iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT)
Top ETFs · Bonds · Long Treasuries · data since 2002-07-30 · last close 2026-09-09
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) monthly returns (%)
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -0.0 | 4.6 | -4.2 | -0.8 | 0.5 | 1.2 | -4.9 | 0.3 | -0.6 | · | · | · |
| 2025 | 0.5 | 5.7 | -1.2 | -1.4 | -3.2 | 2.7 | -1.1 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | -2.7 |
| 2024 | -2.3 | -2.3 | 0.8 | -6.5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | -5.5 | 2.0 | -6.4 |
| 2023 | 7.6 | -4.8 | 4.8 | 0.3 | -3.0 | 0.2 | -2.5 | -3.1 | -8.0 | -5.5 | 9.9 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | -3.9 | -1.6 | -5.4 | -9.4 | -2.3 | -1.3 | 2.4 | -4.5 | -8.2 | -6.0 | 7.2 | -2.6 |
| 2021 | -3.6 | -5.7 | -5.3 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 3.7 | -0.3 | -2.9 | 2.5 | 2.8 | -2.0 |
| 2020 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 1.2 | -1.8 | 0.3 | 4.4 | -5.0 | 0.8 | -3.4 | 1.7 | -1.2 |
| 2019 | 0.4 | -1.4 | 5.6 | -2.0 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 11.1 | -2.7 | -1.1 | -0.4 | -3.2 |
| 2018 | -3.3 | -3.0 | 2.9 | -2.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | -1.4 | 1.3 | -2.9 | -2.9 | 1.8 | 5.8 |
| 2017 | 0.8 | 1.6 | -0.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | -0.7 | 3.4 | -2.3 | -0.0 | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| 2016 | 5.6 | 3.1 | -0.1 | -0.7 | 0.8 | 6.9 | 2.1 | -1.0 | -1.5 | -4.4 | -8.2 | -0.5 |
| 2015 | 9.8 | -6.1 | 1.1 | -3.4 | -2.4 | -4.1 | 4.5 | -0.7 | 2.0 | -0.4 | -0.9 | -0.3 |
| 2014 | 6.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | -0.3 | 0.7 | 4.7 | -2.1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| 2013 | -3.2 | 1.2 | -0.4 | 4.7 | -6.8 | -3.3 | -2.3 | -1.3 | 0.7 | 1.4 | -2.7 | -1.9 |
| 2012 | -0.3 | -2.6 | -4.2 | 4.8 | 9.0 | -1.7 | 3.8 | -1.3 | -2.5 | -0.5 | 1.2 | -2.5 |
| 2011 | -3.1 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 3.4 | -2.3 | 4.4 | 9.7 | 13.2 | -3.8 | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| 2010 | 2.7 | -0.3 | -2.1 | 3.3 | 5.1 | 5.8 | -0.9 | 8.4 | -2.5 | -4.5 | -1.7 | -3.7 |
| 2009 | -13.1 | -1.5 | 4.0 | -7.0 | -3.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.5 | -2.6 | 1.2 | -6.3 |
| 2008 | 2.1 | -0.5 | 2.1 | -2.5 | -2.7 | 2.6 | -0.4 | 2.7 | 1.5 | -1.9 | 14.3 | 13.7 |
| 2007 | -1.0 | 3.4 | -1.7 | 0.9 | -2.3 | -1.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 5.3 | -0.6 |
| 2006 | -1.3 | 1.1 | -4.6 | -2.8 | -0.2 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | -2.7 |
| 2005 | 3.6 | -1.5 | -0.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.2 | -3.4 | 3.5 | -3.6 | -2.2 | 0.7 | 3.0 |
| 2004 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 1.4 | -6.2 | -0.3 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 1.8 | -2.4 | 2.7 |
| 2003 | -0.6 | 3.1 | -1.4 | 1.1 | 6.3 | -1.8 | -10.0 | 1.3 | 5.9 | -3.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 |
| 2002 | · | · | · | · | · | · | 1.2 | 5.5 | 4.3 | -3.7 | -0.9 | 4.5 |
| Avg | 0.6 | 0.1 | -0.1 | -0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.9 | -0.0 | -1.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
Values in %. Current and first-listed months are partial (greyed).
returnsview.com
TLT seasonality — average by calendar month
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF has monthly history back to 2002. Its strongest month by median is August — positive in 17 of 25 years, median +1.8%, and higher in 5 of the last 9. October is the soft spot, down in 17 of 24 with a median of -2.0%. Across its full record it has closed 53% of months higher, swings ±3.9% in an average month and has fallen 48.4% peak to trough.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +0.6% | +0.1% | -0.1% | -0.7% | +0.7% | +0.7% | +0.5% | +1.9% | +0.0% | -1.6% | +1.6% | +0.5% |
| Win rate | 50%/24 | 50%/24 | 46%/24 | 50%/24 | 54%/24 | 67%/24 | 60%/25 | 68%/25 | 54%/24 | 29%/24 | 71%/24 | 42%/24 |
Win rate = share of positive months / sample size.
TLT risk & extremes
TLT drawdown & rolling returns
Percent below the all-time high at each month-end — how far underwater the asset was.
Related stocks
Compare TLT
Frequently asked questions
What was iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF's best month?+
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF's strongest completed month on record is November 2008, at +14.34%.
What was iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF's worst month?+
Its weakest completed month on record is January 2009, at -13.07%.
Is iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF up this year?+
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF is down 4.10% year to date, measured from its last close before 1 January.
What is iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF's 1-year return?+
-4.96% over the past twelve months, comparing the latest close with the most recent close on or before the same date a year earlier.
What is iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF's biggest drawdown?+
The deepest peak-to-trough fall on record is 48.4%, measured on month-end closes since 2002.
Which calendar month is historically best for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF?+
August has the highest average return across every completed August since 2002. An average is not a forecast.
About iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF is a long treasuries business worth about $47 billion. Tracked here from its first session onward — every monthly, quarterly and weekly return on record since 2002, with no gaps filled in and nothing smoothed. And the long game: $100 at its first close here (2002) would be about $227 today.
Did you know?
- Its best month on record was November 2008 at +14.34%; its worst, January 2009 at -13.07%.
- It has closed November in the green 17 out of 24 times — not a promise, just a suspicious habit.
Trivia for entertainment — the numbers come from our price data; the jokes don't.