Data as of Nov 12, 2026.
ISTB vs SLQD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Return, fees and overlap, side by side.
Risk and return
Jun 20, 2014 to Nov 6, 2026 · 646 weekly returns · each against IUSBFrom Jun 2014 to Nov 2026, SLQD returned more: +35.7% to +30.4%. ISTB swung less: 2.5% to 3.6%. ISTB fell less at its worst: −9.0% to −10.3%.
Full scorecard
19 measures Open ↓
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | ISTB | SLQD | IUSB | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | |||||
| Total return | +30.4% | +35.7% | +29.5% | SLQD | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +2.2% | +2.5% | +2.1% | SLQD | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −5.3% | −1.4% | −10.2% | SLQD | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | |||||
| Volatility | 2.5% | 3.6% | 5.0% | ISTB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 1.8% | 2.5% | 3.6% | ISTB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −9.0% | −10.3% | −17.7% | ISTB | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Upside capture | 43.7% | 42.7% | 100.0% | ISTB (slight) | Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose. |
| Downside capture | 39.1% | 34.8% | 100.0% | SLQD | Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better. |
| Beta | 0.46 | 0.58 | 1.00 | ISTB lower | How far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves. |
| R squared | 0.84 | 0.65 | 1.00 | Not an edge | Share of its weekly moves its benchmark explains. |
| Risk-adjusted | |||||
| Sharpe | 0.04 | 0.13 | 0.03 | SLQD | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.06 | 0.18 | 0.04 | SLQD | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Treynor | 0.002 | 0.008 | 0.001 | SLQD | Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.12 | Tie | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
| Against the benchmark | |||||
| Benchmark | IUSB | IUSB | IUSB | The ETF each fund is measured against. | |
| Alpha | 0.0% a year | +0.4% a year | 0.0% | Not significant | Yearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts. |
| Alpha t-stat | 0.14 | 0.62 | Not an edge | How sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance. | |
| Alpha range | −0.5% to +0.6% | −0.8% to +1.6% | Both include zero | The 95% range for the yearly alpha. | |
| Information ratio | −0.01 | 0.11 | SLQD | Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error. | |
| Tracking error | 2.9% | 3.0% | 0.0% | Not an edge | How far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 646 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.06% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points; ISTB is 2.2 times larger.
| Measure | ISTB | SLQD |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.0% | +1.9% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. Universal 1-5 Year Index | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade 0-5 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.06% |
| Net assets | $5.3bn | $2.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 16% | |
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, ISTB and SLQD hold 16% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.
half
16% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
ISTB and SLQD on the fields both publish, as of Nov 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Client brief:
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ISTB
ISTB tracks an index. Over the year to Nov 12, 2026 it returned +1.0% with distributions reinvested, against −1.0% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year.
SLQD
SLQD tracks an index. Over the year to Nov 12, 2026 it returned +1.9% with distributions reinvested, against −1.0% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index.
Questions people ask
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, ISTB against SLQD, data as of Nov 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/istb-vs-slqd
ETFIQ. (Nov 12, 2026). ISTB against SLQD. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/istb-vs-slqd
[ISTB against SLQD (ETFIQ, Nov 12, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/istb-vs-slqd)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.
Net assets on Nov 12, 2026: $5.3bn for iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF and $2.4bn for iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.
ISTB and SLQD
Total return, distributions reinvested, 1 year.
ISTB +1.0%, SLQD +1.9%: SLQD +0.9 pts ahead, 1 year, Nov 12, 2025 to Nov 12, 2026.