SCHJ vs. SCHO

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

SCHJ (Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF) and SCHO (Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SCHJ is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg US Corporate (1-5 Y), while SCHO is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SCHJ returned 2.35%/yr vs 1.81%/yr for SCHO. A 0.75 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. SCHJ charges 0.05%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SCHO.

Performance

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHJ) and Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SCHJ achieves a 0.64% return, which is significantly higher than SCHO's 0.46% return.

SCHJ

• 1D: -0.04%
• 1M: 0.09%
• YTD: 0.64%
• 6M: 1.06%
• 1Y: 4.58%
• 3Y*: 5.52%
• 5Y*: 2.35%
• 10Y*: —

SCHO

• 1D: -0.04%
• 1M: -0.02%
• YTD: 0.46%
• 6M: 0.82%
• 1Y: 3.47%
• 3Y*: 4.17%
• 5Y*: 1.81%
• 10Y*: 1.72%

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

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
SCHJ Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF	0.64%	6.80%	4.89%	6.36%	-5.73%	-0.67%	5.30%	0.61%
SCHO Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF	0.46%	5.49%	3.65%	4.31%	-3.87%	-0.64%	3.11%	0.28%

Correlation

The correlation between SCHJ and SCHO is 0.81, 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	0.81
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.83
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.82
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 11, 2019	0.75

The correlation between SCHJ and SCHO has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.75 to 0.83 - a consistent structural relationship.

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	SCHJ	SCHO
Financial Services	30.8%	0.2%
Technology	8.3%	1.1%
Healthcare	7.9%	-
Industrials	7.2%	-
Consumer Cyclical	6.8%	-
Utilities	6.4%	-
Consumer Defensive	4.6%	-
Communication Services	4.3%	1.1%
Real Estate	4.1%	-
Energy	4.0%	-
Basic Materials	1.4%	-

Return for Risk

SCHJ vs. SCHO — Risk / Return Rank

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

SCHJ

SCHJ Risk / Return Rank: 74
SCHJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
SCHJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
SCHJ Omega Ratio Rank: 80
SCHJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
SCHJ Martin Ratio Rank: 66

SCHO

SCHO Risk / Return Rank: 82
SCHO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
SCHO Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
SCHO Omega Ratio Rank: 84
SCHO Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
SCHO Martin Ratio Rank: 83

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.

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHJ) and Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO). 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.

	SCHJ	SCHO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.46	2.55	-0.09
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.84	4.17	-0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.49	1.52	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.11	3.93	-0.83
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.34	17.00	-4.66
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SCHJ Sharpe Ratio is 2.46, which is comparable to the SCHO Sharpe Ratio of 2.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SCHJ and SCHO, 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

	SCHJ	SCHO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.46	2.55	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	0.92	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	1.11	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.64	1.00	-0.35

Drawdowns

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SCHJ drawdown since its inception was -13.62%, which is greater than SCHO's maximum drawdown of -5.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCHJ and SCHO.

Drawdown Indicators

	SCHJ	SCHO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.62%	-5.69%	-7.93%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.47%	-0.86%	-0.61%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-1.47%	-0.98%	-0.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-9.43%	-5.69%	-3.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-5.69%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.37%	-0.23%	-0.14%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.89%	-0.61%	-1.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.37%	0.20%	+0.17%

Volatility

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Volatility Comparison

Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHJ) has a higher volatility of 0.56% compared to Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO) at 0.43%. This indicates that SCHJ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SCHO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SCHJ	SCHO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.56%	0.43%	+0.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.36%	0.90%	+0.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.87%	1.37%	+0.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.94%	1.98%	+0.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.13%	1.56%	+2.57%

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Expense Ratio Comparison

SCHJ has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHO's 0.03% 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

SCHJ vs. SCHO - Dividend Comparison

SCHJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.50%, more than SCHO's 3.91% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SCHJ Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF	4.50%	4.42%	4.00%	2.98%	1.64%	0.94%	2.54%	0.42%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SCHO Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF	3.91%	4.06%	4.29%	3.76%	1.34%	0.41%	1.27%	2.27%	1.60%	1.12%	0.82%	0.68%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SCHJ and SCHO in my portfolio?

SCHJ and SCHO have a correlation of 0.81, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SCHJ or SCHO?

SCHJ has higher volatility (0.56%) compared to SCHO (0.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SCHJ dropped -13.62% vs SCHO's -5.69%.

Which ETF is better, SCHJ or SCHO?

On 5-year performance, SCHJ leads with 2.35% vs 1.81% for SCHO. On fees, SCHO is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SCHO has been the lower-risk option at 0.43%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, SCHJ or SCHO?

Over the 5-year period, SCHJ has performed better with a 2.35% return vs 1.81%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, SCHJ or SCHO?

SCHO is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.05% for SCHJ.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, SCHJ or SCHO?

SCHJ has the higher dividend yield at 4.50%, compared with 3.91% for SCHO.

What is the main difference between SCHJ and SCHO?

SCHJ is categorized as Corporate Bonds, while SCHO is Government Bonds. SCHJ tracks Bloomberg US Corporate (1-5 Y), while SCHO tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Their fees differ too: 0.05% for SCHJ and 0.03% for SCHO.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SCHO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.55 vs 2.46), 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.