ETF Versus

SGOV vs SHY

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF vs iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SGOV iShares

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.95%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $85.9B ER: 0.09% Yield: 3.95% Since: May 26, 2020
SHY iShares

iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.72%. Launched in 2002, the fund has a 24-year track record.

AUM: $25.3B ER: 0.15% Yield: 3.72% Since: Jul 22, 2002

Quick Verdict

SGOV has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.09% vs 0.15%), saving about $119 per $10,000 over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (0.1% vs -0.2%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SGOV SHY
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.15%
Dividend Yield 4.0% 3.7%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Short-Term Treasury US Short-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

90 93 96 99 102 105 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SGOV +0.5%
SHY -4.4%

Performance Comparison

Period SGOV SHY Difference
1 Month +0.02% -0.26% +0.28%
3 Months +0.01% -0.49% +0.50%
6 Months +0.00% -0.80% +0.80%
YTD +0.09% -0.52% +0.61%
1 Year +0.06% -0.19% +0.25%
3 Years +0.17% +0.46% -0.29%
5 Years +0.48% -4.40% +4.88%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SGOV Fees SHY Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $179 $298 $119
$10,000 20 years $771 $1,278 $507
$10,000 30 years $2,486 $4,109 $1,624
$50,000 10 years $896 $1,490 $594
$50,000 30 years $12,428 $20,547 $8,120
$100,000 30 years $24,855 $41,094 $16,239

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SGOV SHY
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 2.1%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -6.7%
Sharpe Ratio -4.11 -2.53

Dividend Comparison

Metric SGOV SHY
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.97 $3.07
Dividend Yield 3.95% 3.72%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SGOV if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Either works if...

you just need broad us short-term treasury exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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