- ISIN
- US9219372078
- CUSIP
- 921937207
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Mar 1, 1994
- Category
- Short-Term Bond
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VBISX Performance Chart
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund (VBISX) is up 0.3% since the beginning of the year. VBISX is currently trading at $10 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VBISX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,073.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund (VBISX) has returned 0.26% so far this year and 3.54% over the past 12 months.
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- -0.06%
- YTD
- 0.26%
- 6M
- 0.69%
- 1Y
- 3.54%
- 3Y*
- 4.14%
- 5Y*
- 1.42%
- 10Y*
- 1.80%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -2.64%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- YTD
- 7.86%
- 6M
- 7.47%
- 1Y
- —
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
VBISX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 28, 1994, VBISX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.28%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 20.7 years.
Historically, 67% of months were positive and 33% were negative. The best month was May 1995 with a return of +2.4%, while the worst month was Mar 2022 at -1.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 18 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 9 months.
On a daily basis, VBISX closed higher 35% of trading days. The best single day was Sep 29, 2008 with a return of +1.0%, while the worst single day was Apr 4, 1994 at -0.8%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.14% | 0.79% | -0.83% | 0.23% | 0.04% | -0.10% | 0.26% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.20% | 0.97% | 0.51% | 0.89% | -0.26% | 0.80% | -0.07% | 1.11% | 0.22% | 0.33% | 0.61% | 0.23% | 5.67% |
| 2024 | 0.35% | -0.65% | 0.36% | -0.74% | 0.99% | 0.68% | 1.49% | 0.97% | 0.96% | -1.07% | 0.39% | -0.09% | 3.66% |
| 2023 | 1.28% | -1.25% | 1.90% | 0.47% | -0.52% | -0.62% | 0.30% | 0.22% | -0.39% | -0.20% | 1.76% | 1.56% | 4.54% |
| 2022 | -0.96% | -0.59% | -1.90% | -0.99% | 0.69% | -0.88% | 1.01% | -1.36% | -1.78% | -0.27% | 1.37% | -0.05% | -5.61% |
| 2021 | -0.09% | -0.46% | -0.27% | 0.28% | 0.19% | -0.19% | 0.37% | -0.10% | -0.29% | -0.48% | -0.11% | -0.21% | -1.35% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund has an annualized alpha of 3.19%, beta of 0.03, and R2 of 0.02 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since March 01, 1994.
- This fund captured 10.31% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -3.43%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of 0.03 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.02 this fund 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 fund's risk.
- R2 of 0.02 means this fund 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
- 3.19%
- Beta
- 0.03
- R²
- 0.02
- Upside Capture
- 10.31%
- Downside Capture
- -3.43%
Expense Ratio
VBISX has an expense ratio of 0.15%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VBISX ranks 36 for risk / return — below 36% of mutual funds 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 Short-Term Bond Index Fund (VBISX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| VBISX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | — | — | |
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | — | — | |
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | — | — |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.24 | — | — |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.14 | — | — |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund provided a 3.90% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.40 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 4 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.40 | $0.36 | $0.33 | $0.21 | $0.14 | $0.12 | $0.19 | $0.23 | $0.20 | $0.16 | $0.15 | $0.14 |
Dividend yield | 3.90% | 3.44% | 3.29% | 2.10% | 1.38% | 1.16% | 1.72% | 2.16% | 1.92% | 1.58% | 1.42% | 1.34% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund. 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 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.17 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.36 |
| 2024 | $0.03 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.33 |
| 2023 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.21 |
| 2022 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.14 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.04 | $0.12 |
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 Short-Term Bond Index Fund. 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 Short-Term Bond Index Fund was 8.79%, occurring on Oct 20, 2022. Recovery took 447 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund drawdown is 0.66%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -8.79%Oct 2022 | 1y 9mo | 1y 9mo | 3y 6moJan 2021 - Aug 2024 |
1994 pullback1994 | -5.10%Dec 1994 | 9mo 15d | 4mo 5d | 1y 1moMar 1994 - Apr 1995 |
2004 pullback2004 | -2.70%Jun 2004 | 2mo 29d | 4mo 1d | 7moMar 2004 - Oct 2004 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -2.45%Oct 2008 | 27d | 1mo 16d | 2mo 13dSep 2008 - Nov 2008 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -2.32%Jun 2008 | 3mo 4d | 2mo 22d | 5mo 26dMar 2008 - Sep 2008 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VBISX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.79% | -9.10% | +0.31% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.54% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.55% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -8.72% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -8.79% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.66% | -2.97% | +2.31% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.87% | -1.13% | +0.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.48% | — | — |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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