SLQD vs. DFAIX
SLQD (iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) and DFAIX (DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio) are both funds - SLQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade 0-5 Index, while DFAIX is a Short-Term Bond fund managed by Dimensional. Over the past 10 years, SLQD returned 2.63%/yr vs 3.28%/yr for DFAIX. At a 0.35 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SLQD charges 0.06%/yr vs 0.22%/yr for DFAIX.
Performance
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SLQD achieves a 0.84% return, which is significantly lower than DFAIX's 2.29% return. Over the past 10 years, SLQD has underperformed DFAIX with an annualized return of 2.63%, while DFAIX has yielded a comparatively higher 3.28% annualized return.
SLQD
- 1D
- -0.10%
- 1M
- 0.22%
- YTD
- 0.84%
- 6M
- 1.04%
- 1Y
- 4.09%
- 3Y*
- 5.38%
- 5Y*
- 2.54%
- 10Y*
- 2.63%
DFAIX
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- 0.09%
- YTD
- 2.29%
- 6M
- 2.38%
- 1Y
- 4.27%
- 3Y*
- 5.69%
- 5Y*
- 3.83%
- 10Y*
- 3.28%
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SLQD iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.84% | 6.27% | 4.94% | 5.98% | -4.38% | -0.61% | 4.76% | 6.09% | 1.09% | 2.12% |
DFAIX DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 2.29% | 4.86% | 6.38% | 5.64% | -2.77% | 5.40% | 2.75% | 5.63% | 0.11% | 1.71% |
Correlation
The correlation between SLQD and DFAIX is 0.29, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.39 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 2, 2014 | 0.35 |
The correlation between SLQD and DFAIX shifts across timeframes, from 0.27 (3 years) to 0.39 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SLQD vs. DFAIX — Risk / Return Rank
SLQD
DFAIX
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (SLQD) and DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX). 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.
| SLQD | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.07 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.87 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.55 | 2.12 | -0.57 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.86 | 9.35 | -5.49 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 17.40 | 40.24 | -22.83 |
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Drawdowns
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SLQD drawdown since its inception was -12.69%, which is greater than DFAIX's maximum drawdown of -5.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SLQD and DFAIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SLQD | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.69% | -5.63% | -7.06% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.06% | -0.47% | -0.59% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.06% | -3.12% | +2.06% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -7.63% | -5.46% | -2.17% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.69% | -5.63% | -7.06% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.22% | -0.28% | +0.06% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.87% | -0.94% | +0.07% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.24% | 0.11% | +0.13% |
Volatility
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Volatility Comparison
iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (SLQD) has a higher volatility of 0.56% compared to DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX) at 0.48%. This indicates that SLQD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFAIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SLQD | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.56% | 0.48% | +0.08% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.18% | 0.99% | +0.19% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.53% | 1.17% | +0.36% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.45% | 3.18% | -0.73% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.13% | 2.55% | +0.58% |
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
SLQD has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is lower than DFAIX's 0.22% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
SLQD vs. DFAIX - Dividend Comparison
SLQD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.32%, less than DFAIX's 4.55% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFAIX DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 4.55% | 4.65% | 4.14% | 3.66% | 1.68% | 0.98% | 0.82% | 2.53% | 2.72% | 1.71% | 1.41% | 1.29% |
SLQD iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.32% | 4.15% | 3.71% | 2.99% | 2.00% | 1.67% | 2.34% | 2.89% | 2.55% | 1.98% | 1.81% | 1.43% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SLQD and DFAIX have a correlation of 0.29, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SLQD has higher volatility (0.56%) compared to DFAIX (0.48%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SLQD dropped -12.69% vs DFAIX's -5.63%.
DFAIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.77 vs 2.70), 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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