TLT vs. SUSC
TLT (iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF) and SUSC (iShares ESG Aware USD Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - TLT is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index, while SUSC is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg MSCI US Corporate ESG Focus Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, TLT returned -6.36%/yr vs 0.31%/yr for SUSC. A 0.77 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. TLT charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.18%/yr for SUSC.
Performance
TLT vs. SUSC - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, TLT achieves a 0.21% return, which is significantly lower than SUSC's 0.72% return.
TLT
- 1D
- -0.06%
- 1M
- 2.87%
- YTD
- 0.21%
- 6M
- 0.32%
- 1Y
- 3.82%
- 3Y*
- -1.84%
- 5Y*
- -6.36%
- 10Y*
- -1.78%
SUSC
- 1D
- 0.03%
- 1M
- 1.23%
- YTD
- 0.72%
- 6M
- 1.11%
- 1Y
- 5.58%
- 3Y*
- 5.11%
- 5Y*
- 0.31%
- 10Y*
- —
TLT vs. SUSC - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 4.25% | -8.05% | 2.77% | -31.23% | -4.60% | 18.15% | 14.12% | -1.61% | 2.93% |
SUSC iShares ESG Aware USD Corporate Bond ETF | 0.72% | 7.57% | 1.91% | 8.58% | -15.95% | -1.57% | 9.57% | 14.43% | -3.13% | 1.74% |
Correlation
The correlation between TLT and SUSC is 0.89, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.89 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.91 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.88 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 20, 2017 | 0.77 |
The correlation between TLT and SUSC shifts across timeframes, from 0.77 (all time) to 0.91 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
TLT vs. SUSC — Risk / Return Rank
TLT
SUSC
TLT vs. SUSC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) and iShares ESG Aware USD Corporate Bond ETF (SUSC). 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.
| TLT | SUSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.89 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.27 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.07 | 1.23 | -0.15 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.51 | 1.95 | -1.44 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.22 | 5.94 | -4.72 |
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Drawdowns
TLT vs. SUSC - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum TLT drawdown since its inception was -48.35%, which is greater than SUSC's maximum drawdown of -22.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TLT and SUSC.
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Drawdown Indicators
| TLT | SUSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -48.35% | -22.42% | -25.93% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.58% | -2.87% | -4.71% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.18% | -6.57% | -12.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.70% | -22.42% | -21.28% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -48.35% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -40.15% | -1.11% | -39.04% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.85% | -5.87% | -7.98% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.14% | 0.94% | +2.20% |
Volatility
TLT vs. SUSC - Volatility Comparison
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) has a higher volatility of 2.84% compared to iShares ESG Aware USD Corporate Bond ETF (SUSC) at 1.46%. This indicates that TLT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SUSC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| TLT | SUSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.84% | 1.46% | +1.38% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.64% | 3.30% | +3.34% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.57% | 4.36% | +5.21% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.86% | 7.19% | +8.67% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 14.91% | 7.62% | +7.29% |
TLT vs. SUSC - Expense Ratio Comparison
TLT has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than SUSC's 0.18% 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
TLT vs. SUSC - Dividend Comparison
TLT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.57%, more than SUSC's 4.48% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SUSC iShares ESG Aware USD Corporate Bond ETF | 4.48% | 4.37% | 4.34% | 3.83% | 2.97% | 2.21% | 2.19% | 3.07% | 3.33% | 1.33% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 4.57% | 4.43% | 4.30% | 3.38% | 2.67% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 2.27% | 2.63% | 2.43% | 2.60% | 2.61% |
Frequently Asked Questions
TLT and SUSC have a correlation of 0.89, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
TLT has higher volatility (2.84%) compared to SUSC (1.46%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TLT dropped -48.35% vs SUSC's -22.42%.
On 5-year performance, SUSC leads with 0.31% vs -6.36% for TLT. On fees, TLT is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, SUSC has been the lower-risk option at 1.46%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, SUSC has performed better with a 0.31% return vs -6.36%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
TLT is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.18% for SUSC.
TLT has the higher dividend yield at 4.57%, compared with 4.48% for SUSC.
TLT is categorized as Government Bonds, while SUSC is Corporate Bonds. TLT tracks ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index, while SUSC tracks Bloomberg MSCI US Corporate ESG Focus Index. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for TLT and 0.18% for SUSC.
SUSC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.29 vs 0.40), 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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