SDSI vs. GSG
SDSI (American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF) and GSG (iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust) are both exchange-traded funds - SDSI is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index, while GSG is a Commodities fund tracking the S&P GSCI Total Return Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, SDSI returned 5.77%/yr vs 19.31%/yr for GSG. At a correlation of -0.09, they often move in opposite directions. SDSI charges 0.33%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for GSG.
Performance
SDSI vs. GSG - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SDSI achieves a 1.22% return, which is significantly lower than GSG's 42.58% return.
SDSI
- 1D
- -0.04%
- 1M
- 0.35%
- YTD
- 1.22%
- 6M
- 1.66%
- 1Y
- 5.27%
- 3Y*
- 5.77%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
GSG
- 1D
- 0.77%
- 1M
- -4.83%
- YTD
- 42.58%
- 6M
- 41.06%
- 1Y
- 51.52%
- 3Y*
- 19.31%
- 5Y*
- 15.74%
- 10Y*
- 7.69%
SDSI vs. GSG - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SDSI American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF | 1.22% | 6.54% | 5.63% | 5.88% | 2.05% |
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 42.58% | 5.93% | 8.52% | -5.51% | -4.71% |
Correlation
The correlation between SDSI and GSG is -0.34, 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 | -0.34 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 14, 2022 | -0.09 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between SDSI and GSG has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.09 to -0.34, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
SDSI vs. GSG — Risk / Return Rank
SDSI
GSG
SDSI vs. GSG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF (SDSI) and iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG). 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.
| SDSI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.99 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.13 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.66 | 1.40 | +0.26 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.53 | 5.47 | -0.95 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 21.22 | 14.39 | +6.83 |
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
| SDSI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.25 | 2.26 | +0.99 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.70 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.35 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 2.60 | -0.09 | +2.68 |
Drawdowns
SDSI vs. GSG - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SDSI drawdown since its inception was -1.29%, smaller than the maximum GSG drawdown of -89.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SDSI and GSG.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SDSI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -1.29% | -89.62% | +88.33% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.17% | -9.46% | +8.29% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.29% | -14.94% | +13.65% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -29.12% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -57.64% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.07% | -56.95% | +56.88% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.24% | -63.71% | +63.47% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.25% | 3.59% | -3.34% |
Volatility
SDSI vs. GSG - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF (SDSI) is 0.41%, while iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) has a volatility of 7.65%. This indicates that SDSI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GSG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SDSI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.41% | 7.65% | -7.24% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.14% | 20.42% | -19.28% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.63% | 22.95% | -21.32% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.28% | 22.61% | -20.33% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.28% | 22.03% | -19.75% |
SDSI vs. GSG - Expense Ratio Comparison
SDSI has a 0.33% expense ratio, which is lower than GSG's 0.75% expense ratio.
Dividends
SDSI vs. GSG - Dividend Comparison
SDSI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.42%, while GSG has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SDSI American Century Short Duration Strategic Income ETF | 4.42% | 4.91% | 5.49% | 5.37% | 0.98% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SDSI and GSG have a correlation of -0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GSG has higher volatility (7.65%) compared to SDSI (0.41%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SDSI dropped -1.29% vs GSG's -89.62%.
On 3-year performance, GSG leads with 19.31% vs 5.77% for SDSI. On fees, SDSI is cheaper at 0.33% per year. On volatility, SDSI has been the lower-risk option at 0.41%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, GSG has performed better with a 19.31% return vs 5.77%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SDSI is cheaper with a 0.33% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for GSG.
SDSI has the higher dividend yield at 4.42%, compared with 0.00% for GSG.
SDSI is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while GSG is Commodities. SDSI tracks Bloomberg U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index, while GSG tracks S&P GSCI Total Return Index. They also come from different issuers: American Century and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.33% for SDSI and 0.75% for GSG.
SDSI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.25 vs 2.26), 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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