- ISIN
- US9220314069
- CUSIP
- 922031406
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Oct 29, 1982
- Category
- Total Bond Market
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $55B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VFSTX Performance Chart
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VFSTX) is up 0.4% since the beginning of the year. VFSTX is currently trading at $10 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VFSTX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,118.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VFSTX) has returned 0.38% so far this year and 3.98% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VFSTX has returned 2.48% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.71% annually.
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares
- 1D
- -0.10%
- 1M
- 0.20%
- YTD
- 0.38%
- 6M
- 0.86%
- 1Y
- 3.98%
- 3Y*
- 5.52%
- 5Y*
- 2.26%
- 10Y*
- 2.48%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -1.44%
- 1M
- -1.45%
- YTD
- 7.60%
- 6M
- 6.59%
- 1Y
- 22.24%
- 3Y*
- 19.20%
- 5Y*
- 11.54%
- 10Y*
- 13.71%
VFSTX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Oct 29, 1982, VFSTX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.31%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 18.7 years.
Historically, 71% of months were positive and 29% were negative. The best month was May 2009 with a return of +2.8%, while the worst month was Sep 2008 at -3.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 23 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, VFSTX closed higher 32% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 31, 1984 with a return of +2.2%, while the worst single day was May 31, 1984 at -2.2%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.38% | 0.66% | -0.85% | 0.39% | 0.30% | -0.48% | 0.38% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.56% | 0.94% | 0.46% | 0.67% | 0.19% | 0.96% | 0.10% | 1.06% | 0.48% | 0.28% | 0.57% | 0.28% | 6.75% |
| 2024 | 0.40% | -0.47% | 0.72% | -0.66% | 1.04% | 0.54% | 1.63% | 1.04% | 1.02% | -0.89% | 0.64% | -0.13% | 4.98% |
| 2023 | 1.61% | -1.27% | 1.53% | 0.64% | -0.44% | -0.33% | 0.67% | 0.18% | -0.52% | -0.11% | 2.21% | 1.79% | 6.06% |
| 2022 | -1.18% | -0.81% | -1.87% | -1.31% | 0.74% | -1.31% | 1.45% | -1.31% | -2.01% | -0.33% | 1.93% | 0.10% | -5.84% |
| 2021 | -0.09% | -0.36% | -0.32% | 0.50% | 0.31% | -0.15% | 0.40% | -0.05% | -0.23% | -0.51% | -0.23% | 0.03% | -0.70% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares has an annualized alpha of 3.84%, beta of -0.00, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since October 29, 1982.
- This fund captured 11.03% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -3.48%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of -0.00 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.00 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 0.00 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
- 3.84%
- Beta
- -0.00
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 11.03%
- Downside Capture
- -3.48%
Expense Ratio
VFSTX has an expense ratio of 0.20%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VFSTX ranks 54 for risk / return — on par with similar mutual funds. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VFSTX) 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.
| VFSTX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.03 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.71 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.32 | +0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.46 | 2.46 | +0.01 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.40 | 10.92 | -1.51 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares provided a 4.62% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.48 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 | $0.48 | $0.47 | $0.42 | $0.31 | $0.19 | $0.18 | $0.25 | $0.30 | $0.28 | $0.21 | $0.22 | $0.21 |
Dividend yield | 4.62% | 4.48% | 4.06% | 3.05% | 1.93% | 1.70% | 2.24% | 2.83% | 2.68% | 2.00% | 2.04% | 1.99% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor 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 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.20 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.47 |
| 2024 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.42 |
| 2023 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.31 |
| 2022 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.19 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.05 | $0.18 |
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 Investment-Grade Fund Investor 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 Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares was 9.35%, occurring on Oct 20, 2022. Recovery took 405 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares drawdown is 0.64%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -9.35%Oct 2022 | 1y 2mo | 1y 7mo | 2y 10moAug 2021 - Jun 2024 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -8.28%Nov 2008 | 8mo 25d | 6mo 6d | 1y 2moMar 2008 - May 2009 |
1989 pullback1989 | -6.99%Mar 1989 | 2y 1mo | 1y 2mo | 3y 4moJan 1987 - Jun 1990 |
1984 pullback1984 | -6.68%Jun 1984 | 1y 1mo | 6mo 28d | 1y 7moMay 1983 - Jan 1985 |
COVID crash2020 | -6.14%Mar 2020 | 15d | 2mo 9d | 2mo 24dMar 2020 - Jun 2020 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VFSTX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.35% | -56.78% | +47.43% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.71% | -9.10% | +7.39% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.71% | -18.90% | +17.19% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.35% | -25.43% | +16.08% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -9.35% | -33.92% | +24.57% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.64% | -3.21% | +2.57% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.12% | -10.71% | +9.59% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.45% | 2.04% | -1.59% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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Build a portfolio with VFSTX
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