PTTRX vs. IEI
PTTRX (PIMCO Total Return Fund Institutional Class) and IEI (iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both funds - PTTRX is a Total Bond Market fund managed by PIMCO, while IEI is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index. Over the past 10 years, PTTRX returned 2.29%/yr vs 1.24%/yr for IEI. Their correlation of 0.82 suggests significant overlap in exposure. PTTRX charges 0.47%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for IEI.
Performance
PTTRX vs. IEI - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PTTRX achieves a 0.64% return, which is significantly higher than IEI's -0.30% return. Over the past 10 years, PTTRX has outperformed IEI with an annualized return of 2.29%, while IEI has yielded a comparatively lower 1.24% annualized return.
PTTRX
- 1D
- 0.69%
- 1M
- 0.88%
- YTD
- 0.64%
- 6M
- 1.49%
- 1Y
- 6.46%
- 3Y*
- 5.45%
- 5Y*
- 0.58%
- 10Y*
- 2.29%
IEI
- 1D
- -0.12%
- 1M
- -0.00%
- YTD
- -0.30%
- 6M
- -0.00%
- 1Y
- 2.97%
- 3Y*
- 3.77%
- 5Y*
- 0.21%
- 10Y*
- 1.24%
PTTRX vs. IEI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PTTRX PIMCO Total Return Fund Institutional Class | 0.64% | 9.35% | 2.62% | 6.33% | -14.72% | -0.59% | 8.88% | 8.36% | -0.24% | 5.13% |
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.30% | 6.96% | 1.81% | 4.42% | -9.51% | -2.54% | 6.95% | 5.71% | 1.36% | 1.22% |
Correlation
The correlation between PTTRX and IEI is 0.87, 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 | 0.87 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.90 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.89 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 11, 2007 | 0.82 |
The correlation between PTTRX and IEI has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.82 to 0.92 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
PTTRX vs. IEI — Risk / Return Rank
PTTRX
IEI
PTTRX vs. IEI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO Total Return Fund Institutional Class (PTTRX) and iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI). 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.
| PTTRX | IEI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.47 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.65 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.17 | +0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.83 | 1.19 | +0.64 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.48 | 3.35 | +2.13 |
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Drawdowns
PTTRX vs. IEI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PTTRX drawdown since its inception was -19.28%, which is greater than IEI's maximum drawdown of -14.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PTTRX and IEI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PTTRX | IEI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.28% | -14.60% | -4.68% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.69% | -2.50% | -1.19% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -6.18% | -3.66% | -2.52% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.28% | -13.88% | -5.40% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -19.28% | -14.60% | -4.68% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.49% | -1.74% | +0.25% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.19% | -2.67% | +0.48% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.23% | 0.89% | +0.34% |
Volatility
PTTRX vs. IEI - Volatility Comparison
PIMCO Total Return Fund Institutional Class (PTTRX) has a higher volatility of 1.77% compared to iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) at 0.98%. This indicates that PTTRX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PTTRX | IEI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.77% | 0.98% | +0.79% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.61% | 2.18% | +1.43% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.63% | 3.00% | +1.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.28% | 4.78% | +1.50% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.23% | 3.93% | +1.30% |
PTTRX vs. IEI - Expense Ratio Comparison
PTTRX has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is higher than IEI's 0.15% expense ratio.
Dividends
PTTRX vs. IEI - Dividend Comparison
PTTRX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.54%, more than IEI's 3.64% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.64% | 3.48% | 3.18% | 2.36% | 1.37% | 0.73% | 1.12% | 2.01% | 1.95% | 1.51% | 1.33% | 1.39% |
PTTRX PIMCO Total Return Fund Institutional Class | 4.54% | 4.47% | 4.61% | 3.81% | 3.63% | 2.59% | 6.11% | 3.96% | 3.13% | 2.63% | 3.02% | 6.64% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PTTRX and IEI have a correlation of 0.87, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PTTRX has higher volatility (1.77%) compared to IEI (0.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PTTRX dropped -19.28% vs IEI's -14.60%.
PTTRX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.47 vs 1.00), 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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