Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) has returned -0.32% so far this year and 2.33% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, BLV has returned 1.20% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.

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, your 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%.

Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF has an annualized alpha of 5.67%, beta of -0.07, and R² of 0.01 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since April 11, 2007.

• This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (20.01%) than losses (12.46%) — 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.

BLV has an expense ratio of 0.03%, which is considered low.

BLV ranks 18 for risk / return — in the bottom 18% of ETFs on our site. This means you're taking on significantly more risk than the returns justify. Consider whether the potential upside is worth the volatility, or explore alternatives with better risk / return profiles.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF provided a 4.73% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $3.25 per share.

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.

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.

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 24.59%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.