Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or MBB?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and MBB returned −0.1%, so MBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or MBB?

GOVT charges 0.05% a year and MBB charges 0.04%, so MBB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GOVT vs MBB: how they differ

GOVT and MBB hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and MBB returned more over the year.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and iShares MBS ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and MBB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GOVT	Only in MBB
US TREASURY N/B 0.60%	BLACKROCK CASH CL INST SL AGENCY 7.26%
TREASURY NOTE (OTR) 0.55%	GNMA2 SF 30YR 0.09%
TREASURY BOND (OLD) 0.42%	GNMA II 30YR SF - JUMBO-CONFORMING 0.08%
TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.25%	GNMA2 SINGLE FAMILY 30YR 0.04%
TREASURY BOND (OTR) 0.16%	GNMA II 30YR 0.03%
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 0.11%	GNMA2 30YR TBA(REG C) 0.03%
TREASURY NOTE (OLD) 0.11%	UMBS 15YR TBA(REG B) 0.03%
TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 0.08%	FNMA 30YR UMBS MEGA REMIC SUPER 0.02%

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 Sep 10, 2026.

GOVT and MBB on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF	MBB iShares MBS ETF
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	iShares
What it is	U.S. Treasury Bond	Mbs
Total return, 1 year	−1.0%	−0.1%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−18.5 pts	−17.6 pts
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.04%
Holdings	216	2599

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.

MBB in plain words

MBB is a bond fund tracking the Mbs. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. It sat 3.3% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or MBB?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and MBB returned −0.1%, so MBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or MBB?: GOVT charges 0.05% a year and MBB charges 0.04%, so MBB 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.

GOVT against MBB, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GOVT against MBB, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-mbb Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources