PortfoliosLab logoPortfoliosLab logo
ISIN
US9220316049
CUSIP
922031604
Issuer
Vanguard
Inception Date
Dec 31, 1987
Min. Investment
$3,000
Distribution Policy
Distributing
Asset Class
Bond
Assets Under Management
$5B

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

VSGBX Performance Chart

Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares (VSGBX) is up 0.3% since the beginning of the year. VSGBX is currently trading at $10 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VSGBX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,081.


Loading charts...

S&P 500 Index

Returns By Period

Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares (VSGBX) has returned 0.31% so far this year and 3.50% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VSGBX has returned 1.77% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.


Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares

1D
0.10%
1M
0.22%
YTD
0.31%
6M
0.62%
1Y
3.50%
3Y*
4.47%
5Y*
1.57%
10Y*
1.77%

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%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VSGBX Monthly Returns History

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Dec 31, 1987, VSGBX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.31%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 18.7 years.

Historically, 70% of months were positive and 30% were negative. The best month was Dec 2008 with a return of +2.3%, while the worst month was Sep 2022 at -1.6%. The longest winning streak lasted 23 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.

On a daily basis, VSGBX closed higher 33% of trading days. The best single day was Feb 1, 1991 with a return of +1.1%, while the worst single day was Mar 8, 1996 at -0.8%.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20260.22%0.79%-0.55%0.22%0.02%-0.39%0.31%
20250.49%0.97%0.48%0.77%-0.17%0.82%-0.15%1.02%0.32%0.32%0.60%0.22%5.83%
20240.49%-0.51%0.51%-0.69%0.91%0.58%1.39%0.99%0.87%-0.88%0.48%-0.01%4.17%
20231.25%-1.14%1.17%0.37%-0.32%-0.63%0.29%0.30%-0.50%0.00%1.51%1.50%3.82%
2022-0.78%-0.51%-1.64%-0.90%0.75%-0.76%0.62%-0.97%-1.64%-0.46%0.94%-0.06%-5.31%
20210.09%-0.09%-0.28%0.23%0.15%-0.15%0.22%-0.06%-0.16%-0.43%0.04%-0.21%-0.66%

Benchmark Metrics

Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares has an annualized alpha of 3.88%, beta of -0.01, and R2 of 0.01 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since December 31, 1987.

  • This fund captured 8.57% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -9.28%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
  • Beta of -0.01 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.01 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 0.01 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
3.88%
Beta
-0.01
0.01
Upside Capture
8.57%
Downside Capture
-9.28%

Expense Ratio

VSGBX has an expense ratio of 0.20%, which is considered low.


Return for Risk

Risk / Return Rank

VSGBX ranks 45 for risk / return — on par with similar mutual funds. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.


VSGBX Risk / Return Rank: 4545
Overall Rank
VSGBX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3636
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VSGBX Sortino Ratio Rank: 5050
Sortino Ratio Rank
VSGBX Omega Ratio Rank: 4545
Omega Ratio Rank
VSGBX Calmar Ratio Rank: 5151
Calmar Ratio Rank
VSGBX Martin Ratio Rank: 4444
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

Return / Risk — by metrics

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares (VSGBX) 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.


VSGBXBenchmarkDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility

-0.41

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk

-0.03

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.34

1.37

-0.03

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.61

2.78

-0.17

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

8.83

12.44

-3.61

Dividends

Dividend History

Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares provided a 3.86% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.39 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 4 consecutive years.


1.50%2.00%2.50%3.00%3.50%$0.00$0.10$0.20$0.30$0.4020152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Dividends
Dividend Yield
PeriodTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Dividend$0.39$0.38$0.35$0.33$0.17$0.15$0.19$0.25$0.20$0.14$0.14$0.13

Dividend yield

3.86%3.69%3.47%3.32%1.67%1.37%1.68%2.32%1.92%1.35%1.33%1.20%

Monthly Dividends

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.00$0.16
2025$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.38
2024$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.35
2023$0.03$0.02$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.03$0.33
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$0.00$0.00$0.05$0.01$0.01$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.07$0.15

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 Short-Term Federal 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 Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares was 7.42%, occurring on Oct 20, 2022. Recovery took 445 trading sessions.

The current Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares drawdown is 0.70%.


Related event

Drawdown

Fall

Recovery

Underwater

Bear market2022
-7.42%Oct 2022
1y 4mo1y 9mo
3y 1moJun 2021 - Jul 2024
1989 pullback1989
-4.75%Mar 1989
1y 1mo1y 1mo
2y 3moFeb 1988 - May 1990
1994 pullback1994
-3.20%May 1994
3mo 5d9mo
1yFeb 1994 - Feb 1995
1992 pullback1992
-2.25%Nov 1992
1mo 25d1mo 28d
3mo 23dOct 1992 - Jan 1993
Financial crisis2007–2009
-2.15%Jun 2008
2mo 13d2mo 22d
5mo 5dApr 2008 - Sep 2008

Drawdown Indicators


VSGBXBenchmarkDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-7.42%

-56.78%

+49.36%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-1.35%

-9.10%

+7.75%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-1.35%

-18.90%

+17.55%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-7.40%

-25.43%

+18.03%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-7.42%

-33.92%

+26.50%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.70%

-1.80%

+1.10%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-0.73%

-10.71%

+9.98%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

0.40%

2.03%

-1.63%

Volatility

Volatility Chart

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.


Loading charts...

Portfolio Analyzer

Build a portfolio with VSGBX

Add Vanguard Short-Term Federal 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 VSGBX