ISHG vs. AGG
ISHG (iShares 1-3 Year International Treasury Bond ETF) and AGG (iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ISHG is a International Government Bonds fund tracking the S&P/Citigroup International Treasury Bond Index Ex-US 1-3 Year, while AGG is a Total Bond Market fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, ISHG returned -0.23%/yr vs 1.37%/yr for AGG. Their 0.25 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. ISHG charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for AGG.
Performance
ISHG vs. AGG - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ISHG achieves a -0.23% return, which is significantly higher than AGG's -0.56% return. Over the past 10 years, ISHG has underperformed AGG with an annualized return of -0.23%, while AGG has yielded a comparatively higher 1.37% annualized return.
ISHG
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- 0.90%
- 6M
- -1.94%
- YTD
- -0.23%
- 1Y
- 1.49%
- 3Y*
- 3.72%
- 5Y*
- -0.71%
- 10Y*
- -0.23%
- ALL TIME*
- -0.59%
AGG
- 1D
- -0.26%
- 1M
- -1.26%
- 6M
- -0.81%
- YTD
- -0.56%
- 1Y
- 1.83%
- 3Y*
- 3.95%
- 5Y*
- -0.40%
- 10Y*
- 1.37%
- ALL TIME*
- 3.02%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $763.20M | $778.44M | $807.34M | |
| $7.12M | $5.44M | $6.31M |
ISHG vs. AGG - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ISHG iShares 1-3 Year International Treasury Bond ETF | -0.23% | 13.31% | -4.16% | 3.76% | -10.95% | -7.05% | 7.47% | -0.64% | -3.54% | 10.91% |
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | -0.56% | 7.19% | 1.31% | 5.65% | -13.02% | -1.77% | 7.48% | 8.46% | 0.09% | 3.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between ISHG and AGG is 0.54, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.54 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.47 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.45 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.35 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 28, 2009 | 0.25 |
Over the past year, ISHG and AGG have become more correlated (0.54) than their long-term average of 0.25, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
ISHG vs. AGG — Risk / Return Rank
ISHG
AGG
ISHG vs. AGG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 1-3 Year International Treasury Bond ETF (ISHG) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG). 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.
| ISHG | AGG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.20 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.24 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 1.12 | -0.03 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.65 | 0.99 | -0.33 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.33 | 2.49 | -1.16 |
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Drawdowns
ISHG vs. AGG - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ISHG drawdown since its inception was -37.24%, which is greater than AGG's maximum drawdown of -18.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ISHG and AGG.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ISHG | AGG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -37.24% | -18.43% | -18.81% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.02% | -2.76% | -2.26% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -8.21% | -4.98% | -3.23% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.16% | -17.82% | -4.34% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -25.56% | -18.43% | -7.13% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.40% | -2.94% | -19.46% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -18.47% | -2.70% | -15.77% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.45% | 1.09% | +1.36% |
Volatility
ISHG vs. AGG - Volatility Comparison
iShares 1-3 Year International Treasury Bond ETF (ISHG) has a higher volatility of 1.56% compared to iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) at 1.03%. This indicates that ISHG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AGG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ISHG | AGG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.56% | 1.03% | +0.53% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.74% | 2.98% | +1.76% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.36% | 3.78% | +2.58% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.60% | 6.10% | +1.50% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.90% | 5.41% | +1.49% |
ISHG vs. AGG - Expense Ratio Comparison
ISHG has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than AGG's 0.03% expense ratio.
Dividends
ISHG vs. AGG - Dividend Comparison
ISHG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.46%, less than AGG's 4.05% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 3.71% | 3.89% | 3.74% | 3.13% | 2.39% | 1.77% | 2.14% | 2.70% | 2.72% | 2.32% | 2.39% | 2.45% |
ISHG iShares 1-3 Year International Treasury Bond ETF | 1.46% | 1.45% | 2.56% | 0.18% | 0.00% | 1.29% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.80% | 0.46% | 0.00% | 0.09% |
Frequently Asked Questions
ISHG and AGG have a correlation of 0.54, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
ISHG has higher volatility (1.56%) compared to AGG (1.03%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ISHG dropped -37.24% vs AGG's -18.43%.
On 10-year performance, AGG leads with 1.37% vs -0.23% for ISHG. On fees, AGG is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, AGG has been the lower-risk option at 1.03%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, AGG has performed better with a 1.37% return vs -0.23%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
AGG is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for ISHG.
AGG has the higher dividend yield at 3.71%, compared with 1.46% for ISHG.
ISHG is categorized as International Government Bonds, while AGG is Total Bond Market. ISHG tracks S&P/Citigroup International Treasury Bond Index Ex-US 1-3 Year, while AGG tracks Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for ISHG and 0.03% for AGG.
AGG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.72 vs 0.52), 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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