VTIP vs. NEAR
VTIP (Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF) and NEAR (iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VTIP is a Inflation-Protected Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Year Index, while NEAR is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by iShares. VTIP is passively managed, while NEAR is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, VTIP returned 3.08%/yr vs 2.82%/yr for NEAR. At a 0.31 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VTIP charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for NEAR.
Performance
VTIP vs. NEAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VTIP achieves a 1.76% return, which is significantly higher than NEAR's 0.53% return. Over the past 10 years, VTIP has outperformed NEAR with an annualized return of 3.08%, while NEAR has yielded a comparatively lower 2.82% annualized return.
VTIP
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -0.18%
- YTD
- 1.76%
- 6M
- 1.89%
- 1Y
- 4.64%
- 3Y*
- 5.17%
- 5Y*
- 3.37%
- 10Y*
- 3.08%
NEAR
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- -0.18%
- YTD
- 0.53%
- 6M
- 1.05%
- 1Y
- 4.12%
- 3Y*
- 5.54%
- 5Y*
- 3.81%
- 10Y*
- 2.82%
VTIP vs. NEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF | 1.76% | 6.07% | 4.74% | 4.62% | -2.94% | 5.36% | 4.95% | 4.86% | 0.56% | 0.82% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 0.53% | 5.90% | 5.09% | 7.42% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 1.39% | 3.55% | 1.71% | 1.41% |
Correlation
The correlation between VTIP and NEAR is 0.58, 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 | 0.58 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.63 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.51 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.37 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 27, 2013 | 0.31 |
Over the past year, VTIP and NEAR have become more correlated (0.58) than their long-term average of 0.31, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
VTIP vs. NEAR — Risk / Return Rank
VTIP
NEAR
VTIP vs. NEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) and iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR). 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.
| VTIP | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.07 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.52 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.66 | 1.63 | +0.03 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 6.66 | 3.65 | +3.01 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 26.11 | 16.68 | +9.43 |
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
| VTIP | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.12 | 3.05 | +0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.22 | 2.86 | -1.64 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 1.13 | 1.14 | -0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.89 | 1.08 | -0.19 |
Drawdowns
VTIP vs. NEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VTIP drawdown since its inception was -6.27%, smaller than the maximum NEAR drawdown of -9.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTIP and NEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VTIP | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -6.27% | -9.61% | +3.34% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.70% | -1.13% | +0.43% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -0.98% | -1.16% | +0.18% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -5.50% | -1.32% | -4.18% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -6.27% | -9.61% | +3.34% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.30% | -0.29% | -0.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.04% | -0.16% | -0.88% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.18% | 0.25% | -0.07% |
Volatility
VTIP vs. NEAR - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) has a higher volatility of 0.45% compared to iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) at 0.40%. This indicates that VTIP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VTIP | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.45% | 0.40% | +0.05% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.05% | 1.01% | +0.04% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.50% | 1.36% | +0.14% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.78% | 1.34% | +1.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.74% | 2.50% | +0.24% |
VTIP vs. NEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
VTIP has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than NEAR's 0.25% 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
VTIP vs. NEAR - Dividend Comparison
VTIP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.59%, less than NEAR's 4.44% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 4.44% | 4.54% | 5.00% | 4.59% | 1.78% | 0.76% | 1.53% | 2.69% | 2.25% | 1.52% | 1.07% | 0.85% |
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF | 3.59% | 3.81% | 2.70% | 2.86% | 6.84% | 4.68% | 1.20% | 1.95% | 2.45% | 1.52% | 0.76% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VTIP and NEAR have a correlation of 0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VTIP has higher volatility (0.45%) compared to NEAR (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VTIP dropped -6.27% vs NEAR's -9.61%.
On 10-year performance, VTIP leads with 3.08% vs 2.82% for NEAR. On fees, VTIP is cheaper at 0.03% per year. Their volatility is very similar. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, VTIP has performed better with a 3.08% return vs 2.82%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VTIP is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for NEAR.
NEAR has the higher dividend yield at 4.44%, compared with 3.59% for VTIP.
VTIP is categorized as Inflation-Protected Bonds, while NEAR is Short-Term Bond. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.03% for VTIP and 0.25% for NEAR.
VTIP currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.12 vs 3.05), 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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