NEAR vs. FLOT
NEAR (iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF) and FLOT (iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - NEAR is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by iShares, while FLOT is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note < 5 Years Index. NEAR is actively managed, while FLOT is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, NEAR returned 2.84%/yr vs 3.04%/yr for FLOT. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. NEAR charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for FLOT.
Performance
NEAR vs. FLOT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, NEAR achieves a 0.63% return, which is significantly lower than FLOT's 2.03% return. Over the past 10 years, NEAR has underperformed FLOT with an annualized return of 2.84%, while FLOT has yielded a comparatively higher 3.04% annualized return.
NEAR
- 1D
- -0.10%
- 1M
- 0.11%
- YTD
- 0.63%
- 6M
- 0.83%
- 1Y
- 3.79%
- 3Y*
- 5.48%
- 5Y*
- 3.84%
- 10Y*
- 2.84%
FLOT
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- 0.33%
- YTD
- 2.03%
- 6M
- 2.19%
- 1Y
- 4.78%
- 3Y*
- 5.60%
- 5Y*
- 4.22%
- 10Y*
- 3.04%
NEAR vs. FLOT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 0.63% | 5.90% | 5.09% | 7.42% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 1.39% | 3.55% | 1.71% | 1.41% |
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 2.03% | 4.91% | 6.53% | 6.43% | 1.28% | 0.45% | 0.87% | 3.97% | 1.48% | 1.65% |
Correlation
The correlation between NEAR and FLOT is 0.16, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.11 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2013 | 0.10 |
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Return for Risk
NEAR vs. FLOT — Risk / Return Rank
NEAR
FLOT
NEAR vs. FLOT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) and iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT). 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.
| NEAR | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -3.67 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -7.35 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.56 | 3.15 | -1.59 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.36 | 11.13 | -7.77 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 15.26 | 103.02 | -87.76 |
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Drawdowns
NEAR vs. FLOT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum NEAR drawdown since its inception was -9.61%, smaller than the maximum FLOT drawdown of -13.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NEAR and FLOT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| NEAR | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.61% | -13.54% | +3.93% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.13% | -0.43% | -0.70% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.16% | -1.57% | +0.41% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -1.32% | -2.36% | +1.04% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -9.61% | -13.54% | +3.93% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.24% | 0.00% | -0.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.16% | -0.21% | +0.05% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.25% | 0.05% | +0.20% |
Volatility
NEAR vs. FLOT - Volatility Comparison
iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) has a higher volatility of 0.48% compared to iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT) at 0.21%. This indicates that NEAR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FLOT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| NEAR | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.48% | 0.21% | +0.27% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.06% | 0.63% | +0.43% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.39% | 0.75% | +0.64% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.35% | 1.78% | -0.43% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.50% | 4.15% | -1.65% |
NEAR vs. FLOT - Expense Ratio Comparison
NEAR has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than FLOT'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
NEAR vs. FLOT - Dividend Comparison
NEAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.44%, less than FLOT's 4.53% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 4.53% | 4.84% | 5.82% | 5.66% | 2.06% | 0.43% | 1.25% | 2.78% | 2.41% | 1.46% | 0.97% | 0.53% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 4.44% | 4.54% | 5.00% | 4.59% | 1.78% | 0.76% | 1.53% | 2.69% | 2.25% | 1.52% | 1.07% | 0.85% |
Frequently Asked Questions
NEAR and FLOT have a correlation of 0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
NEAR has higher volatility (0.48%) compared to FLOT (0.21%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NEAR dropped -9.61% vs FLOT's -13.54%.
On 10-year performance, FLOT leads with 3.04% vs 2.84% for NEAR. On fees, FLOT is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, FLOT has been the lower-risk option at 0.21%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, FLOT has performed better with a 3.04% return vs 2.84%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FLOT is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for NEAR.
FLOT has the higher dividend yield at 4.53%, compared with 4.44% for NEAR.
NEAR is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while FLOT is Ultrashort Bond. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for NEAR and 0.15% for FLOT.
FLOT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.42 vs 2.75), 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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