Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GOVT vs VGSH: how they differ
GOVT and VGSH hold 26% of their weight in the same names, and VGSH returned more over the year.
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VGSH hold 26% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GOVT | VGSH |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 1.61% | 1.26% |
| United States of America | 2.09% | 1.20% |
| United States of America | 2.63% | 1.19% |
| United States of America | 2.96% | 1.03% |
| United States of America | 0.98% | 1.15% |
| United States of America | 0.96% | 1.18% |
| United States of America | 0.93% | 1.05% |
| United States of America | 1.36% | 0.92% |
| United States of America | 0.89% | 1.10% |
| United States of America | 0.98% | 0.87% |
| United States of America | 0.83% | 1.12% |
| United States of America | 0.78% | 1.13% |
| Only in GOVT | Only in VGSH |
|---|---|
| United States of America 5.31% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.41% |
| United States of America 1.57% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.32% |
| United States of America 1.53% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.26% |
| United States of America 1.51% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.26% |
| United States of America 1.41% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.23% |
| United States of America 1.39% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.20% |
| United States of America 1.08% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.20% |
| United States of America 1.02% | United States Treasury Note/Bond 1.20% |
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 | VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | U.S. Treasury Bond | Short-Term Treasury |
| Total return, 1 year | −1.0% | +1.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.5 pts | −15.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Holdings | 223 | 91 |
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.
VGSH in plain words
VGSH is a bond fund tracking the Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +1.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VGSH?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and VGSH returned +1.8%, so VGSH returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGSH?
- GOVT charges 0.05% a year and VGSH charges 0.03%, so VGSH is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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 VGSH, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GOVT-VGSH Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources