- ISIN
- US9219377937
- CUSIP
- 921937793
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Apr 3, 2007
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Long-Term Bond
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Bloomberg U.S. Long Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $9B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
BLV Performance Chart
Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) is up 1.1% since the beginning of the year. BLV is currently trading at $69 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of BLV shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $834.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) has returned 1.06% so far this year and 6.70% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, BLV has returned 0.94% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.75% annually.
Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF
- 1D
- 0.38%
- 1M
- 2.88%
- YTD
- 1.06%
- 6M
- 1.00%
- 1Y
- 6.70%
- 3Y*
- 2.05%
- 5Y*
- -3.57%
- 10Y*
- 0.94%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.57%
- 1M
- 1.39%
- YTD
- 9.73%
- 6M
- 10.46%
- 1Y
- 24.50%
- 3Y*
- 19.43%
- 5Y*
- 12.21%
- 10Y*
- 13.75%
BLV Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Apr 10, 2007, BLV's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.40%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 14.5 years.
Historically, 56% of months were positive and 44% were negative. The best month was Dec 2008 with a return of +13.0%, while the worst month was Apr 2022 at -9.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, BLV closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 23, 2020 with a return of +4.9%, while the worst single day was Mar 18, 2020 at -7.5%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.17% | 3.12% | -3.51% | -0.20% | 0.98% | 0.60% | 1.06% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.51% | 4.45% | -1.25% | -1.10% | -1.71% | 2.79% | -0.57% | 0.53% | 3.16% | 0.91% | 0.55% | -1.81% | 6.44% |
| 2024 | -1.37% | -2.38% | 1.45% | -5.38% | 3.39% | 0.90% | 3.40% | 2.21% | 2.32% | -4.97% | 2.34% | -4.99% | -3.65% |
| 2023 | 7.26% | -5.13% | 4.62% | 0.67% | -2.92% | 1.03% | -1.14% | -2.34% | -6.31% | -4.58% | 9.99% | 7.57% | 7.35% |
| 2022 | -4.27% | -2.61% | -3.98% | -9.51% | 0.23% | -3.20% | 4.44% | -5.29% | -7.93% | -3.79% | 8.55% | -2.29% | -26.95% |
| 2021 | -2.92% | -4.21% | -3.29% | 1.83% | 0.33% | 3.86% | 2.99% | -0.36% | -2.53% | 1.72% | 1.10% | -1.08% | -2.89% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF has an annualized alpha of 5.73%, beta of -0.07, and R2 of 0.01 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since April 10, 2007.
- This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (19.48%) than losses (12.18%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- Beta of -0.07 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.01 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
- R2 of 0.01 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index - capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 5.73%
- Beta
- -0.07
- R²
- 0.01
- Upside Capture
- 19.48%
- Downside Capture
- 12.18%
Expense Ratio
BLV has an expense ratio of 0.03%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
BLV ranks 23 for risk / return — below 23% of ETFs on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| BLV | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.14 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.44 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.15 | 1.36 | -0.22 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.17 | 2.71 | -1.53 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.89 | 12.15 | -9.27 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF provided a 4.76% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $3.28 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $3.28 | $3.25 | $3.49 | $3.03 | $3.02 | $3.47 | $6.71 | $3.58 | $3.56 | $3.46 | $3.71 | $3.80 |
Dividend yield | 4.76% | 4.67% | 5.09% | 4.06% | 4.17% | 3.37% | 6.12% | 3.57% | 4.07% | 3.63% | 4.16% | 4.37% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.28 | $0.25 | $0.28 | $0.27 | $0.28 | $1.37 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.25 | $0.28 | $0.26 | $0.28 | $0.27 | $0.28 | $0.27 | $0.27 | $0.27 | $0.55 | $3.25 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.28 | $0.25 | $0.28 | $0.54 | $0.27 | $0.27 | $0.27 | $0.27 | $0.26 | $0.27 | $0.54 | $3.49 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.24 | $0.26 | $0.25 | $0.26 | $0.25 | $0.26 | $0.26 | $0.25 | $0.26 | $0.52 | $3.03 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.24 | $0.23 | $0.36 | $0.24 | $0.25 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.25 | $0.49 | $3.02 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.26 | $0.24 | $0.56 | $0.24 | $0.25 | $0.24 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.24 | $0.25 | $0.70 | $3.47 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF was 38.29%, occurring on Oct 19, 2023. The portfolio has not yet recovered.
The current Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF drawdown is 23.55%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 bear market2023 | -38.29%Oct 2023 | 3y 2mo | — | 5y 10moAug 2020 - now |
COVID crash2020 | -20.04%Mar 2020 | 9d | 3mo 20d | 3mo 29dMar 2020 - Jul 2020 |
2013 correction2013 | -14.49%Aug 2013 | 3mo 20d | 11mo 4d | 1y 2moMay 2013 - Jul 2014 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -12.71%Nov 2008 | 1mo 18d | 1mo 8d | 2mo 26dSep 2008 - Dec 2008 |
2015 correction2015 | -12.37%Jun 2015 | 4mo 24d | 11mo 13d | 1y 4moFeb 2015 - Jun 2016 |
Drawdown Indicators
| BLV | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -38.29% | -56.78% | +18.49% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.73% | -9.10% | +3.37% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.16% | -18.90% | +3.74% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.27% | -25.43% | -10.84% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -38.29% | -33.92% | -4.37% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -23.55% | -1.29% | -22.26% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.54% | -10.72% | +1.18% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.33% | 2.02% | +0.31% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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