- ISIN
- US9229078863
- CUSIP
- 922907886
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Feb 12, 2001
- Category
- Municipal Bonds
- Min. Investment
- $50,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $35B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VMLUX Performance Chart
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VMLUX) is up 1.1% since the beginning of the year. VMLUX is currently trading at $11 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VMLUX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,115.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VMLUX) has returned 1.05% so far this year and 4.06% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VMLUX has returned 2.12% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.72%
- YTD
- 1.05%
- 6M
- 1.41%
- 1Y
- 4.06%
- 3Y*
- 4.31%
- 5Y*
- 2.21%
- 10Y*
- 2.12%
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%
VMLUX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 12, 2001, VMLUX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.20%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 28.9 years.
Historically, 67% of months were positive and 33% 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 11 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 4 months.
On a daily basis, VMLUX closed higher 23% 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 | 0.71% | 0.72% | -1.18% | 0.46% | 0.26% | 0.09% | 1.05% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.52% | 0.97% | -0.04% | 0.07% | 0.54% | 0.82% | 0.53% | 0.72% | 0.54% | 0.18% | 0.18% | 0.36% | 5.50% |
| 2024 | -0.05% | 0.23% | 0.05% | -0.31% | -0.04% | 0.80% | 0.80% | 0.89% | 0.61% | -0.57% | 0.96% | -0.14% | 3.25% |
| 2023 | 1.49% | -1.29% | 1.31% | -0.18% | -0.46% | 0.58% | 0.20% | -0.17% | -1.01% | 0.03% | 2.51% | 1.25% | 4.29% |
| 2022 | -1.34% | -0.25% | -1.45% | -1.09% | 0.97% | -0.24% | 1.16% | -1.05% | -1.62% | -0.21% | 1.99% | 0.27% | -2.90% |
| 2021 | 0.18% | -0.62% | 0.21% | 0.29% | 0.11% | 0.02% | 0.37% | -0.08% | -0.35% | -0.08% | 0.19% | 0.00% | 0.23% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares has an annualized alpha of 2.45%, beta of 0.00, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since February 12, 2001.
- This fund captured 6.46% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -4.15%) - 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
- 2.45%
- Beta
- 0.00
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 6.46%
- Downside Capture
- -4.15%
Expense Ratio
VMLUX has an expense ratio of 0.09%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VMLUX ranks 77 for risk / return — better than 77% 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 Admiral Shares (VMLUX) 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.
| VMLUX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.74 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.34 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.90 | 1.37 | +0.53 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.72 | 2.78 | -0.06 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.97 | 12.44 | -3.47 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares provided a 3.16% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.35 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 | $0.35 | $0.42 | $0.37 | $0.26 | $0.18 | $0.12 | $0.19 | $0.23 | $0.21 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.17 |
Dividend yield | 3.16% | 3.85% | 3.38% | 2.39% | 1.64% | 1.04% | 1.70% | 2.10% | 1.89% | 1.65% | 1.62% | 1.58% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral 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 | $0.42 |
| 2024 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.37 |
| 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 | $0.26 |
| 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 | $0.18 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.12 |
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 Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral 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 Admiral Shares was 6.41%, occurring on Mar 20, 2020. Recovery took 70 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Limited-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares drawdown is 0.38%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -6.41%Mar 2020 | 10d | 3mo 12d | 3mo 22dMar 2020 - Jun 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -5.60%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 | -2.57%May 2004 | 2mo 2d | 5mo 15d | 7mo 17dMar 2004 - Oct 2004 |
2016 pullback2016 | -2.27%Dec 2016 | 3mo 8d | 5mo 17d | 8mo 25dAug 2016 - May 2017 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VMLUX | 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 | -5.60% | -25.43% | +19.83% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -6.41% | -33.92% | +27.51% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.38% | -1.80% | +1.42% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.54% | -10.71% | +10.17% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.46% | 2.03% | -1.57% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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