Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GOVT vs IEF: how they differ
GOVT and IEF hold 9% of their weight in the same names, and GOVT returned more over the year.
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and IEF hold 9% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GOVT | IEF |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 1.00% | 8.94% |
| United States of America | 0.94% | 6.85% |
| United States of America | 0.85% | 8.46% |
| United States of America | 0.83% | 8.89% |
| United States of America | 0.82% | 8.87% |
| United States of America | 0.79% | 8.79% |
| United States of America | 0.77% | 5.42% |
| United States of America | 0.63% | 8.37% |
| United States of America | 0.62% | 8.69% |
| United States of America | 0.49% | 9.71% |
| United States of America | 0.48% | 5.91% |
| United States of America | 0.45% | 8.91% |
| Only in GOVT | Only in IEF |
|---|---|
| United States of America 5.31% | |
| United States of America 2.96% | |
| United States of America 2.63% | |
| United States of America 2.09% | |
| United States of America 1.61% | |
| United States of America 1.57% | |
| United States of America 1.53% | |
| United States of America 1.51% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
| GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF | IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | U.S. Treasury Bond | 7-10 Year Treasury Bond |
| Total return, 1 year | −1.0% | −2.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.5 pts | −20.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.15% |
| Holdings | 223 | 15 |
GOVT in plain words
GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
IEF in plain words
IEF is a bond fund tracking the 7-10 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −2.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 13.3% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or IEF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and IEF returned −2.7%, so GOVT returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or IEF?
- GOVT charges 0.05% a year and IEF charges 0.15%, so GOVT 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, GOVT against IEF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GOVT-IEF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources