- ISIN
- US9219377770
- CUSIP
- 921937777
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Sep 27, 2011
- Category
- Total Bond Market
- Min. Investment
- $5,000,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VBITX Performance Chart
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares (VBITX) is up 0.1% since the beginning of the year. VBITX is currently trading at $10 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VBITX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,080.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares (VBITX) has returned 0.11% so far this year and 3.35% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VBITX has returned 1.87% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- 0.35%
- YTD
- 0.11%
- 6M
- 0.55%
- 1Y
- 3.35%
- 3Y*
- 4.43%
- 5Y*
- 1.56%
- 10Y*
- 1.87%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
VBITX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Sep 27, 2011, VBITX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.14%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 41.3 years.
Historically, 61% of months were positive and 39% were negative. The best month was Mar 2023 with a return of +1.9%, while the worst month was Mar 2022 at -1.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 11 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 9 months.
On a daily basis, VBITX closed higher 32% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 13, 2023 with a return of +0.9%, while the worst single day was Jun 13, 2022 at -0.7%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.15% | 0.79% | -0.82% | 0.24% | 0.05% | -0.29% | 0.11% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.51% | 0.98% | 0.52% | 0.90% | -0.25% | 0.81% | -0.06% | 1.12% | 0.23% | 0.43% | 0.52% | 0.24% | 6.11% |
| 2024 | 0.36% | -0.64% | 0.47% | -0.83% | 0.99% | 0.68% | 1.50% | 0.98% | 0.97% | -1.06% | 0.40% | -0.08% | 3.77% |
| 2023 | 1.28% | -1.25% | 1.91% | 0.30% | -0.51% | -0.61% | 0.31% | 0.22% | -0.38% | -0.20% | 1.77% | 1.56% | 4.43% |
| 2022 | -1.04% | -0.59% | -1.89% | -0.98% | 0.70% | -0.87% | 1.02% | -1.35% | -1.77% | -0.26% | 1.38% | -0.04% | -5.61% |
| 2021 | -0.09% | -0.46% | -0.26% | 0.29% | 0.19% | -0.19% | 0.38% | -0.09% | -0.28% | -0.47% | -0.10% | -0.11% | -1.18% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares has an annualized alpha of 1.86%, beta of -0.01, and R2 of 0.01 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since September 27, 2011.
- This fund participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (5.65%) than losses (1.12%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- Beta of -0.01 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.01 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 0.01 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
- 1.86%
- Beta
- -0.01
- R²
- 0.01
- Upside Capture
- 5.65%
- Downside Capture
- 1.12%
Expense Ratio
VBITX has an expense ratio of 0.05%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VBITX ranks 37 for risk / return — below 37% 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 Institutional Shares (VBITX) 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.
| VBITX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.51 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.21 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.30 | 1.37 | -0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.25 | 2.78 | -0.54 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.99 | 12.44 | -5.45 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares provided a 4.02% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.41 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 | $0.41 | $0.40 | $0.34 | $0.20 | $0.15 | $0.13 | $0.20 | $0.24 | $0.21 | $0.18 | $0.16 | $0.15 |
Dividend yield | 4.02% | 3.85% | 3.39% | 1.99% | 1.48% | 1.24% | 1.80% | 2.26% | 2.03% | 1.69% | 1.52% | 1.44% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares. 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 | $0.04 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.17 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.40 |
| 2024 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.34 |
| 2023 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.20 |
| 2022 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.15 |
| 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 | $0.13 |
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 Institutional Shares. 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 Institutional Shares was 8.65%, occurring on Oct 20, 2022. Recovery took 446 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Institutional Shares drawdown is 0.82%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -8.65%Oct 2022 | 1y 9mo | 1y 9mo | 3y 6moJan 2021 - Aug 2024 |
COVID crash2020 | -1.94%Mar 2020 | 9d | 26d | 1mo 5dMar 2020 - Apr 2020 |
2018 pullback2018 | -1.87%May 2018 | 8mo 7d | 7mo 6d | 1y 3moSep 2017 - Dec 2018 |
2016 pullback2016 | -1.83%Dec 2016 | 5mo 12d | 5mo 19d | 11mo 1dJul 2016 - Jun 2017 |
2026 pullback2026 | -1.54%Mar 2026 | 24d | — | 3mo 23dMar 2026 - now |
Drawdown Indicators
| VBITX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.65% | -56.78% | +48.13% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.54% | -9.10% | +7.56% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.54% | -18.90% | +17.36% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -8.61% | -25.43% | +16.82% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -8.65% | -33.92% | +25.27% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.82% | -1.80% | +0.98% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.18% | -10.71% | +9.53% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.50% | 2.03% | -1.53% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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