LIEN vs. BSV

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

LIEN (Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc) is a stock, while BSV (Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares) is Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. Over the past 3 years, LIEN returned 20.11%/yr vs 4.41%/yr for BSV. At a 0.01 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

LIEN vs. BSV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc (LIEN) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LIEN achieves a -1.41% return, which is significantly lower than BSV's 0.29% return.

LIEN

• 1D: -0.30%
• 1M: 5.25%
• YTD: -1.41%
• 6M: -2.27%
• 1Y: 7.76%
• 3Y*: 20.11%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BSV

• 1D: -0.08%
• 1M: 0.06%
• YTD: 0.29%
• 6M: 0.52%
• 1Y: 3.68%
• 3Y*: 4.41%
• 5Y*: 1.62%
• 10Y*: 1.95%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

LIEN vs. BSV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
LIEN Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc	-1.41%	-3.99%	58.63%	-1.09%	-30.00%
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares	0.29%	6.00%	3.78%	4.90%	-4.14%

Correlation

The correlation between LIEN and BSV is 0.10, 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	0.10
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.01
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 7, 2022	0.01

Return for Risk

LIEN vs. BSV — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

LIEN

LIEN Risk / Return Rank: 50
LIEN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
LIEN Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
LIEN Omega Ratio Rank: 45
LIEN Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
LIEN Martin Ratio Rank: 54

BSV

BSV Risk / Return Rank: 61
BSV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
BSV Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
BSV Omega Ratio Rank: 63
BSV Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
BSV Martin Ratio Rank: 57

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.

LIEN vs. BSV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc (LIEN) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV). 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.

	LIEN	BSV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.28	2.05	-1.76
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.62	3.29	-2.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.08	1.39	-0.31
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.54	2.87	-2.33
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.19	10.07	-8.88
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LIEN vs. BSV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LIEN Sharpe Ratio is 0.28, which is lower than the BSV Sharpe Ratio of 2.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LIEN and BSV, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LIEN	BSV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.28	2.05	-1.76
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.60	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.83	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.02	0.85	-0.83

Drawdowns

LIEN vs. BSV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LIEN drawdown since its inception was -46.91%, which is greater than BSV's maximum drawdown of -8.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LIEN and BSV.

Drawdown Indicators

	LIEN	BSV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.91%	-8.54%	-38.37%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.35%	-1.29%	-13.06%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-22.49%	-1.53%	-20.96%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-8.54%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-8.54%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.54%	-0.63%	-9.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.21%	-0.97%	-19.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.53%	0.37%	+6.16%

Volatility

LIEN vs. BSV - Volatility Comparison

Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc (LIEN) has a higher volatility of 9.96% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) at 0.52%. This indicates that LIEN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BSV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LIEN	BSV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.96%	0.52%	+9.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.47%	1.26%	+16.21%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.55%	1.81%	+25.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	39.44%	2.72%	+36.72%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	39.44%	2.37%	+37.07%

Dividends

LIEN vs. BSV - Dividend Comparison

LIEN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.85%, more than BSV's 4.00% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares	4.00%	3.83%	3.38%	2.46%	1.50%	1.45%	1.79%	2.29%	1.99%	1.65%	1.48%	1.40%
LIEN Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc	13.85%	13.17%	8.95%	15.76%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LIEN and BSV in my portfolio?

LIEN and BSV have a correlation of 0.10, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, LIEN or BSV?

LIEN has higher volatility (9.96%) compared to BSV (0.52%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LIEN dropped -46.91% vs BSV's -8.54%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BSV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.05 vs 0.28), 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.