Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
USMV vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, USMV returned +10.8% to VGSH's +1.7%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $24.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGSH costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.1 points; VGSH is 1.5 times larger.
| Measure | USMV | VGSH |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.8% | +1.7% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) Index | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $23.2bn | $35.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 93% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 14.8% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Oct 28, 2011 to Oct 23, 2026 · 782 weekly returnsUSMV returned more: +423.5% to +23.0%. VGSH swung less: 1.3% to 13.4%. VGSH fell less at its worst: −5.5% to −30.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | USMV | VGSH | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +423.5% | +23.0% | USMV | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +11.6% | +1.4% | USMV | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +295.7% | −5.3% | USMV | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 13.4% | 1.3% | VGSH | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 9.3% | 0.9% | VGSH | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −30.6% | −5.5% | VGSH | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.76 | −0.25 | USMV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 1.09 | −0.37 | USMV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.38 | 0.25 | USMV | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 782 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, USMV and VGSH hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
USMV and VGSH on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
USMV and VGSH do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. USMV follows MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) 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 Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 USMV returned +10.8% and VGSH +1.7% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 9.1 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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USMV
USMV tracks the MSCI USA Min Vol Factor. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 93% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 176 positions, with the top ten at 14.8%.
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, USMV or VGSH?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, USMV returned +10.8% and VGSH +1.7%.
- Which is cheaper, USMV 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.
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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, USMV against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/usmv-vs-vgsh
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). USMV against VGSH. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/usmv-vs-vgsh
[USMV against VGSH (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/usmv-vs-vgsh)
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