ETF Versus

SGOV vs SHY

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

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund 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 a high dividend yield of 4.01%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $83.3B ER: 0.09% Yield: 4.01% 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 3.76%. Launched in 2002, the fund has a 24-year track record.

AUM: $24.6B ER: 0.15% Yield: 3.76% 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 (0.0% vs -0.2%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SGOV SHY
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.15%
Dividend Yield 4.0% 3.8%
Fund Family N/A 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 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SGOV +0.4%
SHY -4.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SGOV SHY Difference
1 Month +0.01% -0.59% +0.60%
3 Months -0.02% -0.65% +0.63%
6 Months -0.03% -0.57% +0.54%
YTD -0.02% -0.65% +0.63%
1 Year +0.04% -0.19% +0.23%
3 Years +0.16% +0.29% -0.13%
5 Years +0.37% -4.51% +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 -4.13 -2.55

Dividend Comparison

Metric SGOV SHY
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.02 $3.10
Dividend Yield 4.00% 3.76%
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.

Related Comparisons