VGUS vs. SHV
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) and iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV).
VGUS and SHV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VGUS is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Short Treasury Index. It was launched on Feb 7, 2025. SHV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. Short Treasury Bond Index. It was launched on Jan 11, 2007. Both VGUS and SHV 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
VGUS vs. SHV - Performance Comparison
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VGUS vs. SHV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 0.81% | 3.77% |
SHV iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF | 0.81% | 3.74% |
Returns By Period
As of year-to-date, both investments have demonstrated similar returns, with VGUS at 0.81% and SHV at 0.81%.
VGUS
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- YTD
- 0.81%
- 6M
- 1.82%
- 1Y
- 4.00%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
SHV
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- YTD
- 0.81%
- 6M
- 1.82%
- 1Y
- 3.99%
- 3Y*
- 4.68%
- 5Y*
- 3.19%
- 10Y*
- 2.17%
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VGUS vs. SHV - Expense Ratio Comparison
VGUS has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is lower than SHV's 0.15% 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
VGUS vs. SHV — Risk / Return Rank
VGUS
SHV
VGUS vs. SHV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) and iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV). 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.
| VGUS | SHV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 11.39 | 19.56 | -8.17 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 31.34 | 153.08 | -121.74 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 8.64 | 55.01 | -46.37 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 55.20 | 441.03 | -385.83 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 367.74 | 2,478.85 | -2,111.11 |
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
| VGUS | SHV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.39 | 19.56 | -8.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 11.07 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 7.88 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 11.78 | 4.43 | +7.34 |
Correlation
The correlation between VGUS and SHV is 0.48, 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
VGUS vs. SHV - Dividend Comparison
VGUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.66%, less than SHV's 3.98% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 3.66% | 3.12% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SHV iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF | 3.98% | 4.09% | 5.02% | 4.73% | 1.39% | 0.00% | 0.74% | 2.19% | 1.66% | 0.72% | 0.34% | 0.03% |
Drawdowns
VGUS vs. SHV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VGUS drawdown since its inception was -0.07%, smaller than the maximum SHV drawdown of -0.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGUS and SHV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VGUS | SHV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -0.07% | -0.45% | +0.38% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.07% | -0.01% | -0.06% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -0.42% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -0.45% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | 0.00% | -0.03% | +0.03% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.01% | 0.00% | +0.01% |
Volatility
VGUS vs. SHV - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) has a higher volatility of 0.07% compared to iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) at 0.05%. This indicates that VGUS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VGUS | SHV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.07% | 0.05% | +0.02% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.16% | 0.13% | +0.03% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.35% | 0.21% | +0.14% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 0.35% | 0.29% | +0.06% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 0.35% | 0.28% | +0.07% |