Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
BSV vs SLV: how they differ
BSV is a bond index fund and SLV a commodity fund, and over the year SLV returned more, +53.8% against +1.1%.
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund and iShares Silver Trust.
| BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund | SLV iShares Silver Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | iShares |
| What it is | Short-Term Bond | Silver |
| Total return, 1 year | +1.1% | +53.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −16.4 pts | +36.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.50% |
| Holdings | 3185 | not filed |
BSV in plain words
BSV is a bond fund tracking the Short-Term Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +1.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
SLV in plain words
SLV is a commodity fund tracking the Silver. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +53.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.50% a year. It sat 45.0% below its high of Jan 28, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BSV or SLV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BSV returned +1.1% and SLV returned +53.8%, so SLV returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, BSV or SLV?
- BSV charges 0.03% a year and SLV charges 0.50%, so BSV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, BSV against SLV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/BSV-SLV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources