Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB) has returned 0.59% so far this year and 4.48% over the past 12 months.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Apr 7, 2021, VUSB's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.27%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 21.4 years.

Historically, 78% of months were positive and 22% were negative. The best month was Dec 2023 with a return of +1.0%, while the worst month was Mar 2022 at -0.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 41 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 7 months.

On a daily basis, VUSB closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Dec 13, 2023 with a return of +0.3%, while the worst single day was Apr 4, 2025 at -0.3%.

Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF has an annualized alpha of 3.22%, beta of 0.01, and R² of 0.03 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since April 08, 2021.

• This ETF captured 8.26% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -4.11%) — a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
• Beta of 0.01 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.03 this ETF 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 ETF's risk.
• R² of 0.03 means this ETF 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.

VUSB has an expense ratio of 0.10%, which is considered low.

VUSB ranks 99 for risk / return — in the top 99% of ETFs 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.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF provided a 4.53% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.25 per share.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.

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.

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF. 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 Ultra-Short Bond ETF was 1.79%, occurring on Jun 14, 2022. Recovery took 185 trading sessions.

The current Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF drawdown is 0.12%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.