- ISIN
- US92204L3024
- CUSIP
- 92204L302
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- May 14, 2001
- Category
- Municipal Bonds
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VPALX Performance Chart
Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VPALX) is up 1.7% since the beginning of the year. VPALX is currently trading at $11 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VPALX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,059.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VPALX) has returned 1.66% so far this year and 8.44% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VPALX has returned 2.70% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.42% annually.
Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.50%
- YTD
- 1.66%
- 6M
- 2.27%
- 1Y
- 8.44%
- 3Y*
- 4.72%
- 5Y*
- 1.16%
- 10Y*
- 2.70%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.26%
- 1M
- -0.17%
- YTD
- 7.91%
- 6M
- 7.98%
- 1Y
- 22.99%
- 3Y*
- 19.77%
- 5Y*
- 11.75%
- 10Y*
- 13.42%
VPALX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 14, 2001, VPALX's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.33%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 17.5 years.
Historically, 65% of months were positive and 35% were negative. The best month was Nov 2023 with a return of +7.5%, while the worst month was Feb 2008 at -4.8%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VPALX closed higher 38% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 25, 2020 with a return of +4.1%, while the worst single day was Mar 19, 2020 at -3.0%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.49% | 1.51% | -2.24% | 1.35% | 0.50% | 0.09% | 1.66% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.20% | 1.53% | -1.70% | -0.51% | -0.45% | 0.61% | -0.55% | 0.90% | 3.01% | 1.63% | 0.41% | 0.22% | 5.34% |
| 2024 | -0.17% | 0.10% | -0.08% | -1.18% | -0.17% | 1.90% | 0.85% | 0.67% | 1.31% | -1.53% | 2.27% | -1.23% | 2.69% |
| 2023 | 3.40% | -2.67% | 2.28% | 0.00% | -0.84% | 0.94% | 0.28% | -1.50% | -3.14% | -2.07% | 7.47% | 3.11% | 6.99% |
| 2022 | -2.50% | -0.52% | -3.10% | -3.47% | 1.18% | -2.29% | 2.88% | -2.57% | -4.14% | -1.29% | 5.77% | -0.10% | -10.12% |
| 2021 | 0.49% | -1.72% | 0.65% | 1.14% | 0.56% | 0.31% | 0.79% | -0.42% | -0.75% | -0.10% | 0.98% | -0.10% | 1.81% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares has an annualized alpha of 4.05%, beta of -0.01, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 14, 2001.
- This fund captured 12.90% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -1.61%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of -0.01 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
- 4.05%
- Beta
- -0.01
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 12.90%
- Downside Capture
- -1.61%
Expense Ratio
VPALX has an expense ratio of 0.09%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VPALX ranks 81 for risk / return — in the top 81% of mutual funds 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 Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VPALX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| VPALX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.91 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.73 | 1.35 | +0.38 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.74 | 2.54 | +0.20 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.80 | 11.58 | -1.78 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares provided a 3.71% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.40 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 2 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.40 | $0.49 | $0.45 | $0.33 | $0.34 | $0.28 | $0.39 | $0.45 | $0.45 | $0.47 | $0.48 | $0.47 |
Dividend yield | 3.71% | 4.54% | 4.14% | 3.03% | 3.21% | 2.30% | 3.24% | 3.79% | 3.99% | 4.02% | 4.20% | 4.00% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-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 | $0.17 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.03 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.49 |
| 2024 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.45 |
| 2023 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.33 |
| 2022 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.34 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.28 |
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 Pennsylvania Long-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 Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares was 15.87%, occurring on Oct 25, 2022. Recovery took 532 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Pennsylvania Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares drawdown is 0.34%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -15.87%Oct 2022 | 1y 2mo | 2y 1mo | 3y 4moAug 2021 - Dec 2024 |
COVID crash2020 | -11.78%Mar 2020 | 10d | 4mo 18d | 4mo 28dMar 2020 - Aug 2020 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -10.15%Oct 2008 | 8mo 26d | 6mo 6d | 1y 2moJan 2008 - Apr 2009 |
2013 pullback2013 | -7.63%Sep 2013 | 4mo 5d | 7mo 6d | 11mo 11dMay 2013 - Apr 2014 |
2011 pullback2011 | -6.65%Jan 2011 | 4mo 19d | 5mo 25d | 10mo 14dSep 2010 - Jul 2011 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VPALX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -15.87% | -56.78% | +40.91% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.10% | -9.10% | +6.00% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -7.01% | -18.90% | +11.89% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -15.87% | -25.43% | +9.56% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -15.87% | -33.92% | +18.05% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.34% | -2.93% | +2.59% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.96% | -10.72% | +8.76% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.86% | 1.99% | -1.13% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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