SHY vs BIL: which was the better investment?
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF against SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from May 30, 2007 to Jul 13, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Did SHY beat BIL?
Yes — measured from May 30, 2007 to Jul 13, 2026 with dividends reinvested, SHY came out ahead: $14,144 versus $12,963 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 1.8% annual return against 1.4%.
What would $10,000 in SHY be worth today?
$10,000 invested in iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) on May 30, 2007 would be worth about $14,144 as of Jul 13, 2026, a total return of 41.4% (1.8% per year). The same $10,000 in BIL would be worth $12,963.
Which was riskier — SHY or BIL?
SHY swung with an annualized volatility of 1.5% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -5.7%; BIL ran at 0.5% volatility with a -0.8% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is -0.11 for SHY vs -1.30 for BIL.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering May 30, 2007 through Jul 13, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with SHY vs BIL. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.