POWR vs. VGUS
POWR (iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF) and VGUS (Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - POWR is a Utilities Equities fund actively managed by iShares, while VGUS is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg Short Treasury Index. POWR is actively managed, while VGUS is passively managed. Over the past year, POWR returned 28.87% vs 3.95% for VGUS. At a correlation of -0.10, they often move in opposite directions. POWR charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VGUS.
Performance
POWR vs. VGUS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, POWR achieves a 18.53% return, which is significantly higher than VGUS's 1.44% return.
POWR
- 1D
- -0.11%
- 1M
- -0.93%
- YTD
- 18.53%
- 6M
- 15.28%
- 1Y
- 28.87%
- 3Y*
- 12.09%
- 5Y*
- 15.16%
- 10Y*
- 8.66%
VGUS
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- YTD
- 1.44%
- 6M
- 1.76%
- 1Y
- 3.95%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
POWR vs. VGUS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | 18.53% | 4.77% |
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 1.44% | 3.77% |
Correlation
The correlation between POWR and VGUS is -0.11, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.11 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 12, 2025 | -0.10 |
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Return for Risk
POWR vs. VGUS — Risk / Return Rank
POWR
VGUS
POWR vs. VGUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS). 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.
| POWR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -10.35 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -32.75 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.30 | 10.91 | -9.61 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.85 | 54.56 | -49.71 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.19 | 414.20 | -402.01 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| POWR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.74 | 12.10 | -10.35 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.66 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.34 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.19 | 11.72 | -11.54 |
Drawdowns
POWR vs. VGUS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum POWR drawdown since its inception was -65.98%, which is greater than VGUS's maximum drawdown of -0.07%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POWR and VGUS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| POWR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.98% | -0.07% | -65.91% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.98% | -0.07% | -5.91% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -23.14% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.09% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -63.42% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.45% | 0.00% | -1.45% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -18.15% | -0.00% | -18.15% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.38% | 0.01% | +2.37% |
Volatility
POWR vs. VGUS - Volatility Comparison
iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) has a higher volatility of 5.80% compared to Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) at 0.11%. This indicates that POWR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| POWR | VGUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.80% | 0.11% | +5.69% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.35% | 0.18% | +12.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.65% | 0.33% | +16.32% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.08% | 0.34% | +22.74% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 25.62% | 0.34% | +25.28% |
POWR vs. VGUS - Expense Ratio Comparison
POWR has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than VGUS's 0.07% expense ratio.
Dividends
POWR vs. VGUS - Dividend Comparison
POWR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.67%, more than VGUS's 3.61% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF | 6.67% | 7.56% | 4.36% | 4.16% | 4.82% | 3.94% | 3.96% | 5.71% | 3.17% | 3.11% | 2.75% | 3.42% |
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 3.61% | 3.12% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
POWR and VGUS have a correlation of -0.11, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
POWR has higher volatility (5.80%) compared to VGUS (0.11%). In terms of maximum drawdown, POWR dropped -65.98% vs VGUS's -0.07%.
On 1-year performance, POWR leads with 28.87% vs 3.95% for VGUS. On fees, VGUS is cheaper at 0.07% per year. On volatility, VGUS has been the lower-risk option at 0.11%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, POWR has performed better with a 28.87% return vs 3.95%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VGUS is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.40% for POWR.
POWR has the higher dividend yield at 6.67%, compared with 3.61% for VGUS.
POWR is categorized as Utilities Equities, while VGUS is Ultrashort Bond. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.40% for POWR and 0.07% for VGUS.
VGUS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (12.10 vs 1.74), 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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