SHY vs. AVUS
SHY (iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF) and AVUS (Avantis U.S. Equity ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SHY is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index, while AVUS is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund actively managed by Avantis. SHY is passively managed, while AVUS is actively managed. Over the past 5 years, SHY returned 1.74%/yr vs 12.87%/yr for AVUS. At a 0.03 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.15% expense ratio.
Performance
SHY vs. AVUS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SHY achieves a 0.55% return, which is significantly lower than AVUS's 13.94% return.
SHY
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- 0.19%
- YTD
- 0.55%
- 6M
- 0.80%
- 1Y
- 3.29%
- 3Y*
- 4.15%
- 5Y*
- 1.74%
- 10Y*
- 1.65%
AVUS
- 1D
- 0.65%
- 1M
- 0.95%
- YTD
- 13.94%
- 6M
- 13.87%
- 1Y
- 31.83%
- 3Y*
- 21.18%
- 5Y*
- 12.87%
- 10Y*
- —
SHY vs. AVUS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.55% | 4.95% | 3.92% | 4.16% | -3.88% | -0.71% | 3.03% | 0.57% |
AVUS Avantis U.S. Equity ETF | 13.94% | 16.68% | 20.43% | 21.77% | -13.82% | 28.73% | 17.58% | 8.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between SHY and AVUS is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2019 | 0.03 |
The correlation between SHY and AVUS shifts across timeframes, from 0.03 (all time) to 0.23 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SHY vs. AVUS — Risk / Return Rank
SHY
AVUS
SHY vs. AVUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) and Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS). 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.
| SHY | AVUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.01 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.71 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.50 | 1.43 | +0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.64 | 3.88 | -0.24 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 14.45 | 17.32 | -2.87 |
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Drawdowns
SHY vs. AVUS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SHY drawdown since its inception was -5.71%, smaller than the maximum AVUS drawdown of -37.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHY and AVUS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SHY | AVUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -5.71% | -37.04% | +31.33% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.89% | -7.85% | +6.96% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -0.97% | -19.74% | +18.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -5.71% | -22.19% | +16.48% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -5.71% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.18% | -0.97% | +0.79% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.52% | -5.08% | +4.56% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.22% | 1.76% | -1.54% |
Volatility
SHY vs. AVUS - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) is 0.40%, while Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS) has a volatility of 4.40%. This indicates that SHY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AVUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SHY | AVUS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.40% | 4.40% | -4.00% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.95% | 9.64% | -8.69% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.33% | 12.60% | -11.27% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.99% | 17.35% | -15.36% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 1.57% | 20.84% | -19.27% |
SHY vs. AVUS - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both SHY and AVUS have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
SHY vs. AVUS - Dividend Comparison
SHY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.68%, more than AVUS's 1.18% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVUS Avantis U.S. Equity ETF | 1.18% | 1.08% | 1.27% | 1.41% | 1.59% | 1.08% | 1.19% | 0.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.68% | 3.81% | 3.92% | 2.99% | 1.30% | 0.26% | 0.94% | 2.12% | 1.72% | 0.98% | 0.71% | 0.54% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SHY and AVUS have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AVUS has higher volatility (4.40%) compared to SHY (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SHY dropped -5.71% vs AVUS's -37.04%.
On 5-year performance, AVUS leads with 12.87% vs 1.74% for SHY. Both ETFs have the same 0.15% expense ratio. On volatility, SHY has been the lower-risk option at 0.40%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, AVUS has performed better with a 12.87% return vs 1.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SHY and AVUS have the same expense ratio: 0.15% per year.
SHY has the higher dividend yield at 3.68%, compared with 1.18% for AVUS.
SHY is categorized as Government Bonds, while AVUS is Large Cap Blend Equities. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Avantis.
SHY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.43 vs 2.42), 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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