IJT vs. LQD
IJT (iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF) and LQD (iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IJT is a Small Cap Growth Equities fund tracking the S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index, while LQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IJT returned 11.15%/yr vs 2.53%/yr for LQD. At a 0.03 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IJT charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for LQD.
Performance
IJT vs. LQD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IJT achieves a 18.94% return, which is significantly higher than LQD's 0.88% return. Over the past 10 years, IJT has outperformed LQD with an annualized return of 11.15%, while LQD has yielded a comparatively lower 2.53% annualized return.
IJT
- 1D
- 3.09%
- 1M
- 4.14%
- YTD
- 18.94%
- 6M
- 14.08%
- 1Y
- 28.20%
- 3Y*
- 14.83%
- 5Y*
- 5.86%
- 10Y*
- 11.15%
LQD
- 1D
- 0.85%
- 1M
- 0.86%
- YTD
- 0.88%
- 6M
- 0.69%
- 1Y
- 5.82%
- 3Y*
- 5.17%
- 5Y*
- -0.20%
- 10Y*
- 2.53%
IJT vs. LQD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IJT iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF | 18.94% | 5.26% | 9.33% | 17.11% | -21.32% | 22.37% | 19.22% | 20.98% | -4.40% | 14.47% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.88% | 7.90% | 0.86% | 9.40% | -17.92% | -1.84% | 10.97% | 17.37% | -3.79% | 7.06% |
Correlation
The correlation between IJT and LQD is 0.46, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.46 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.36 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.31 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 26, 2002 | 0.03 |
Over the past year, IJT and LQD have become more correlated (0.46) than their long-term average of 0.03, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
IJT vs. LQD — Risk / Return Rank
IJT
LQD
IJT vs. LQD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF (IJT) and iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD). 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.
| IJT | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.49 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.74 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.19 | +0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.12 | 1.75 | +1.37 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.87 | 4.92 | +5.95 |
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Drawdowns
IJT vs. LQD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IJT drawdown since its inception was -57.61%, which is greater than LQD's maximum drawdown of -24.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IJT and LQD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IJT | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -57.61% | -24.95% | -32.66% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.08% | -3.34% | -5.74% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -27.41% | -8.43% | -18.98% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.24% | -24.95% | -4.29% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.03% | -24.95% | -17.08% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -3.31% | +3.31% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.30% | -3.99% | -6.31% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.61% | 1.19% | +1.42% |
Volatility
IJT vs. LQD - Volatility Comparison
iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF (IJT) has a higher volatility of 5.59% compared to iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) at 1.77%. This indicates that IJT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LQD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IJT | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.59% | 1.77% | +3.82% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.01% | 4.04% | +8.97% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.93% | 5.38% | +12.55% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.55% | 8.65% | +12.90% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.05% | 8.69% | +14.36% |
IJT vs. LQD - Expense Ratio Comparison
IJT has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than LQD'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
IJT vs. LQD - Dividend Comparison
IJT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.75%, less than LQD's 4.55% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IJT iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF | 0.75% | 0.91% | 1.06% | 1.02% | 1.08% | 0.63% | 0.68% | 0.92% | 0.92% | 0.86% | 1.03% | 1.14% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.55% | 4.48% | 4.45% | 3.99% | 3.30% | 2.30% | 2.66% | 3.29% | 3.67% | 3.10% | 3.34% | 3.47% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IJT and LQD have a correlation of 0.46, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IJT has higher volatility (5.59%) compared to LQD (1.77%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IJT dropped -57.61% vs LQD's -24.95%.
On 10-year performance, IJT leads with 11.15% vs 2.53% for LQD. On fees, LQD is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, LQD has been the lower-risk option at 1.77%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, IJT has performed better with a 11.15% return vs 2.53%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
LQD is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.18% for IJT.
LQD has the higher dividend yield at 4.55%, compared with 0.75% for IJT.
IJT is categorized as Small Cap Growth Equities, while LQD is Corporate Bonds. IJT tracks S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index, while LQD tracks iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for IJT and 0.15% for LQD.
IJT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.58 vs 1.09), 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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