLO) at 0.07%. This indicates that IEI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than TFLO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IEI | TFLO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.91% | 0.07% | +0.84% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.13% | 0.20% | +1.93% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.04% | 0.28% | +2.76% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 4.77% | 0.35% | +4.42% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.93% | 0.46% | +3.47% |
IEI vs. TFLO - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both IEI and TFLO 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%.
Dividends
IEI vs. TFLO - Dividend Comparison
IEI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.64%, less than TFLO's 3.90% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.64% | 3.48% | 3.18% | 2.36% | 1.37% | 0.73% | 1.12% | 2.01% | 1.95% | 1.51% | 1.33% | 1.39% |
TFLO iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 3.90% | 4.16% | 5.21% | 4.88% | 1.68% | 0.00% | 0.36% | 2.08% | 1.65% | 0.86% | 0.31% | 0.15% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IEI and TFLO have a correlation of -0.06, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IEI has higher volatility (0.91%) compared to TFLO (0.07%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IEI dropped -14.60% vs TFLO's -5.01%.
On 10-year performance, TFLO leads with 2.36% vs 1.30% for IEI. Both ETFs have the same 0.15% expense ratio. On volatility, TFLO has been the lower-risk option at 0.07%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, TFLO has performed better with a 2.36% return vs 1.30%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IEI and TFLO have the same expense ratio: 0.15% per year.
TFLO has the higher dividend yield at 3.90%, compared with 3.64% for IEI.
IEI tracks ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index, while TFLO tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Index.
TFLO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (14.09 vs 0.98), 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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