ETF Versus

IJH vs TLT

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF vs iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJH iShares

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.31%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $104.0B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.31% Since: May 22, 2000
TLT iShares

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to long-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with high interest rate sensitivity. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.51%. Launched in 2002, the fund has a 24-year track record.

AUM: $41.7B ER: 0.15% Yield: 4.51% Since: Jul 22, 2002

Quick Verdict

IJH is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.15% expense ratio, saving you approximately $198 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IJH has significantly outperformed with a 16.1% return vs -5.7%. Income investors may prefer TLT for its higher yield (4.5% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJH TLT
Expense Ratio 0.05% 0.15%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 4.5%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Mid Cap US Long-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

60 76 92 108 124 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJH +28.1%
TLT -37.0%

Performance Comparison

Period IJH TLT Difference
1 Month -5.55% -3.74% -1.81%
3 Months +1.78% -0.88% +2.66%
6 Months +3.54% -3.49% +7.03%
YTD +1.78% -0.88% +2.66%
1 Year +16.09% -5.72% +21.81%
3 Years +36.14% -19.08% +55.22%
5 Years +28.09% -37.00% +65.09%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJH Fees TLT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $100 $298 $198
$10.000 20 years $430 $1.278 $848
$10.000 30 years $1.388 $4.109 $2.721
$50.000 10 years $499 $1.490 $991
$50.000 30 years $6.941 $20.547 $13.606
$100.000 30 years $13.882 $41.094 $27.212

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJH TLT
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 15.9%
Max Drawdown -24.6% -46.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 -0.79

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJH TLT
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.89 $3.89
Dividend Yield 1.31% 4.51%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Monthly

Top Holdings

IJH Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.92%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.84%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.78%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.76%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.72%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.70%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.67%
US Foods Holding Corp.USFD0.64%
FabrinetFN0.63%
Burlington Stores, Inc.BURL0.62%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJH if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IJH if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose TLT if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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