T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) Performance
TBUX total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +3.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +4.0% total return
- 5 years
- +4.1% a year
- Since first price
- +4.1% a year since 2021
TBUX trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | TBUX total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.4% | +0.0% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | +0.9% | −0.2% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | +1.9% | −0.3% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | +3.0% | −0.2% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | +4.0% | −0.4% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +17.6%+5.6%/yr | +1.5% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | +22.5%+4.1%/yr | −0.4% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 29, 2021 | +22.4%+4.1%/yr | −0.5% | — | — | — |
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: TBUX vs AGG
From Sep 29, 2021: TBUX grew to $12,244, AGG to $9,872.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
TBUX returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2023 (+6.4%), worst 2022 (−0.1%). 2026 is year to date.
TBUX annual returns table
| Year | TBUX | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +3.0% | −0.1% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +5.4% | −0.3% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +6.4% | −0.3% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +6.4% | −0.5% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −0.1% | −1.6% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
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.
TBUX risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +5.5% | +4.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.92 | 0.54 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.96 | 0.80 |
| Best month | +0.9% | +0.9% |
| Worst month | −0.1% | −0.5% |
| Best 12 months | +7.5% | +7.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +3.9% | −1.6% |
| Positive months | 97% | 82% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.51 | 0.41 |
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.
TBUX rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 50 | −1.6% | +5.3% | +7.5% | 92% |
| 3-year (a year) | 26 | +3.7% | +5.7% | +6.2% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 2 | +4.1% | +4.1% | +4.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
TBUX performance overview
T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) returned +4.0% over the past year and +4.1% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +4.1% a year, turning $10,000 into about $12,244. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
Related: TBUX chart, TBUX dividends, TBUX bond profile. See the TBUX overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
TBUX performance FAQ
What is the TBUX return over the past year?
TBUX returned +4.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 0.4%.
What is the average annual return of TBUX?
TBUX has returned +4.1% a year over 5 years, +4.1% a year since September 29, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in TBUX be worth?
$10,000 invested in TBUX at its first recorded close on September 29, 2021 would be worth about $12,244 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for TBUX?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −0.1%. The best was 2023 at +6.4%.
How volatile is TBUX?
Over the past 3 years TBUX had an annualized volatility of 0.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.92 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).