TBUX vs. USTB

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) and VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF (USTB).

TBUX and USTB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. TBUX is an actively managed fund by T. Rowe Price. It was launched on Sep 28, 2021. USTB is a passively managed fund by Victory that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg 1–3 Year Credit Index. It was launched on Oct 24, 2017.

Performance

TBUX vs. USTB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) and VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF (USTB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

TBUX vs. USTB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
TBUX T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF	0.81%	5.37%	6.38%	6.39%	-0.13%	-0.22%
USTB VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF	0.35%	6.08%	6.49%	6.69%	-2.82%	-0.07%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TBUX achieves a 0.81% return, which is significantly higher than USTB's 0.35% return.

TBUX

• 1D: -0.02%
• 1M: 0.17%
• YTD: 0.81%
• 6M: 1.96%
• 1Y: 4.82%
• 3Y*: 5.86%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

USTB

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: -0.43%
• YTD: 0.35%
• 6M: 1.43%
• 1Y: 4.62%
• 3Y*: 6.01%
• 5Y*: 3.43%
• 10Y*: —

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

TBUX vs. USTB - Expense Ratio Comparison

TBUX has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is lower than USTB's 0.34% expense ratio.

USTB

VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF

TBUX

T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF

Return for Risk

TBUX vs. USTB — Risk / Return Rank

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

TBUX

TBUX Risk / Return Rank: 99
TBUX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
TBUX Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
TBUX Omega Ratio Rank: 99
TBUX Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
TBUX Martin Ratio Rank: 99

USTB

USTB Risk / Return Rank: 98
USTB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
USTB Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
USTB Omega Ratio Rank: 98
USTB Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
USTB Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

TBUX vs. USTB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) and VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF (USTB). 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.

	TBUX	USTB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	5.76	3.12	+2.64
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	9.93	4.97	+4.96
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	2.61	1.73	+0.88
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	14.61	5.47	+9.15
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	99.09	23.81	+75.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TBUX vs. USTB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TBUX Sharpe Ratio is 5.76, which is higher than the USTB Sharpe Ratio of 3.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TBUX and USTB, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	TBUX	USTB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.76	3.12	+2.64
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.72	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	3.81	1.70	+2.11

Correlation

The correlation between TBUX and USTB is 0.45, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

TBUX vs. USTB - Dividend Comparison

TBUX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.55%, less than USTB's 4.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
TBUX T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF	4.55%	4.67%	5.39%	4.66%	2.58%	0.27%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
USTB VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF	4.61%	4.62%	5.05%	4.49%	2.54%	1.84%	2.59%	2.69%	2.32%	0.43%

Drawdowns

TBUX vs. USTB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TBUX drawdown since its inception was -1.79%, smaller than the maximum USTB drawdown of -5.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TBUX and USTB.

Drawdown Indicators

	TBUX	USTB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-1.79%	-5.32%	+3.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.33%	-0.84%	+0.51%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-4.96%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.02%	-0.59%	+0.57%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.29%	-0.67%	+0.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.05%	0.19%	-0.14%

Volatility

TBUX vs. USTB - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) is 0.25%, while VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF (USTB) has a volatility of 0.49%. This indicates that TBUX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than USTB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TBUX	USTB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.25%	0.49%	-0.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.44%	0.83%	-0.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.84%	1.49%	-0.65%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.08%	2.01%	-0.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.08%	2.02%	-0.94%