SHY vs. SPTS

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

SHY (iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF) and SPTS (SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF) are both Government Bonds funds - SHY tracks the ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index while SPTS tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SHY returned 1.65%/yr vs 1.67%/yr for SPTS. A 0.71 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. SHY charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SPTS.

Performance

SHY vs. SPTS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with SHY having a 0.43% return and SPTS slightly higher at 0.45%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SHY having a 1.65% annualized return and SPTS not far ahead at 1.67%.

SHY

• 1D: -0.05%
• 1M: 0.08%
• YTD: 0.43%
• 6M: 0.69%
• 1Y: 3.32%
• 3Y*: 4.03%
• 5Y*: 1.71%
• 10Y*: 1.65%

SPTS

• 1D: -0.07%
• 1M: 0.05%
• YTD: 0.45%
• 6M: 0.77%
• 1Y: 3.45%
• 3Y*: 4.18%
• 5Y*: 1.81%
• 10Y*: 1.67%

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

SHY vs. SPTS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF	0.43%	4.95%	3.92%	4.16%	-3.88%	-0.71%	3.03%	3.38%	1.46%	0.26%
SPTS SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF	0.45%	5.05%	4.20%	4.27%	-3.86%	-0.72%	3.23%	3.56%	1.08%	0.59%

Correlation

The correlation between SHY and SPTS is 0.90, 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	0.90
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.90
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.92
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.83
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 2, 2011	0.71

The correlation between SHY and SPTS shifts across timeframes, from 0.71 (all time) to 0.92 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

SHY vs. SPTS — Risk / Return Rank

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

SHY

SHY Risk / Return Rank: 79
SHY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
SHY Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
SHY Omega Ratio Rank: 82
SHY Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
SHY Martin Ratio Rank: 77

SPTS

SPTS Risk / Return Rank: 84
SPTS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
SPTS Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
SPTS Omega Ratio Rank: 87
SPTS Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
SPTS Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

SHY vs. SPTS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS). 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.

	SHY	SPTS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.49	2.63	-0.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.10	4.47	-0.36
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.51	1.55	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.75	4.13	-0.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	15.21	16.52	-1.32
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SHY vs. SPTS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SHY Sharpe Ratio is 2.49, which is comparable to the SPTS Sharpe Ratio of 2.63. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SHY and SPTS, 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

	SHY	SPTS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.49	2.63	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.87	0.92	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.06	0.98	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.28	0.49	+0.79

Drawdowns

SHY vs. SPTS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SHY drawdown since its inception was -5.71%, roughly equal to the maximum SPTS drawdown of -5.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHY and SPTS.

Drawdown Indicators

	SHY	SPTS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-5.71%	-5.83%	+0.12%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.89%	-0.84%	-0.05%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-0.97%	-0.96%	-0.01%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-5.71%	-5.71%	0.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-5.71%	-5.71%	0.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.31%	-0.28%	-0.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.52%	-1.72%	+1.20%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.22%	0.21%	+0.01%

Volatility

SHY vs. SPTS - Volatility Comparison

iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS) have volatilities of 0.35% and 0.34%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SHY	SPTS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.35%	0.34%	+0.01%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.92%	0.86%	+0.06%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.34%	1.32%	+0.02%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.98%	1.98%	0.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.57%	1.72%	-0.15%

SHY vs. SPTS - Expense Ratio Comparison

SHY has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than SPTS'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

SHY vs. SPTS - Dividend Comparison

SHY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.68%, less than SPTS's 3.91% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
SPTS SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF	3.91%	3.99%	4.25%	3.61%	1.27%	0.19%	0.70%	2.21%	2.04%	1.20%	0.95%	0.83%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SHY and SPTS in my portfolio?

SHY and SPTS have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SHY or SPTS?

SHY has higher volatility (0.35%) compared to SPTS (0.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SHY dropped -5.71% vs SPTS's -5.83%.

Which ETF is better, SHY or SPTS?

On 10-year performance, SPTS leads with 1.67% vs 1.65% for SHY. On fees, SPTS is cheaper at 0.03% per year. Their volatility is very similar. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, SHY or SPTS?

Over the 10-year period, SPTS has performed better with a 1.67% return vs 1.65%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, SHY or SPTS?

SPTS is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for SHY.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, SHY or SPTS?

SPTS has the higher dividend yield at 3.91%, compared with 3.68% for SHY.

What is the main difference between SHY and SPTS?

SHY tracks ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index, while SPTS tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for SHY and 0.03% for SPTS.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPTS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.63 vs 2.49), 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.