VGSH vs. SGOV
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV).
VGSH and SGOV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VGSH is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009. SGOV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE 0-3 Month US Treasury Securities Index. It was launched on May 26, 2020. Both VGSH and SGOV are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
VGSH vs. SGOV - Performance Comparison
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VGSH vs. SGOV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.28% | 5.07% | 4.00% | 4.31% | -3.86% | -0.60% | 0.14% |
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 0.86% | 4.24% | 5.27% | 5.12% | 1.58% | 0.04% | 0.05% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VGSH achieves a 0.28% return, which is significantly lower than SGOV's 0.86% return.
VGSH
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- -0.49%
- YTD
- 0.28%
- 6M
- 1.37%
- 1Y
- 3.75%
- 3Y*
- 3.98%
- 5Y*
- 1.79%
- 10Y*
- 1.74%
SGOV
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.29%
- YTD
- 0.86%
- 6M
- 1.88%
- 1Y
- 4.07%
- 3Y*
- 4.79%
- 5Y*
- 3.40%
- 10Y*
- —
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VGSH vs. SGOV - Expense Ratio Comparison
VGSH has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than SGOV's 0.09% 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%.
Return for Risk
VGSH vs. SGOV — Risk / Return Rank
VGSH
SGOV
VGSH vs. SGOV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV). 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.
| VGSH | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.62 | 20.61 | -17.99 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 4.21 | 284.11 | -279.90 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.57 | 201.50 | -199.93 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.26 | 408.95 | -404.69 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.28 | 4,591.55 | -4,575.27 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| VGSH | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.62 | 20.61 | -17.99 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.92 | 14.11 | -13.19 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 1.11 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.02 | 12.33 | -11.32 |
Correlation
The correlation between VGSH and SGOV is 0.10, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
VGSH vs. SGOV - Dividend Comparison
VGSH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.95%, less than SGOV's 3.99% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 3.95% | 4.00% | 4.18% | 3.31% | 1.15% | 0.66% | 1.74% | 2.28% | 1.79% | 1.10% | 0.84% | 0.69% |
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 3.99% | 4.10% | 5.10% | 4.87% | 1.45% | 0.03% | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
VGSH vs. SGOV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VGSH drawdown since its inception was -5.70%, which is greater than SGOV's maximum drawdown of -0.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGSH and SGOV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VGSH | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -5.70% | -0.03% | -5.67% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.88% | -0.01% | -0.87% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -5.70% | -0.03% | -5.67% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -5.70% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.49% | 0.00% | -0.49% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.60% | 0.00% | -0.60% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.23% | 0.00% | +0.23% |
Volatility
VGSH vs. SGOV - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) has a higher volatility of 0.52% compared to iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) at 0.06%. This indicates that VGSH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SGOV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VGSH | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.52% | 0.06% | +0.46% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.84% | 0.13% | +0.71% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.44% | 0.20% | +1.24% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.96% | 0.24% | +1.72% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 1.57% | 0.24% | +1.33% |