SLQD vs. SJNK
SLQD (iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) and SJNK (SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SLQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade 0-5 Index, while SJNK is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg US High Yield 350mn Cash Pay 2% Capped (0-5 Y). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SLQD returned 2.66%/yr vs 5.49%/yr for SJNK. At a 0.31 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SLQD charges 0.06%/yr vs 0.40%/yr for SJNK.
Performance
SLQD vs. SJNK - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SLQD achieves a 0.93% return, which is significantly lower than SJNK's 1.49% return. Over the past 10 years, SLQD has underperformed SJNK with an annualized return of 2.66%, while SJNK has yielded a comparatively higher 5.49% annualized return.
SLQD
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- 0.26%
- YTD
- 0.93%
- 6M
- 1.31%
- 1Y
- 4.39%
- 3Y*
- 5.39%
- 5Y*
- 2.54%
- 10Y*
- 2.66%
SJNK
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- 0.29%
- YTD
- 1.49%
- 6M
- 1.91%
- 1Y
- 6.32%
- 3Y*
- 8.25%
- 5Y*
- 4.86%
- 10Y*
- 5.49%
SLQD vs. SJNK - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SLQD iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.93% | 6.27% | 4.94% | 5.98% | -4.38% | -0.61% | 4.76% | 6.09% | 1.09% | 2.12% |
SJNK SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF | 1.49% | 7.68% | 8.24% | 11.63% | -5.50% | 5.06% | 5.82% | 9.49% | -0.27% | 5.27% |
Correlation
The correlation between SLQD and SJNK is 0.61, 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 | 0.61 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.61 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.55 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.37 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 18, 2013 | 0.31 |
Over the past year, SLQD and SJNK have become more correlated (0.61) than their long-term average of 0.31, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
SLQD vs. SJNK — Risk / Return Rank
SLQD
SJNK
SLQD vs. SJNK - 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 SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF (SJNK). 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.
| SLQD | SJNK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.99 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.77 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.61 | 1.39 | +0.22 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.15 | 3.67 | +0.48 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 18.88 | 15.90 | +2.98 |
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
| SLQD | SJNK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.98 | 1.99 | +0.99 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.04 | 0.84 | +0.21 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.00 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.85 | 0.80 | +0.05 |
Drawdowns
SLQD vs. SJNK - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SLQD drawdown since its inception was -12.69%, smaller than the maximum SJNK drawdown of -19.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SLQD and SJNK.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SLQD | SJNK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.69% | -19.74% | +7.05% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.06% | -1.73% | +0.67% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.06% | -4.77% | +3.71% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -7.63% | -10.18% | +2.55% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.69% | -19.74% | +7.05% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.04% | -0.11% | +0.07% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.87% | -1.63% | +0.76% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.23% | 0.40% | -0.17% |
Volatility
SLQD vs. SJNK - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (SLQD) is 0.46%, while SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF (SJNK) has a volatility of 0.90%. This indicates that SLQD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SJNK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SLQD | SJNK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.46% | 0.90% | -0.44% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.09% | 2.45% | -1.36% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.49% | 3.20% | -1.71% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.44% | 5.83% | -3.39% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.14% | 6.49% | -3.35% |
SLQD vs. SJNK - Expense Ratio Comparison
SLQD has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is lower than SJNK's 0.40% expense ratio.
Dividends
SLQD vs. SJNK - Dividend Comparison
SLQD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.32%, less than SJNK's 7.01% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SJNK SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond ETF | 7.01% | 7.12% | 7.47% | 7.20% | 5.85% | 4.21% | 5.34% | 5.64% | 5.69% | 5.64% | 5.65% | 5.81% |
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 SJNK have a correlation of 0.61, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SJNK has higher volatility (0.90%) compared to SLQD (0.46%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SLQD dropped -12.69% vs SJNK's -19.74%.
On 10-year performance, SJNK leads with 5.49% vs 2.66% for SLQD. On fees, SLQD is cheaper at 0.06% per year. On volatility, SLQD has been the lower-risk option at 0.46%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, SJNK has performed better with a 5.49% return vs 2.66%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SLQD is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 0.40% for SJNK.
SJNK has the higher dividend yield at 7.01%, compared with 4.32% for SLQD.
SLQD is categorized as Corporate Bonds, while SJNK is High Yield Bonds. SLQD tracks Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade 0-5 Index, while SJNK tracks Bloomberg US High Yield 350mn Cash Pay 2% Capped (0-5 Y). They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.06% for SLQD and 0.40% for SJNK.
SLQD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.98 vs 1.99), 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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