SCUS vs. SGOV
SCUS (Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF) and SGOV (iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF) are both Ultrashort Bond funds. SCUS is actively managed, while SGOV is passively managed. Over the past year, SCUS returned 3.94% vs 3.93% for SGOV. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SCUS charges 0.14%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SGOV.
Performance
SCUS vs. SGOV - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SCUS achieves a 1.49% return, which is significantly lower than SGOV's 1.70% return.
SCUS
- 1D
- -0.06%
- 1M
- 0.18%
- YTD
- 1.49%
- 6M
- 1.61%
- 1Y
- 3.94%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
SGOV
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.27%
- YTD
- 1.70%
- 6M
- 1.80%
- 1Y
- 3.93%
- 3Y*
- 4.68%
- 5Y*
- 3.58%
- 10Y*
- —
SCUS vs. SGOV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
SCUS Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF | 1.49% | 4.51% | 2.00% |
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 1.70% | 4.24% | 1.91% |
Correlation
The correlation between SCUS and SGOV 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 (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 13, 2024 | 0.21 |
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Return for Risk
SCUS vs. SGOV — Risk / Return Rank
SCUS
SGOV
SCUS vs. SGOV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF (SCUS) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV). 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.
| SCUS | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -14.54 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -263.09 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 2.56 | 194.55 | -192.00 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 23.76 | 396.11 | -372.35 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 102.91 | 4,438.60 | -4,335.68 |
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Drawdowns
SCUS vs. SGOV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SCUS drawdown since its inception was -0.17%, which is greater than SGOV's maximum drawdown of -0.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCUS and SGOV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SCUS | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -0.17% | -0.03% | -0.14% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.17% | -0.01% | -0.16% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -0.01% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -0.03% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.08% | 0.00% | -0.08% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.02% | -0.00% | -0.02% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.04% | 0.00% | +0.04% |
Volatility
SCUS vs. SGOV - Volatility Comparison
Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF (SCUS) has a higher volatility of 0.22% compared to iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) at 0.06%. This indicates that SCUS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SGOV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SCUS | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.22% | 0.06% | +0.16% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.50% | 0.13% | +0.37% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.68% | 0.19% | +0.49% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 0.71% | 0.24% | +0.47% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 0.71% | 0.24% | +0.47% |
SCUS vs. SGOV - Expense Ratio Comparison
SCUS has a 0.14% expense ratio, which is higher than SGOV's 0.09% 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
SCUS vs. SGOV - Dividend Comparison
SCUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.91%, more than SGOV's 3.85% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCUS Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF | 3.91% | 4.17% | 1.62% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 3.85% | 4.10% | 5.10% | 4.87% | 1.45% | 0.03% | 0.05% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SCUS and SGOV 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.
SCUS has higher volatility (0.22%) compared to SGOV (0.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SCUS dropped -0.17% vs SGOV's -0.03%.
On 1-year performance, SCUS leads with 3.94% vs 3.93% for SGOV. On fees, SGOV is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SGOV has been the lower-risk option at 0.06%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, SCUS has performed better with a 3.94% return vs 3.93%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SGOV is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.14% for SCUS.
SCUS has the higher dividend yield at 3.91%, compared with 3.85% for SGOV.
They also come from different issuers: Charles Schwab and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.14% for SCUS and 0.09% for SGOV.
SGOV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (20.38 vs 5.84), 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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