- ISIN
- US9219094045
- CUSIP
- 921909404
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Sep 30, 1994
- Region
- Global (Broad)
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Multi-Asset
- Assets Under Management
- $25B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VSMGX Performance Chart
Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund (VSMGX) is up 8.0% since the beginning of the year. VSMGX is currently trading at $37 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VSMGX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,464.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund (VSMGX) has returned 7.95% so far this year and 19.41% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VSMGX has returned 8.91% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund
- 1D
- 0.81%
- 1M
- 1.44%
- YTD
- 7.95%
- 6M
- 7.93%
- 1Y
- 19.41%
- 3Y*
- 15.25%
- 5Y*
- 7.92%
- 10Y*
- 8.91%
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%
VSMGX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Sep 30, 1994, VSMGX's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.67%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 8.7 years.
Historically, 66% of months were positive and 34% were negative. The best month was Nov 2020 with a return of +7.8%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -13.2%. The longest winning streak lasted 13 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VSMGX closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +7.9%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -6.9%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.08% | 1.76% | -4.73% | 5.76% | 3.01% | 0.13% | 7.95% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.11% | 0.38% | -2.21% | 0.92% | 3.28% | 3.28% | 0.51% | 2.17% | 2.53% | 1.48% | 0.28% | 0.57% | 16.26% |
| 2024 | -0.30% | 2.20% | 2.25% | -2.96% | 3.15% | 1.23% | 2.20% | 1.94% | 1.90% | -2.19% | 2.81% | 2.06% | 15.03% |
| 2023 | 5.69% | -2.72% | 2.62% | 0.97% | -0.96% | 3.37% | 2.23% | -1.95% | -3.43% | -2.23% | 7.03% | 4.74% | 15.70% |
| 2022 | -3.64% | -2.10% | 0.00% | -6.16% | 0.34% | -5.68% | 5.28% | -3.55% | -7.25% | 3.39% | 6.38% | -3.23% | -16.01% |
| 2021 | -0.44% | 1.08% | 1.29% | 2.73% | 1.00% | 1.10% | 0.83% | 1.33% | -2.82% | 2.94% | -1.37% | 2.14% | 10.08% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund has an annualized alpha of 2.45%, beta of 0.55, and R2 of 0.83 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since September 30, 1994.
- This fund participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (63.24%) than losses (63.05%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- This fund generated an annualized alpha of 2.45% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
- Beta of 0.55 indicates this fund moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index - a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.
- Alpha
- 2.45%
- Beta
- 0.55
- R²
- 0.83
- Upside Capture
- 63.24%
- Downside Capture
- 63.05%
Expense Ratio
VSMGX has an expense ratio of 0.10%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VSMGX ranks 67 for risk / return — better than 67% 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 LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund (VSMGX) 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.
| VSMGX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.17 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.35 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.42 | 1.37 | +0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.89 | 2.78 | +0.11 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.39 | 12.44 | -0.05 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund provided a 4.86% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.81 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.81 | $1.81 | $3.60 | $1.22 | $0.73 | $1.29 | $1.09 | $0.73 | $1.02 | $0.30 | $0.55 | $0.90 |
Dividend yield | 4.86% | 5.25% | 11.49% | 4.01% | 2.66% | 3.86% | 3.46% | 2.52% | 4.11% | 1.09% | 2.26% | 3.89% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund. 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 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.37 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.44 | $1.81 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.36 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.24 | $3.60 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.29 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.93 | $1.22 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.24 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.49 | $0.73 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.07 | $1.29 |
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 LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund. 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 LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund was 41.13%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 488 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund drawdown is 0.27%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -41.13%Mar 2009 | 1y 4mo | 1y 11mo | 3y 3moNov 2007 - Feb 2011 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -27.14%Oct 2002 | 2y 1mo | 1y 3mo | 3y 4moSep 2000 - Jan 2004 |
COVID crash2020 | -22.43%Mar 2020 | 1mo 2d | 4mo 13d | 5mo 15dFeb 2020 - Aug 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -22.29%Oct 2022 | 11mo 9d | 1y 5mo | 2y 4moNov 2021 - Mar 2024 |
2011 correction2011 | -12.90%Oct 2011 | 5mo 4d | 4mo 23d | 9mo 27dMay 2011 - Feb 2012 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VSMGX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -41.13% | -56.78% | +15.65% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.64% | -9.10% | +2.46% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -9.62% | -18.90% | +9.28% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.29% | -25.43% | +3.14% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.43% | -33.92% | +11.49% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.27% | -1.80% | +1.53% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.83% | -10.71% | +5.88% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.55% | 2.03% | -0.48% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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