NEAR vs. IEF
NEAR (iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF) and IEF (iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - NEAR is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by iShares, while IEF is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index. NEAR is actively managed, while IEF is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, NEAR returned 2.85%/yr vs 0.59%/yr for IEF. At a 0.36 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. NEAR charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for IEF.
Performance
NEAR vs. IEF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, NEAR achieves a 0.79% return, which is significantly higher than IEF's -0.47% return. Over the past 10 years, NEAR has outperformed IEF with an annualized return of 2.85%, while IEF has yielded a comparatively lower 0.59% annualized return.
NEAR
- 1D
- -0.03%
- 1M
- 0.35%
- YTD
- 0.79%
- 6M
- 1.16%
- 1Y
- 4.12%
- 3Y*
- 5.61%
- 5Y*
- 3.87%
- 10Y*
- 2.85%
IEF
- 1D
- -0.17%
- 1M
- 1.05%
- YTD
- -0.47%
- 6M
- -0.18%
- 1Y
- 3.78%
- 3Y*
- 2.86%
- 5Y*
- -1.24%
- 10Y*
- 0.59%
NEAR vs. IEF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 0.79% | 5.90% | 5.09% | 7.42% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 1.39% | 3.55% | 1.71% | 1.41% |
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.47% | 8.03% | -0.63% | 3.64% | -15.15% | -3.33% | 10.01% | 8.03% | 0.99% | 2.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between NEAR and IEF is 0.82, 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 | 0.82 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.73 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.62 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.43 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2013 | 0.36 |
Over the past year, NEAR and IEF have become more correlated (0.82) than their long-term average of 0.36, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
NEAR vs. IEF — Risk / Return Rank
NEAR
IEF
NEAR vs. IEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF). 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 | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +2.27 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +3.61 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.62 | 1.12 | +0.49 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.59 | 0.84 | +2.75 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.36 | 2.35 | +14.02 |
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Drawdowns
NEAR vs. IEF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum NEAR drawdown since its inception was -9.61%, smaller than the maximum IEF drawdown of -23.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NEAR and IEF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| NEAR | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.61% | -23.93% | +14.32% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.13% | -4.07% | +2.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.16% | -7.74% | +6.58% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -1.32% | -21.40% | +20.08% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -9.61% | -23.93% | +14.32% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.03% | -11.18% | +11.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.16% | -5.35% | +5.19% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.25% | 1.45% | -1.20% |
Volatility
NEAR vs. IEF - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) is 0.44%, while iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) has a volatility of 1.62%. This indicates that NEAR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| NEAR | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.44% | 1.62% | -1.18% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.02% | 3.42% | -2.40% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.36% | 4.72% | -3.36% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.34% | 7.71% | -6.37% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.50% | 6.63% | -4.13% |
NEAR vs. IEF - Expense Ratio Comparison
NEAR has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than IEF'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. IEF - Dividend Comparison
NEAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.43%, more than IEF's 3.89% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.89% | 3.77% | 3.62% | 2.91% | 1.96% | 0.83% | 1.08% | 2.08% | 2.24% | 1.82% | 1.81% | 1.90% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 4.43% | 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 IEF have a correlation of 0.82, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IEF has higher volatility (1.62%) compared to NEAR (0.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NEAR dropped -9.61% vs IEF's -23.93%.
On 10-year performance, NEAR leads with 2.85% vs 0.59% for IEF. On fees, IEF is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, NEAR has been the lower-risk option at 0.44%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, NEAR has performed better with a 2.85% return vs 0.59%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IEF is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for NEAR.
NEAR has the higher dividend yield at 4.43%, compared with 3.89% for IEF.
NEAR is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while IEF is Government Bonds. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for NEAR and 0.15% for IEF.
NEAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.99 vs 0.72), 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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