SHAG vs. ISTB
SHAG (WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond ETF) and ISTB (iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF) are both Short-Term Bond funds - SHAG tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Short Aggregate Enhanced Yield Index while ISTB tracks the BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD). Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SHAG returned 1.61%/yr vs 1.87%/yr for ISTB. A 0.78 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. SHAG charges 0.12%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for ISTB.
Performance
SHAG vs. ISTB - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SHAG achieves a 0.48% return, which is significantly lower than ISTB's 0.57% return.
SHAG
- 1D
- 0.07%
- 1M
- 0.03%
- YTD
- 0.48%
- 6M
- 0.81%
- 1Y
- 3.73%
- 3Y*
- 4.72%
- 5Y*
- 1.61%
- 10Y*
- —
ISTB
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- 0.17%
- YTD
- 0.57%
- 6M
- 0.92%
- 1Y
- 4.06%
- 3Y*
- 4.96%
- 5Y*
- 1.87%
- 10Y*
- 2.28%
SHAG vs. ISTB - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SHAG WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.48% | 6.27% | 4.30% | 4.61% | -6.37% | -0.91% | 4.70% | 5.79% | 0.80% | -0.11% |
ISTB iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF | 0.57% | 6.36% | 4.37% | 5.56% | -6.08% | -0.71% | 4.75% | 5.61% | 1.02% | -0.25% |
Correlation
The correlation between SHAG and ISTB is 0.94, 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 | 0.94 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 25, 2017 | 0.78 |
The correlation between SHAG and ISTB shifts across timeframes, from 0.78 (all time) to 0.94 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SHAG vs. ISTB — Risk / Return Rank
SHAG
ISTB
SHAG vs. ISTB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond ETF (SHAG) and iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB). 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.
| SHAG | ISTB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.26 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.37 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.45 | -0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.72 | 3.24 | -0.52 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.70 | 12.35 | -2.65 |
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
| SHAG | ISTB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.05 | 2.31 | -0.26 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.59 | 0.67 | -0.09 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.91 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.84 | 0.84 | 0.00 |
Drawdowns
SHAG vs. ISTB - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SHAG drawdown since its inception was -9.62%, roughly equal to the maximum ISTB drawdown of -9.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHAG and ISTB.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SHAG | ISTB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.62% | -9.34% | -0.28% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.38% | -1.26% | -0.12% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.38% | -1.36% | -0.02% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.62% | -9.34% | -0.28% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -9.34% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.54% | -0.34% | -0.20% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.87% | -1.22% | -0.65% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.39% | 0.33% | +0.06% |
Volatility
SHAG vs. ISTB - Volatility Comparison
WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond ETF (SHAG) has a higher volatility of 0.60% compared to iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) at 0.54%. This indicates that SHAG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ISTB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SHAG | ISTB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.60% | 0.54% | +0.06% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.31% | 1.28% | +0.03% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.84% | 1.77% | +0.07% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.75% | 2.79% | -0.04% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.58% | 2.50% | +0.08% |
SHAG vs. ISTB - Expense Ratio Comparison
SHAG has a 0.12% expense ratio, which is higher than ISTB's 0.06% 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
SHAG vs. ISTB - Dividend Comparison
SHAG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.28%, which matches ISTB's 4.25% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ISTB iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF | 4.25% | 4.12% | 3.83% | 2.97% | 2.01% | 1.69% | 2.20% | 2.75% | 2.57% | 2.06% | 1.90% | 1.58% |
SHAG WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond ETF | 4.28% | 4.33% | 4.49% | 3.04% | 1.38% | 0.92% | 2.33% | 2.71% | 2.56% | 0.77% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
With a correlation of 0.94, SHAG and ISTB move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.
SHAG has higher volatility (0.60%) compared to ISTB (0.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SHAG dropped -9.62% vs ISTB's -9.34%.
On 5-year performance, ISTB leads with 1.87% vs 1.61% for SHAG. On fees, ISTB is cheaper at 0.06% per year. Their volatility is very similar. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, ISTB has performed better with a 1.87% return vs 1.61%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
ISTB is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 0.12% for SHAG.
SHAG has the higher dividend yield at 4.28%, compared with 4.25% for ISTB.
SHAG tracks Bloomberg U.S. Short Aggregate Enhanced Yield Index, while ISTB tracks BBG US Universal 1-5 Year Index (USD). They also come from different issuers: WisdomTree and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.12% for SHAG and 0.06% for ISTB.
ISTB currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.31 vs 2.05), 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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