Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS) Sortino Ratio: 1.57
VMBS's Sortino Ratio of 1.57 indicates that for each unit of downside volatility, it generates 1.57 units of excess return. The ratio is calculated using historical daily returns over the past 12 months (as of Apr 2, 2026).
Unlike other measures, Sortino only focuses on downside volatility (losses), making it particularly useful for investors more concerned about protecting against drawdowns than overall price swings.
VMBS Sortino Ratio Rank
VMBS ranks above 58.9% of all investments in our database based on Sortino Ratio over the past 12 months, indicating moderate downside protection relative to peers. Securities are ranked from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
What moves the rank
- Strong returns with minimal downside volatility → Higher rank
- Severe or frequent drawdowns → Lower rank
- Upside volatility → No impact (Sortino doesn't penalize upside swings)
What you can do with this information
- Returns are proportional to downside risk—neither strong nor weak
- Evaluate whether downside volatility aligns with your risk tolerance
- Review higher-ranked alternatives in the same category
- Monitor rank direction to identify improving or deteriorating trends
VMBS Sortino Ratio Market Positioning
The chart shows VMBS's Sortino Ratio relative to all ETFs on our platform, with color zones indicating percentile rankings. Higher ratios indicate better downside-adjusted returns.
- Red zone (bottom 25%): 0.81 or lower
- Yellow zone (middle 50%): 0.81 to 2.03
- Green zone (top 25%): 2.03 or higher
- Top 1%: 10.02+
- Median: 1.44 — half of all investments score higher
How it compares to other similar ETFs
The table compares Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF's Sortino Ratio with other ETFs in the Mortgage Backed Securities category across multiple time periods, showing how VMBS's risk-adjusted performance compares to similar funds.
Data shows 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods, plus each fund's all-time average, as of Apr 2, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 1Y Sortino Ratio | 5Y Sortino Ratio | 10Y Sortino Ratio | All Time Sortino Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTSD | Franklin Short Duration U.S. Government ETF | 3.40 | |||
| LMBS | First Trust Low Duration Mortgage Opportunities ETF | 2.92 | |||
| VABS | Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF | 2.80 | |||
| CMBS | iShares CMBS ETF | 1.81 | |||
| PMBS | PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund | 1.79 | |||
| GNMA | iShares GNMA Bond ETF | 1.63 | |||
| MBSD | FlexShares Disciplined Duration MBS Index Fund | 1.59 | |||
| VMBS | Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | 1.57 | |||
| JMBS | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | 1.57 | |||
| SPMB | SPDR Portfolio Mortgage Backed Bond ETF | 1.56 |
Historical Sortino Ratio
The chart shows VMBS's rolling Sortino ratio over time compared to your chosen benchmark. Rising trends indicate improving returns relative to downside risk, while declining trends may signal deteriorating risk-adjusted performance or increased volatility during market stress. Use multiple timeframes to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term patterns.
Identify market cycles by observing when VMBS consistently outperforms (line above benchmark), underperforms (below benchmark), or aligns with the benchmark.
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Explore VMBS risk-adjusted metrics in detail
Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.