Which returned more over the last year, IEI or VGSH?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.1% and VGSH +1.7%.

Which is cheaper, IEI or VGSH?

VGSH is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IEI vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IEI's duration was 4.3 years on Aug 31, 2026 and VGSH's 1.8 on May 31, 2026; VGSH charges 0.03% to IEI's 0.15%.

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Net assets: $17.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.

IEI on its own →VGSH on its own →

At a glance

−1.1%

IEI total return, 1 year

+1.7%

VGSH total return, 1 year

0.15%

IEI expense ratio

0.03%

VGSH expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGSH costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.8 points; VGSH is 2.1 times larger.

IEI vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IEI	VGSH
Return
Measure	IEI	VGSH
Total return, 1 year	−1.1%	+1.7%
Benchmark
Measure	IEI	VGSH
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index
Cost and size
Measure	IEI	VGSH
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$16.8bn	$35.1bn
Holdings
Measure	IEI	VGSH
Holdings in common	0%

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

Risk and return

Dec 4, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 881 weekly returns

IEI VGSH

Return

Total return edge IEI +38.3% +26.7%

Annualized edge IEI +1.9% +1.4%

Price return edge IEI +2.4% −3.7%

Risk

Volatility edge VGSH 3.6% 1.3%

Max drawdown edge VGSH −14.1% −5.5%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IEI 0.13 −0.09

Sortino edge IEI 0.18 −0.14

Calmar edge VGSH 0.14 0.26

Reading

IEI returned more: +38.3% to +26.7%. VGSH swung less: 1.3% to 3.6%. VGSH fell less at its worst: −5.5% to −14.1%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IEI vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IEI	VGSH	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+38.3%	+26.7%	IEI	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+1.9%	+1.4%	IEI	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+2.4%	−3.7%	IEI	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	3.6%	1.3%	VGSH	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	2.6%	0.9%	VGSH	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−14.1%	−5.5%	VGSH	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.13	−0.09	IEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.18	−0.14	IEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.14	0.26	VGSH	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 881 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

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

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IEI VGSH

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IEI

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 30, 2030 2.90%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2032 2.30%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2030 2.29%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 2.26%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 31, 2030 2.24%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2033 2.17%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2031 2.11%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2033 2.10%

Only in VGSH

US TREASURY N/B, due Jan 31, 2028 2.24%

US TREASURY N/B, due Apr 30, 2029 1.40%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 31, 2027 1.35%

US TREASURY N/B, due Feb 28, 2029 1.31%

US TREASURY N/B, due Mar 31, 2029 1.30%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 15, 2027 1.29%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 15, 2027 1.26%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 15, 2027 1.26%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury

Total return, 1 year −1.1% +1.7%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +1.8% (SCHO)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs SCHO

Expense ratio 0.15% 0.03%

Holdings 82 93

Net assets, IEI as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGSH as of Sep 30, 2026 $17.0bn $35.1bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-325A39503F

IEI and VGSH are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

What each follows. IEI follows ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index and VGSH follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index.
Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IEI returned −1.1% and VGSH +1.7% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.8 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

IEI

IEI tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.

VGSH

VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IEI or VGSH?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.1% and VGSH +1.7%.
Which is cheaper, IEI or VGSH?: VGSH is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IEI vs SHY IEI vs SCHO IEI vs SPTS IBTJ vs IEI SHY vs VGSH IBTI vs VGSH IBTJ vs VGSH SCHO vs VGSH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IEI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IEI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IEI ↗

VGSH filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VGSH prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VGSH ↗

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, IEI against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iei-vs-vgsh

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