Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GOVT vs SHY: how they differ
GOVT and SHY hold 25% of their weight in the same names, and SHY returned more over the year.
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and SHY hold 25% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GOVT | SHY |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 1.61% | 1.36% |
| United States of America | 2.63% | 1.34% |
| United States of America | 2.96% | 1.17% |
| United States of America | 2.09% | 1.17% |
| United States of America | 1.36% | 1.02% |
| United States of America | 0.98% | 1.01% |
| United States of America | 0.98% | 1.22% |
| United States of America | 0.96% | 1.39% |
| United States of America | 0.93% | 1.17% |
| United States of America | 0.89% | 1.27% |
| United States of America | 0.83% | 1.15% |
| United States of America | 0.64% | 1.29% |
| Only in GOVT | Only in SHY |
|---|---|
| United States of America 5.31% | United States of America 1.97% |
| United States of America 1.57% | United States of America 1.53% |
| United States of America 1.53% | United States of America 1.35% |
| United States of America 1.51% | United States of America 1.35% |
| United States of America 1.41% | United States of America 1.35% |
| United States of America 1.39% | United States of America 1.31% |
| United States of America 1.08% | United States of America 1.30% |
| United States of America 1.02% | United States of America 1.30% |
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 | SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | U.S. Treasury Bond | 1-3 Year Treasury Bond |
| Total return, 1 year | −1.0% | +1.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.5 pts | −15.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.15% |
| Holdings | 223 | 89 |
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.
SHY in plain words
SHY is a bond fund tracking the 1-3 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +1.7% 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.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or SHY?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and SHY returned +1.7%, so SHY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or SHY?
- GOVT charges 0.05% a year and SHY 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 SHY, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GOVT-SHY Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources