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ISTB vs. SPTS
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ISTB vs. SPTS

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ISTB (iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF) and SPTS (SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ISTB is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD), while SPTS is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, ISTB returned 2.27%/yr vs 1.67%/yr for SPTS. A 0.59 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. ISTB charges 0.06%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SPTS.

Performance

ISTB vs. SPTS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ISTB achieves a 0.49% return, which is significantly higher than SPTS's 0.45% return. Over the past 10 years, ISTB has outperformed SPTS with an annualized return of 2.27%, while SPTS has yielded a comparatively lower 1.67% annualized return.

ISTB

1D
-0.08%
1M
0.15%
YTD
0.49%
6M
0.71%
1Y
4.19%
3Y*
4.95%
5Y*
1.85%
10Y*
2.27%

SPTS

1D
-0.07%
1M
0.05%
YTD
0.45%
6M
0.77%
1Y
3.45%
3Y*
4.18%
5Y*
1.81%
10Y*
1.67%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ISTB vs. SPTS - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
ISTB
iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF		0.49%6.36%4.37%5.56%-6.08%-0.71%4.75%5.61%1.02%1.72%
SPTS
SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF		0.45%5.05%4.20%4.27%-3.86%-0.72%3.23%3.56%1.08%0.59%

Correlation

The correlation between ISTB and SPTS is 0.89, 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

0.89

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.87

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.87

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.72

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 25, 2012

0.59

Over the past year, ISTB and SPTS have become more correlated (0.89) than their long-term average of 0.59, meaning their price movements have been converging.

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iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF

SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF

Often compared with ISTB:
ISTB vs. BSVISTB vs. AGGISTB vs. FUMBXISTB vs. IMTBISTB vs. SHYISTB vs. IAGGISTB vs. FIBR
Often compared with SPTS:
SPTS vs. SGOVSPTS vs. BILSPTS vs. VGSHSPTS vs. SCHOSPTS vs. SHYSPTS vs. SPTISPTS vs. BSV

Return for Risk

ISTB vs. SPTS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
ISTB
ISTB Risk / Return Rank: 7373
Overall Rank
ISTB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7171
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ISTB Sortino Ratio Rank: 8181
Sortino Ratio Rank
ISTB Omega Ratio Rank: 7777
Omega Ratio Rank
ISTB Calmar Ratio Rank: 6767
Calmar Ratio Rank
ISTB Martin Ratio Rank: 6868
Martin Ratio Rank
SPTS
SPTS Risk / Return Rank: 8484
Overall Rank
SPTS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7979
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPTS Sortino Ratio Rank: 9191
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPTS Omega Ratio Rank: 8787
Omega Ratio Rank
SPTS Calmar Ratio Rank: 7979
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPTS Martin Ratio Rank: 8282
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.

ISTB vs. SPTS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS). 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.

ISTBSPTSDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.37
2.63

-0.26

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.69
4.47

-0.77

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.46

1.55

-0.09

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.34

4.13

-0.78

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

12.72

16.52

-3.81

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

ISTB vs. SPTS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ISTB Sharpe Ratio is 2.37, which is comparable to the SPTS Sharpe Ratio of 2.63. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ISTB and SPTS, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

ISTBSPTSDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.37

2.63

-0.26

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.67

0.92

-0.25

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.91

0.98

-0.07

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.84

0.49

+0.35

Drawdowns

ISTB vs. SPTS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ISTB drawdown since its inception was -9.34%, which is greater than SPTS's maximum drawdown of -5.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ISTB and SPTS.

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Drawdown Indicators

ISTBSPTSDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-9.34%

-5.83%

-3.51%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-1.26%

-0.84%

-0.42%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-1.36%

-0.96%

-0.40%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-9.34%

-5.71%

-3.63%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-9.34%

-5.71%

-3.63%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.42%

-0.28%

-0.14%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-1.22%

-1.72%

+0.50%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

0.33%

0.21%

+0.12%

Volatility

ISTB vs. SPTS - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) has a higher volatility of 0.54% compared to SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS) at 0.34%. This indicates that ISTB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPTS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ISTBSPTSDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

0.54%

0.34%

+0.20%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

1.28%

0.86%

+0.42%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.77%

1.32%

+0.45%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

2.79%

1.98%

+0.81%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

2.51%

1.72%

+0.79%

ISTB vs. SPTS - Expense Ratio Comparison

ISTB has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is higher than SPTS's 0.03% 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

ISTB vs. SPTS - Dividend Comparison

ISTB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.25%, more than SPTS's 3.91% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
ISTB
iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF		4.25%4.12%3.83%2.97%2.01%1.69%2.20%2.75%2.57%2.06%1.90%1.58%
SPTS
SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF		3.91%3.99%4.25%3.61%1.27%0.19%0.70%2.21%2.04%1.20%0.95%0.83%

Frequently Asked Questions

ISTB and SPTS have a correlation of 0.89, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

ISTB has higher volatility (0.54%) compared to SPTS (0.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ISTB dropped -9.34% vs SPTS's -5.83%.

On 10-year performance, ISTB leads with 2.27% vs 1.67% for SPTS. On fees, SPTS is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SPTS has been the lower-risk option at 0.34%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, ISTB has performed better with a 2.27% return vs 1.67%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SPTS is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.06% for ISTB.

ISTB has the higher dividend yield at 4.25%, compared with 3.91% for SPTS.

ISTB is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while SPTS is Government Bonds. ISTB tracks BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD), while SPTS tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.06% for ISTB and 0.03% for SPTS.

SPTS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.63 vs 2.37), 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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