- ISIN
- US9229077048
- CUSIP
- 922907704
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Aug 31, 1987
- Category
- Municipal Bonds
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $35B
Share Price Chart
Loading charts...
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
Performance
VMLTX Performance Chart
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VMLTX) is up 1.0% since the beginning of the year. VMLTX is currently trading at $11 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VMLTX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,111.
Loading charts...
Returns By Period
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VMLTX) has returned 1.01% so far this year and 3.98% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VMLTX has returned 2.10% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.72%
- YTD
- 1.01%
- 6M
- 1.37%
- 1Y
- 3.98%
- 3Y*
- 4.21%
- 5Y*
- 2.12%
- 10Y*
- 2.10%
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%
VMLTX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Aug 31, 1987, VMLTX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.27%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 21.4 years.
Historically, 71% of months were positive and 29% were negative. The best month was Nov 2023 with a return of +2.5%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -1.7%. The longest winning streak lasted 15 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VMLTX closed higher 24% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 25, 2020 with a return of +2.0%, while the worst single day was Mar 20, 2020 at -1.7%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.70% | 0.71% | -1.19% | 0.45% | 0.26% | 0.09% | 1.01% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.52% | 0.96% | -0.06% | 0.06% | 0.53% | 0.81% | 0.52% | 0.71% | 0.53% | 0.17% | 0.17% | 0.35% | 5.39% |
| 2024 | -0.06% | 0.22% | 0.04% | -0.32% | -0.05% | 0.79% | 0.79% | 0.89% | 0.61% | -0.58% | 0.95% | -0.15% | 3.14% |
| 2023 | 1.48% | -1.29% | 1.31% | -0.19% | -0.47% | 0.57% | 0.19% | -0.18% | -1.01% | 0.02% | 2.50% | 1.24% | 4.19% |
| 2022 | -1.35% | -0.26% | -1.45% | -1.09% | 0.96% | -0.25% | 1.15% | -1.06% | -1.63% | -0.22% | 1.98% | 0.27% | -2.98% |
| 2021 | 0.71% | -0.50% | 0.19% | 0.29% | 0.11% | 0.02% | 0.37% | -0.09% | -0.35% | -0.09% | 0.18% | 0.00% | 0.83% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares has an annualized alpha of 3.28%, beta of 0.00, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since August 31, 1987.
- This fund captured 8.82% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -5.01%) - 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
- 3.28%
- Beta
- 0.00
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 8.82%
- Downside Capture
- -5.01%
Expense Ratio
VMLTX has an expense ratio of 0.17%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VMLTX ranks 76 for risk / return — better than 76% of mutual funds on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VMLTX) 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.
| VMLTX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.71 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.24 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.88 | 1.37 | +0.51 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.67 | 2.78 | -0.11 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.71 | 12.44 | -3.73 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares provided a 3.07% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.34 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.34 | $0.41 | $0.35 | $0.25 | $0.17 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.22 | $0.20 | $0.17 | $0.16 | $0.17 |
Dividend yield | 3.07% | 3.75% | 3.27% | 2.30% | 1.56% | 1.64% | 1.62% | 2.01% | 1.81% | 1.55% | 1.52% | 1.50% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt 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 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.14 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.03 | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.06 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.41 |
| 2024 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.35 |
| 2023 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.25 |
| 2022 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.17 |
| 2021 | $0.06 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $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.
Loading charts...
Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt 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 Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares was 6.41%, occurring on Mar 20, 2020. Recovery took 70 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares drawdown is 0.40%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -6.41%Mar 2020 | 10d | 3mo 12d | 3mo 22dMar 2020 - Jun 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -5.69%Oct 2022 | 1y 2mo | 1y 1mo | 2y 4moAug 2021 - Dec 2023 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -3.21%Oct 2008 | 1mo 4d | 2mo 22d | 3mo 26dSep 2008 - Jan 2009 |
2004 pullback2004 | -2.58%May 2004 | 2mo 2d | 5mo 15d | 7mo 17dMar 2004 - Oct 2004 |
1989 pullback1989 | -2.54%Mar 1989 | 1y 25d | 9mo 10d | 1y 10moMar 1988 - Jan 1990 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VMLTX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -6.41% | -56.78% | +50.37% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.53% | -9.10% | +7.57% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -2.02% | -18.90% | +16.88% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -5.69% | -25.43% | +19.74% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -6.41% | -33.92% | +27.51% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.40% | -1.80% | +1.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.48% | -10.71% | +10.23% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.47% | 2.03% | -1.56% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Loading charts...
Build a portfolio with VMLTX
Add Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares to a portfolio and analyze allocations for your target — whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing drawdowns, or balancing risk across holdings.
Open Portfolio Analyzer with VMLTX