- CUSIP
- 922040852
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Feb 7, 2025
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Ultrashort Bond, Government Bonds
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Bloomberg Short Treasury Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $991M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VGUS Performance Chart
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) is up 1.6% since the beginning of the year. VGUS is currently trading at $76 per share.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) has returned 1.61% so far this year and 3.85% over the past 12 months.
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.20%
- YTD
- 1.61%
- 6M
- 1.69%
- 1Y
- 3.85%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
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%
VGUS Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 11, 2025, VGUS's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.31%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 18.7 years.
Historically, 100% of months were positive and 0% were negative. The best month was Aug 2025 with a return of +0.5%, while the worst month was Jun 2026 at 0.2%. The longest winning streak lasted 17 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 0 months.
On a daily basis, VGUS closed higher 75% of trading days. The best single day was Aug 1, 2025 with a return of +0.2%, while the worst single day was Sep 15, 2025 at -0.1%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.28% | 0.27% | 0.25% | 0.29% | 0.30% | 0.19% | 1.61% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.26% | 0.34% | 0.39% | 0.27% | 0.36% | 0.27% | 0.48% | 0.37% | 0.33% | 0.29% | 0.38% | 3.78% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF has an annualized alpha of 4.04%, beta of -0.00, and R2 of 0.03 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since February 11, 2025.
- This ETF captured 7.08% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -13.93%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of -0.00 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.03 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 0.03 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
- 4.04%
- Beta
- -0.00
- R²
- 0.03
- Upside Capture
- 7.08%
- Downside Capture
- -13.93%
Expense Ratio
VGUS has an expense ratio of 0.07%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VGUS ranks 99 for risk / return — in the top 99% of ETFs on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) 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.
| VGUS | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +10.06 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +31.64 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 10.49 | 1.32 | +9.17 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 53.13 | 2.46 | +50.67 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 402.18 | 10.92 | +391.27 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF provided a 3.60% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.72 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $2.72 | $2.36 |
Dividend yield | 3.60% | 3.12% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury 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 | $0.22 | $0.19 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $1.07 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.26 | $0.21 | $0.24 | $0.22 | $0.25 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.47 | $2.36 |
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 Ultra-Short Treasury 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 Ultra-Short Treasury ETF was 0.07%, occurring on Sep 15, 2025. Recovery took 6 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 pullback2025 | -0.07%Sep 2025 | 0s | 8d | 8dSep 2025 - Sep 2025 |
2025 selloff2025 | -0.05%May 2025 | 0s | 4d | 4dMay 2025 - May 2025 |
2025 pullback2025 | -0.05%Jul 2025 | 0s | 1d | 1dJul 2025 - Aug 2025 |
2025 pullback2025 | -0.05%Aug 2025 | 1d | 2d | 3dAug 2025 - Aug 2025 |
2026 pullback2026 | -0.03%May 2026 | 0s | 3d | 3dMay 2026 - May 2026 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VGUS | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -0.07% | -56.78% | +56.71% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.07% | -9.10% | +9.03% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -18.90% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -25.43% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -3.21% | +3.21% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.00% | -10.71% | +10.71% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.01% | 2.04% | -2.03% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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