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TLH vs. SPTS
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

TLH vs. SPTS

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

TLH (iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF) and SPTS (SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF) are both Government Bonds funds - TLH tracks the ICE U.S. Treasury 10-20 Year Bond Index while SPTS tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, TLH returned -0.83%/yr vs 1.67%/yr for SPTS. A 0.55 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. TLH charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SPTS.

Performance

TLH vs. SPTS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLH) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TLH achieves a -0.51% return, which is significantly lower than SPTS's 0.45% return. Over the past 10 years, TLH has underperformed SPTS with an annualized return of -0.83%, while SPTS has yielded a comparatively higher 1.67% annualized return.

TLH

1D
-0.38%
1M
0.62%
YTD
-0.51%
6M
-1.42%
1Y
5.33%
3Y*
0.59%
5Y*
-3.80%
10Y*
-0.83%

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)

TLH vs. SPTS - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
TLH
iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF		-0.51%6.47%-4.21%4.03%-25.24%-5.38%13.78%10.11%0.37%4.21%
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 TLH and SPTS is 0.71, 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

0.71

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.67

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.65

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.63

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 2, 2011

0.55

The correlation between TLH and SPTS shifts across timeframes, from 0.55 (all time) to 0.71 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

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iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF

SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF

Often compared with TLH:
TLH vs. TLTTLH vs. VGLTTLH vs. IEITLH vs. SPTLTLH vs. SCHQTLH vs. PLWTLH vs. XTLH.TO
Often compared with SPTS:
SPTS vs. SGOVSPTS vs. BILSPTS vs. VGSHSPTS vs. SCHOSPTS vs. SHYSPTS vs. SPTISPTS vs. BSV

Return for Risk

TLH vs. SPTS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
TLH
TLH Risk / Return Rank: 1919
Overall Rank
TLH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1919
Sharpe Ratio Rank
TLH Sortino Ratio Rank: 1919
Sortino Ratio Rank
TLH Omega Ratio Rank: 1818
Omega Ratio Rank
TLH Calmar Ratio Rank: 1919
Calmar Ratio Rank
TLH Martin Ratio Rank: 2020
Martin Ratio Rank
SPTS
SPTS Risk / Return Rank: 8484
Overall Rank
SPTS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7979
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPTS Sortino Ratio Rank: 9191
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPTS Omega Ratio Rank: 8787
Omega Ratio Rank
SPTS Calmar Ratio Rank: 7979
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPTS Martin Ratio Rank: 8282
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

TLH vs. SPTS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLH) 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.

TLHSPTSDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
0.67
2.63

-1.96

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.01
4.47

-3.45

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.12

1.55

-0.43

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

0.82

4.13

-3.30

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

2.28

16.52

-14.25

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TLH vs. SPTS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TLH Sharpe Ratio is 0.67, which is lower than the SPTS Sharpe Ratio of 2.63. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TLH 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.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

TLHSPTSDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.67

2.63

-1.96

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.30

0.92

-1.22

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.07

0.98

-1.05

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.28

0.49

-0.21

Drawdowns

TLH vs. SPTS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TLH drawdown since its inception was -41.14%, which is greater than SPTS's maximum drawdown of -5.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TLH and SPTS.

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Drawdown Indicators

TLHSPTSDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-41.14%

-5.83%

-35.31%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-6.50%

-0.84%

-5.66%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-15.35%

-0.96%

-14.39%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-35.41%

-5.71%

-29.70%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-41.14%

-5.71%

-35.43%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-29.82%

-0.28%

-29.54%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-10.76%

-1.72%

-9.04%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.35%

0.21%

+2.14%

Volatility

TLH vs. SPTS - Volatility Comparison

iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLH) has a higher volatility of 2.46% compared to SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS) at 0.34%. This indicates that TLH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPTS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

TLHSPTSDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

2.46%

0.34%

+2.12%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

5.49%

0.86%

+4.63%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

8.01%

1.32%

+6.69%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

12.70%

1.98%

+10.72%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

11.19%

1.72%

+9.47%

TLH vs. SPTS - Expense Ratio Comparison

TLH 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

TLH vs. SPTS - Dividend Comparison

TLH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.48%, more than SPTS's 3.91% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
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%
TLH
iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF		4.48%4.17%4.28%3.83%2.78%1.50%2.65%2.31%2.17%1.83%1.91%2.13%

Frequently Asked Questions

TLH and SPTS have a correlation of 0.71, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

TLH has higher volatility (2.46%) compared to SPTS (0.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TLH dropped -41.14% vs SPTS's -5.83%.

On 10-year performance, SPTS leads with 1.67% vs -0.83% for TLH. On fees, SPTS is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SPTS has been the lower-risk option at 0.34%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, SPTS has performed better with a 1.67% return vs -0.83%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

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

TLH has the higher dividend yield at 4.48%, compared with 3.91% for SPTS.

TLH tracks ICE U.S. Treasury 10-20 Year Bond 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 TLH and 0.03% for SPTS.

SPTS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.63 vs 0.67), 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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