iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR) Performance
MEAR total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +1.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +2.0% total return
- 5 years
- +2.5% a year
- 10 years
- +1.8% a year
- Since first price
- +1.7% a year since 2015
MEAR trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | MEAR total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.5% | +0.3% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | +0.4% | −0.3% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | +0.7% | −0.7% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | +1.4% | −0.7% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | +2.0% | −0.8% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +10.2%+3.3%/yr | +0.3% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | +13.1%+2.5%/yr | −0.4% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| 10 years | +19.6%+1.8%/yr | −0.1% | +14.0%+1.3%/yr | −18.7%−2.0%/yr | +315.9%+15.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionMar 5, 2015 | +21.0%+1.7%/yr | −0.1% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: MEAR vs AGG
From Mar 5, 2015: MEAR grew to $12,098, AGG to $12,000.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
MEAR returns by calendar year
10 of 10 full years positive. Best 2023 (+3.9%), worst 2021 (+0.0%). 2026 is year to date.
MEAR annual returns table
| Year | MEAR | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +1.4% | −1.1% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +3.8% | −0.9% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +3.4% | −0.2% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +3.9% | −0.4% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | +0.1% | −1.0% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +0.0% | −0.2% | −1.8% | −4.6% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +1.2% | −2.7% | +7.5% | +18.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +1.9% | −0.3% | +8.5% | +14.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | +1.6% | −0.3% | +0.1% | −1.6% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +1.1% | −0.5% | +3.6% | +9.2% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +0.3% | −0.9% | +2.4% | +1.2% | +12.0% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
MEAR risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +3.1% | +2.3% | +1.7% | +1.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.38 | -1.47 | -0.66 | -0.46 |
| Sortino ratio | -1.35 | -1.44 | -0.73 | -0.54 |
| Best month | +0.8% | +0.8% | +0.8% | +0.8% |
| Worst month | −0.9% | −0.9% | −0.9% | −0.9% |
| Best 12 months | +4.6% | +4.6% | +4.6% | +4.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +1.1% | −0.6% | −0.9% | −0.9% |
| Positive months | 83% | 73% | 77% | 75% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.02 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.49 | 0.50 | 0.37 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
MEAR rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 128 | −0.9% | +1.4% | +4.6% | 91% |
| 3-year (a year) | 104 | +0.3% | +1.3% | +3.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 80 | +0.8% | +1.3% | +2.5% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 20 | +1.5% | +1.7% | +1.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
MEAR performance overview
iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR) returned +2.0% over the past year and +1.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +1.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $12,098. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
Related: MEAR chart, MEAR dividends, MEAR bond profile. See the MEAR overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
MEAR performance FAQ
What is the MEAR return over the past year?
MEAR returned +2.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 0.8%.
What is the average annual return of MEAR?
MEAR has returned +2.5% a year over 5 years, +1.8% a year over 10 years, +1.7% a year since March 5, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in MEAR be worth?
$10,000 invested in MEAR at its first recorded close on March 5, 2015 would be worth about $12,098 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for MEAR?
The worst calendar year was 2021, with a total return of +0.0%. The best was 2023 at +3.9%.
How volatile is MEAR?
Over the past 3 years MEAR had an annualized volatility of 1.0% and a Sharpe ratio of -1.38 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).