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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and VGSH +1.7%.

Which is cheaper, IUSB or VGSH?

VGSH is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IUSB vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IUSB's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VGSH's 1.8 on May 31, 2026; VGSH charges 0.03% to IUSB's 0.06%.

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Net assets: $49.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.

IUSB on its own →VGSH on its own →

At a glance

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

+1.7%

VGSH total return, 1 year

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

0.03%

VGSH expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGSH costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; IUSB is 1.4 times larger.

IUSB vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	VGSH
Return
Measure	IUSB	VGSH
Total return, 1 year	−1.2%	+1.7%
Benchmark
Measure	IUSB	VGSH
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index	Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index
Cost and size
Measure	IUSB	VGSH
Expense ratio	0.06%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$48.1bn	$35.1bn
Holdings
Measure	IUSB	VGSH
Holdings in common	13%

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

Risk and return

Jun 20, 2014 to Oct 23, 2026 · 644 weekly returns

IUSB VGSH

Return

Total return edge IUSB +28.3% +21.7%

Annualized edge IUSB +2.0% +1.6%

Price return edge VGSH −10.7% −5.1%

Risk

Volatility edge VGSH 5.0% 1.4%

Max drawdown edge VGSH −17.7% −5.5%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IUSB 0.02 −0.33

Sortino edge IUSB 0.02 −0.48

Calmar edge VGSH 0.11 0.29

Reading

IUSB returned more: +28.3% to +21.7%. VGSH swung less: 1.4% to 5.0%. VGSH fell less at its worst: −5.5% to −17.7%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IUSB vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	VGSH	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+28.3%	+21.7%	IUSB	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+2.0%	+1.6%	IUSB	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−10.7%	−5.1%	VGSH	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	5.0%	1.4%	VGSH	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.6%	1.0%	VGSH	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−17.7%	−5.5%	VGSH	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.02	−0.33	IUSB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.02	−0.48	IUSB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.11	0.29	VGSH	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 644 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

13%

By the books each fund has filed, IUSB and VGSH hold 13% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

13% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IUSB VGSH

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 15, 2028 0.30% 1.18%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jul 15, 2028 0.29% 1.25%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2028 0.29% 0.85%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2028 0.27% 1.18%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 15, 2028 0.27% 1.16%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jul 31, 2028 0.24% 1.23%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2028 0.23% 1.10%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Sep 15, 2028 0.23% 1.17%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Mar 15, 2029 0.23% 1.10%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2028 0.23% 1.19%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2028 0.23% 2.24%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2028 0.22% 1.18%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IUSB

Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities, due Aug 25, 2056 0.41%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Dec 31, 2029 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2036 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 0.36%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 0.35%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 0.34%

Only in VGSH

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 Jun 30, 2027 1.22%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 15, 2027 1.20%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 31, 2027 1.11%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 30, 2027 1.05%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 31, 2027 0.92%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 31, 2027 0.82%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IUSB iShares Core Universal USD 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 Universal USD Bond Tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury

Total return, 1 year −1.2% +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 0.06% 0.03%

Holdings 18338 93

Net assets, IUSB as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGSH as of Sep 30, 2026 $49.8bn $35.1bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-35A9D7005C

IUSB and VGSH do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index and VGSH follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index.
Holdings in common. 13% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IUSB returned −1.2% and VGSH +1.7% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.9 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

IUSB

IUSB tracks an index of Universal USD Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% 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, IUSB or VGSH?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and VGSH +1.7%.
Which is cheaper, IUSB or VGSH?: VGSH is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IUSB vs SHY IEI vs IUSB IUSB vs JAAA IUSB vs USHY BOND vs VGSH BIL vs VGSH TLT vs VGSH VGIT vs VGSH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

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

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