- ISIN
- US9220311099
- CUSIP
- 922031109
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Jul 9, 1973
- Category
- Total Bond Market
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $10B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VWESX Performance Chart
Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VWESX) is up 0.9% since the beginning of the year. VWESX is currently trading at $8 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VWESX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $875.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VWESX) has returned 0.94% so far this year and 6.54% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VWESX has returned 1.62% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.61% annually.
Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares
- 1D
- 0.26%
- 1M
- 2.87%
- YTD
- 0.94%
- 6M
- 1.23%
- 1Y
- 6.54%
- 3Y*
- 3.37%
- 5Y*
- -2.64%
- 10Y*
- 1.62%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -1.21%
- 1M
- 0.23%
- YTD
- 8.39%
- 6M
- 10.39%
- 1Y
- 24.03%
- 3Y*
- 18.94%
- 5Y*
- 12.24%
- 10Y*
- 13.61%
VWESX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 2, 1980, VWESX's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.45%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 12.9 years.
Historically, 60% of months were positive and 40% were negative. The best month was Dec 2008 with a return of +13.1%, while the worst month was Apr 2022 at -9.4%. The longest winning streak lasted 12 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VWESX closed higher 47% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 22, 1987 with a return of +4.4%, while the worst single day was Mar 17, 2020 at -5.1%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.29% | 2.24% | -3.30% | 0.30% | 1.37% | 0.13% | 0.94% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.55% | 3.60% | -1.39% | -0.89% | -1.04% | 2.99% | -0.11% | 0.55% | 3.05% | 0.66% | 0.66% | -1.51% | 7.20% |
| 2024 | -0.83% | -2.59% | 1.83% | -5.04% | 2.70% | 0.68% | 3.30% | 2.18% | 2.51% | -4.38% | 2.20% | -4.77% | -2.75% |
| 2023 | 7.06% | -5.05% | 3.96% | 1.00% | -2.79% | 1.15% | -0.48% | -1.88% | -5.66% | -4.24% | 10.24% | 7.10% | 9.30% |
| 2022 | -5.15% | -2.92% | -3.02% | -9.43% | 0.78% | -3.66% | 4.62% | -4.68% | -8.64% | -3.04% | 8.87% | -1.51% | -25.62% |
| 2021 | -3.14% | -3.94% | -3.55% | 2.27% | 0.64% | 3.70% | 2.31% | -0.37% | -2.05% | 1.43% | 0.79% | -0.93% | -3.14% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares has an annualized alpha of 5.77%, beta of -0.02, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 02, 1980.
- This fund participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (22.20%) than losses (11.72%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- Beta of -0.02 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
- 5.77%
- Beta
- -0.02
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 22.20%
- Downside Capture
- 11.72%
Expense Ratio
VWESX has an expense ratio of 0.22%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VWESX ranks 14 for risk / return — in the bottom 14% of mutual funds on our site. This means you're taking on significantly more risk than the returns justify. Consider whether the potential upside is worth the volatility, or explore alternatives with better risk / return profiles.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VWESX) 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.
| VWESX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.98 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.21 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 1.35 | -0.18 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.45 | 2.65 | -1.20 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.61 | 11.88 | -8.27 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares provided a 5.05% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.38 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.38 | $0.38 | $0.38 | $0.37 | $0.35 | $0.49 | $0.81 | $0.55 | $0.41 | $0.59 | $0.62 | $0.73 |
Dividend yield | 5.05% | 4.95% | 5.06% | 4.55% | 4.43% | 4.51% | 6.89% | 5.01% | 4.31% | 5.50% | 6.14% | 7.38% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor 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 | $0.16 | ||||||
| 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 | $0.38 |
| 2023 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.37 |
| 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 | $0.35 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.04 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.23 | $0.49 |
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 Long-Term Investment-Grade 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 Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares was 36.34%, occurring on Oct 24, 2022. The portfolio has not yet recovered.
The current Vanguard Long-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares drawdown is 18.73%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -36.34%Oct 2022 | 2y 2mo | — | 5y 10moAug 2020 - now |
1981 bear market1981 | -22.17%Sep 1981 | 1y 3mo | 4y 4mo | 5y 8moJun 1980 - Feb 1986 |
COVID crash2020 | -20.82%Mar 2020 | 10d | 3mo 20d | 4moMar 2020 - Jul 2020 |
Black Monday1987 | -18.74%Oct 1987 | 8mo 23d | 3y 1mo | 3y 10moJan 1987 - Dec 1990 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -17.84%Oct 2008 | 11mo 9d | 2mo | 1y 1moNov 2007 - Dec 2008 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VWESX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -36.34% | -56.78% | +20.44% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.12% | -9.10% | +3.98% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -13.36% | -18.90% | +5.54% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.48% | -25.43% | -9.05% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -36.34% | -33.92% | -2.42% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -18.73% | -2.49% | -16.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.75% | -10.72% | +3.97% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.05% | 2.03% | +0.02% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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