Which returned more over the last year, IEF or SHY?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEF returned −3.2% and SHY +1.6%.

Which is cheaper, IEF or SHY?

Neither: IEF and SHY both charge 0.15% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IEF vs SHY: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On Aug 31, 2026 IEF's duration was 7.0 years and SHY's 1.8; both charge 0.15%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $43.5bn for iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF and $27.4bn for iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF.

IEF on its own →SHY on its own →

At a glance

−3.2%

IEF total return, 1 year

+1.6%

SHY total return, 1 year

0.15%

IEF expense ratio

0.15%

SHY expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.15% a year; their one-year returns differ by 4.8 points; IEF is 1.6 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

IEF vs SHY: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IEF	SHY
Return
Measure	IEF	SHY
Total return, 1 year	−3.2%	+1.6%
Drawdown
Measure	IEF	SHY
Below its high	13.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	IEF	SHY
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index	ICE U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	IEF	SHY
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$43.5bn	$27.4bn
Holdings
Measure	IEF	SHY
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, IEF and SHY hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IEF SHY

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IEF

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2036 9.31%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 8.74%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 8.63%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2035 8.52%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 8.31%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 8.25%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2035 8.21%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 8.12%

Only in SHY

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2028 1.97%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2028 1.71%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2028 1.61%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2029 1.51%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2029 1.49%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2027 1.48%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2029 1.47%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2028 1.40%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Tracks an index of 1-3 Year Treasury Bond

Total return, 1 year −3.2% +1.6%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +1.7% (BBSB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs BBSB

Expense ratio 0.15% 0.15%

Holdings 17 90

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $43.5bn $27.4bn

IEF and SHY on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

IEF

IEF tracks an index of 7-10 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 13.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

SHY

SHY tracks an index of 1-3 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.6% with distributions reinvested, against +1.7% for its benchmark, the ICE U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IEF or SHY?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEF returned −3.2% and SHY +1.6%.
Which is cheaper, IEF or SHY?: Neither: IEF and SHY both charge 0.15% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IEF vs VGSH IEF vs IEI IEF vs LQD IEF vs IGSB SHY vs VGIT GOVT vs SHY SHY vs VCSH IUSB vs SHY

Where to next

IEF on its own →SHY on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →IEF dividend history →IEF holdings →SHY dividend history →SHY holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

IEF and SHY filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IEF and SHY prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IEF ↗

iShares page for SHY ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, IEF against SHY, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ief-vs-shy

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.