SHYL vs. SHY
SHYL (Xtrackers Short Duration High Yield Bond ETF) and SHY (iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SHYL is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Solactive USD High Yield Corporates Total Market 0-5 Year Index, while SHY is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SHYL returned 4.88%/yr vs 1.74%/yr for SHY. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SHYL charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for SHY.
Performance
SHYL vs. SHY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SHYL achieves a 1.44% return, which is significantly higher than SHY's 0.36% return.
SHYL
- 1D
- -0.10%
- 1M
- 0.45%
- YTD
- 1.44%
- 6M
- 1.62%
- 1Y
- 5.69%
- 3Y*
- 8.46%
- 5Y*
- 4.88%
- 10Y*
- —
SHY
- 1D
- -0.10%
- 1M
- 0.04%
- YTD
- 0.36%
- 6M
- 0.48%
- 1Y
- 2.93%
- 3Y*
- 4.07%
- 5Y*
- 1.74%
- 10Y*
- 1.61%
SHYL vs. SHY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SHYL Xtrackers Short Duration High Yield Bond ETF | 1.44% | 7.78% | 8.52% | 11.39% | -5.21% | 4.60% | 3.64% | 10.16% | -0.67% |
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.36% | 4.95% | 3.92% | 4.16% | -3.88% | -0.71% | 3.03% | 3.38% | 1.59% |
Correlation
The correlation between SHYL and SHY is 0.51, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.51 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.40 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 10, 2018 | 0.21 |
Over the past year, SHYL and SHY have become more correlated (0.51) than their long-term average of 0.21, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
SHYL vs. SHY — Risk / Return Rank
SHYL
SHY
SHYL vs. SHY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Xtrackers Short Duration High Yield Bond ETF (SHYL) and iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY). 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.
| SHYL | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.37 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.68 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.36 | 1.43 | -0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.59 | 3.31 | +0.28 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 14.05 | 12.93 | +1.12 |
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Drawdowns
SHYL vs. SHY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SHYL drawdown since its inception was -19.26%, which is greater than SHY's maximum drawdown of -5.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHYL and SHY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SHYL | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.26% | -5.71% | -13.55% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.59% | -0.89% | -0.70% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -4.73% | -0.97% | -3.76% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.60% | -5.71% | -3.89% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -5.71% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.10% | -0.38% | +0.28% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.53% | -0.52% | -1.01% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.41% | 0.23% | +0.18% |
Volatility
SHYL vs. SHY - Volatility Comparison
Xtrackers Short Duration High Yield Bond ETF (SHYL) has a higher volatility of 0.73% compared to iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) at 0.49%. This indicates that SHYL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SHYL | SHY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.73% | 0.49% | +0.24% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.51% | 1.01% | +1.50% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.22% | 1.37% | +1.85% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 5.84% | 1.99% | +3.85% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.68% | 1.57% | +5.11% |
SHYL vs. SHY - Expense Ratio Comparison
SHYL has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than SHY's 0.15% 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
SHYL vs. SHY - Dividend Comparison
SHYL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.92%, more than SHY's 3.69% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.69% | 3.81% | 3.92% | 2.99% | 1.30% | 0.26% | 0.94% | 2.12% | 1.72% | 0.98% | 0.71% | 0.54% |
SHYL Xtrackers Short Duration High Yield Bond ETF | 6.92% | 7.02% | 7.26% | 6.60% | 5.52% | 4.65% | 6.16% | 5.93% | 5.54% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SHYL and SHY have a correlation of 0.51, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SHYL has higher volatility (0.73%) compared to SHY (0.49%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SHYL dropped -19.26% vs SHY's -5.71%.
On 5-year performance, SHYL leads with 4.88% vs 1.74% for SHY. On fees, SHY is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, SHY has been the lower-risk option at 0.49%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, SHYL has performed better with a 4.88% return vs 1.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SHY is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for SHYL.
SHYL has the higher dividend yield at 6.92%, compared with 3.69% for SHY.
SHYL is categorized as High Yield Bonds, while SHY is Government Bonds. SHYL tracks Solactive USD High Yield Corporates Total Market 0-5 Year Index, while SHY tracks ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year Index. They also come from different issuers: Deutsche Bank and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for SHYL and 0.15% for SHY.
SHY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.14 vs 1.78), 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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