IEF vs IEI Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
IEF and IEI sit in related but distinct corners of the ETF landscape — IEF centers on intermediate-duration Treasury exposure with moderate rate sensitivity, while IEI focuses on shorter-duration Treasury exposure with less rate sensitivity than IEF. Investors choosing between them should weigh how each fund's strategy lines up with their own goals rather than assuming they're interchangeable.
Choosing between IEF and IEI comes down to which specific exposure — intermediate-duration Treasury exposure with moderate rate sensitivity or shorter-duration Treasury exposure with less rate sensitivity than IEF — better matches the role you want this holding to play in a diversified portfolio.
IEF holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. IEI has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-0.86% vs -2.40% for IEF).
- want intermediate-duration Treasury exposure with moderate rate sensitivity
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value pure Treasury credit quality with zero default risk
- are comfortable with loses value when interest rates rise
- want shorter-duration Treasury exposure with less rate sensitivity than IEF
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value lower interest-rate sensitivity than intermediate or long Treasury funds
- are comfortable with lower yield potential than longer-duration Treasury funds
| Metric | IEF | IEI |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 24.4 | 24.4 |
| Latest closei | $91.16 | $114.75 |
| 1M returni | +2.37% | +1.40% |
| 3M returni | -1.89% | -1.24% |
| 6M returni | -2.24% | -1.26% |
| 1Y returni | -2.40% | -0.86% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | IEF | IEI |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $10.12K (+1.2%) started 2025-11-03 | $10.26K (+2.6%) started 2025-11-03 |
| 5Y ago | $10.8K (+8.0%) started 2021-11-04 | $11.58K (+15.8%) started 2021-11-04 |
| 10Y ago | $13.5K (+35.0%) started 2016-11-04 | $14K (+40.0%) started 2016-11-04 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | IEF | IEI |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $41.56B | $16.79B |
| Dividend yieldi | 4.14% | 3.82% |
| Trailing P/Ei | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 0.27 | 0.15 |
| 52-week change | -2.40% | -0.86% |
| Metric | IEF | IEI |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | -2.40% | -0.86% |
| 6M returni | -2.24% | -1.26% |
| 3M returni | -1.89% | -1.24% |
| 1M returni | +2.37% | +1.40% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | -1.37 | -1.68 |
| Betai | 0.27 | 0.15 |
| Dividend yieldi | 4.14% | 3.82% |
| 5Y CAGR | -1.66% | +0.17% |
Over the past year, IEF and IEI have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.97), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | IEF | IEI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -2.40% | -0.86% |
| CAGRi | -2.40% | -0.86% | |
| Volatilityi | 4.97% | 3.17% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -1.37 | -1.68 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -1.81 | -2.16 | |
| Max drawdowni | 7.13% | 4.21% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.79% | 2.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 2.47% | 1.46% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 3.04% | 1.84% | |
| Max daily dropi | 1.06% | 0.68% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 1.88% | 1.05% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -8.02% | +0.87% |
| CAGRi | -1.66% | +0.17% | |
| Volatilityi | 7.73% | 4.83% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.76 | -0.87 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -1.05 | -1.21 | |
| Max drawdowni | 20.40% | 12.61% | |
| Current drawdowni | 9.10% | 2.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 11.01% | 4.92% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 11.78% | 6.06% | |
| Max daily dropi | 1.78% | 1.12% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 3.96% | 2.62% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +4.01% | +11.67% |
| CAGRi | +0.39% | +1.11% | |
| Volatilityi | 6.64% | 3.95% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.59 | -0.84 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.81 | -1.17 | |
| Max drawdowni | 23.92% | 14.60% | |
| Current drawdowni | 13.13% | 2.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 8.96% | 3.98% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 11.23% | 5.59% | |
| Max daily dropi | 2.51% | 1.12% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 3.96% | 2.62% |
| Category | IEF | IEI |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $41.56B | $16.79B |
| Dividend yieldi | 4.14% | 3.82% |
- Pure Treasury credit quality with zero default risk
- Moderate duration balances yield and rate sensitivity
- Highly liquid, widely used rate-hedging vehicle
- Lower interest-rate sensitivity than intermediate or long Treasury funds
- Pure Treasury credit quality with zero default risk
- Useful as a more conservative rate-hedging vehicle than IEF
- Loses value when interest rates rise
- Lower yield than credit or high-yield bond funds
- Less rate sensitivity than long-duration Treasury funds like TLT
- Lower yield potential than longer-duration Treasury funds
- Still loses some value in a rapid rate-hike environment
- Less price appreciation potential if rates fall sharply
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Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
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