LDEM vs. SHY
LDEM (iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF) and SHY (iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - LDEM is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the MSCI EM Extended ESG Leaders 5% Issuer Capped Index, while SHY is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, LDEM returned 2.60%/yr vs 1.78%/yr for SHY. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. LDEM charges 0.16%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for SHY.
Performance
LDEM vs. SHY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LDEM achieves a 8.26% return, which is significantly higher than SHY's 0.60% return.
LDEM
- 1D
- 2.52%
- 1M
- 3.00%
- YTD
- 8.26%
- 6M
- 9.66%
- 1Y
- 24.07%
- 3Y*
- 13.85%
- 5Y*
- 2.60%
- 10Y*
- —
SHY
- 1D
- 0.05%
- 1M
- 0.36%
- YTD
- 0.60%
- 6M
- 0.79%
- 1Y
- 3.34%
- 3Y*
- 4.16%
- 5Y*
- 1.78%
- 10Y*
- 1.65%
LDEM vs. SHY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LDEM iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF | 8.26% | 32.49% | 5.87% | 6.49% | -22.46% | -2.03% | 16.30% |
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.60% | 4.95% | 3.92% | 4.16% | -3.88% | -0.71% | 2.57% |
Correlation
The correlation between LDEM and SHY is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 12, 2020 | 0.10 |
The correlation between LDEM and SHY shifts across timeframes, from 0.10 (all time) to 0.24 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
LDEM vs. SHY — Risk / Return Rank
LDEM
SHY
LDEM vs. SHY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM) and iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY). 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.
| LDEM | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.25 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.33 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.52 | -0.27 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.83 | 3.78 | -1.95 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.76 | 15.00 | -9.24 |
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Drawdowns
LDEM vs. SHY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LDEM drawdown since its inception was -40.82%, which is greater than SHY's maximum drawdown of -5.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LDEM and SHY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LDEM | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -40.82% | -5.71% | -35.11% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.21% | -0.89% | -12.32% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.12% | -0.97% | -14.15% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -39.17% | -5.71% | -33.46% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -5.71% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.72% | -0.14% | -2.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -17.30% | -0.52% | -16.78% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.19% | 0.22% | +3.97% |
Volatility
LDEM vs. SHY - Volatility Comparison
iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM) has a higher volatility of 8.65% compared to iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) at 0.40%. This indicates that LDEM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LDEM | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.65% | 0.40% | +8.25% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 15.64% | 0.95% | +14.69% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 18.96% | 1.33% | +17.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 19.34% | 1.99% | +17.35% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.87% | 1.57% | +19.30% |
LDEM vs. SHY - Expense Ratio Comparison
LDEM has a 0.16% expense ratio, which is higher than SHY'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
LDEM vs. SHY - Dividend Comparison
LDEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.83%, more than SHY's 3.68% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LDEM iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF | 3.83% | 3.26% | 2.64% | 3.20% | 4.93% | 1.82% | 1.89% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.68% | 3.81% | 3.92% | 2.99% | 1.30% | 0.26% | 0.94% | 2.12% | 1.72% | 0.98% | 0.71% | 0.54% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LDEM and SHY have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LDEM has higher volatility (8.65%) compared to SHY (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LDEM dropped -40.82% vs SHY's -5.71%.
On 5-year performance, LDEM leads with 2.60% vs 1.78% for SHY. On fees, SHY is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, SHY has been the lower-risk option at 0.40%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, LDEM has performed better with a 2.60% return vs 1.78%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SHY is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.16% for LDEM.
LDEM has the higher dividend yield at 3.83%, compared with 3.68% for SHY.
LDEM is categorized as Emerging Markets Equities, while SHY is Government Bonds. LDEM tracks MSCI EM Extended ESG Leaders 5% Issuer Capped Index, while SHY tracks ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Their fees differ too: 0.16% for LDEM and 0.15% for SHY.
SHY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.53 vs 1.28), 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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