UTHY vs. IEI
UTHY (US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF) and IEI (iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both Government Bonds funds - UTHY tracks the ICE BofA Current 30-Year US Treasury Index - Benchmark TR Gross while IEI tracks the ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, UTHY returned -1.74%/yr vs 3.77%/yr for IEI. Their correlation of 0.82 suggests significant overlap in exposure. Both charge a 0.15% expense ratio.
Performance
UTHY vs. IEI - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UTHY achieves a 0.07% return, which is significantly higher than IEI's -0.30% return.
UTHY
- 1D
- -0.30%
- 1M
- 1.48%
- YTD
- 0.07%
- 6M
- 0.39%
- 1Y
- 2.42%
- 3Y*
- -1.74%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
IEI
- 1D
- -0.12%
- 1M
- -0.00%
- YTD
- -0.30%
- 6M
- -0.00%
- 1Y
- 2.97%
- 3Y*
- 3.77%
- 5Y*
- 0.21%
- 10Y*
- 1.24%
UTHY vs. IEI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UTHY US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF | 0.07% | 3.47% | -8.07% | -2.77% |
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.30% | 6.96% | 1.81% | 1.85% |
Correlation
The correlation between UTHY and IEI is 0.79, 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 | 0.79 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.82 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 28, 2023 | 0.82 |
The correlation between UTHY and IEI has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.79 to 0.82 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
UTHY vs. IEI — Risk / Return Rank
UTHY
IEI
UTHY vs. IEI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF (UTHY) and iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI). 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.
| UTHY | IEI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.74 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.07 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.05 | 1.17 | -0.12 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.33 | 1.19 | -0.86 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.81 | 3.35 | -2.54 |
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Drawdowns
UTHY vs. IEI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UTHY drawdown since its inception was -21.86%, which is greater than IEI's maximum drawdown of -14.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UTHY and IEI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UTHY | IEI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -21.86% | -14.60% | -7.26% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.34% | -2.50% | -4.84% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.58% | -3.66% | -14.92% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -13.88% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -14.60% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -11.07% | -1.74% | -9.33% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.71% | -2.67% | -8.04% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.00% | 0.89% | +2.11% |
Volatility
UTHY vs. IEI - Volatility Comparison
US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF (UTHY) has a higher volatility of 2.79% compared to iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) at 0.98%. This indicates that UTHY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UTHY | IEI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.79% | 0.98% | +1.81% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.36% | 2.18% | +4.18% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.33% | 3.00% | +6.33% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 13.62% | 4.78% | +8.84% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 13.62% | 3.93% | +9.69% |
UTHY vs. IEI - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both UTHY and IEI have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
UTHY vs. IEI - Dividend Comparison
UTHY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.62%, more than IEI's 3.64% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.64% | 3.48% | 3.18% | 2.36% | 1.37% | 0.73% | 1.12% | 2.01% | 1.95% | 1.51% | 1.33% | 1.39% |
UTHY US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF | 4.62% | 4.53% | 4.58% | 2.81% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
UTHY and IEI have a correlation of 0.79, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
UTHY has higher volatility (2.79%) compared to IEI (0.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UTHY dropped -21.86% vs IEI's -14.60%.
On 3-year performance, IEI leads with 3.77% vs -1.74% for UTHY. Both ETFs have the same 0.15% expense ratio. On volatility, IEI has been the lower-risk option at 0.98%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, IEI has performed better with a 3.77% return vs -1.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
UTHY and IEI have the same expense ratio: 0.15% per year.
UTHY has the higher dividend yield at 4.62%, compared with 3.64% for IEI.
UTHY tracks ICE BofA Current 30-Year US Treasury Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while IEI tracks ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index. They also come from different issuers: US Benchmark Series and iShares.
IEI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.00 vs 0.26), 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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