These Short-Term Bond ETFs Offer a Broad Exposure to Fixed-Income

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Both the Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:BSV) and iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (NASDAQ:ISTB) people the abbreviated extremity of the U.S. enslaved market, focusing connected investment-grade securities with maturities betwixt 1 and 5 years. This examination highlights cardinal differences successful cost, portfolio composition, and hazard that could assistance investors determine which ETF champion aligns with their fixed-income goals.

Metric

ISTB

BSV

Issuer

IShares

Vanguard

Expense ratio

0.06%

0.03%

1-yr instrumentality (as of Feb. 7, 2026)

1.73%

1.68%

Dividend yield

4.14%

3.86%

Beta

0.11

0.09

AUM

$4.79 billion

$43.41 billion

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

Both ETFs person akin disbursal ratios and one-year returns, but ISTB has the vantage successful dividend output percentage.

Metric

ISTB

BSV

Max drawdown (5 y)

(9.34%)

(8.55%)

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$943

$951

BSV holds a premix of U.S. Treasuries and firm and investment-grade planetary bonds. It has 3,117 holdings, of which 73% are AAA-rated bonds, the highest standing offered. However, astir 12% is invested successful A and BBB-rated bonds, which are riskier.

ISTB, by contrast, casts a overmuch wider nett with much than 7,000 holdings, with 61% being AA-rated bonds, the 2nd highest. It besides spreads its portfolio crossed aggregate classes of enslaved ratings, but goes adjacent deeper, holding bonds little than B.

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With some of these ETFs, it’s important to see the scope of bonds they hold. BSV holds bonds that are successful classes AA, A, and BBB, which are each riskier than AAA successful order. ISTB goes little than that, wherever it holds BB, B, and beneath B bonds.

This means these funds person higher volatility than different enslaved ETFs that absorption solely connected AAA/AA bonds. That’s due to the fact that lower-rated bonds are much astatine hazard of default, but there’s besides often higher involvement rates. So if investors privation to instrumentality that risk, some ETFs are coagulated options, with ISTB offering greater terms imaginable due to the fact that it holds much lower-rated bonds.

Regardless of which ETF investors privation to put in, conscionable beryllium alert that the enslaved marketplace moves much dilatory than the banal market, which means these types of enslaved ETFs typically won’t spot the maturation of stock-centered funds, but connection unchangeable and accordant dividend payouts.

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