- ISIN
- US9229073088
- CUSIP
- 922907308
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Sep 1, 1977
- Category
- Municipal Bonds
- Min. Investment
- $3,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $19B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VWLTX Performance Chart
Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VWLTX) is up 1.8% since the beginning of the year. VWLTX is currently trading at $11 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VWLTX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,056.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VWLTX) has returned 1.75% so far this year and 7.89% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VWLTX has returned 2.54% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.53% annually.
Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares
- 1D
- -0.18%
- 1M
- 0.68%
- YTD
- 1.75%
- 6M
- 2.16%
- 1Y
- 7.89%
- 3Y*
- 4.61%
- 5Y*
- 1.10%
- 10Y*
- 2.54%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 1.75%
- 1M
- -0.09%
- YTD
- 8.02%
- 6M
- 7.15%
- 1Y
- 22.78%
- 3Y*
- 19.45%
- 5Y*
- 11.73%
- 10Y*
- 13.53%
VWLTX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Aug 31, 1977, VWLTX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.29%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 19.9 years.
Historically, 61% of months were positive and 39% were negative. The best month was Oct 1977 with a return of +10.6%, while the worst month was Aug 1981 at -11.3%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 8 months.
On a daily basis, VWLTX closed higher 36% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 31, 1977 with a return of +10.6%, while the worst single day was Aug 31, 1981 at -11.3%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.67% | 1.51% | -2.24% | 1.25% | 0.59% | 0.00% | 1.75% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.20% | 1.42% | -1.61% | -0.51% | -0.55% | 0.70% | -0.55% | 0.90% | 3.09% | 1.43% | 0.22% | 0.03% | 4.80% |
| 2024 | -0.19% | 0.00% | 0.09% | -1.37% | 0.01% | 1.79% | 0.93% | 0.74% | 1.20% | -1.62% | 2.15% | -1.24% | 2.44% |
| 2023 | 3.47% | -2.68% | 2.34% | -0.02% | -0.76% | 1.01% | 0.17% | -1.42% | -3.23% | -1.68% | 7.62% | 2.99% | 7.56% |
| 2022 | -2.77% | -0.63% | -3.38% | -3.51% | 1.62% | -2.59% | 3.14% | -2.77% | -4.26% | -1.02% | 5.84% | -0.12% | -10.43% |
| 2021 | 0.49% | -1.95% | 0.71% | 1.04% | 0.54% | 0.38% | 0.86% | -0.44% | -0.85% | -0.12% | 1.04% | 0.16% | 1.83% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares has an annualized alpha of 3.52%, beta of 0.01, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since August 31, 1977.
- This fund participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (18.10%) than losses (14.48%) - typical of diversified or defensive 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
- 3.52%
- Beta
- 0.01
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 18.10%
- Downside Capture
- 14.48%
Expense Ratio
VWLTX has an expense ratio of 0.17%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VWLTX ranks 80 for risk / return — in the top 80% 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 Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VWLTX) 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.
| VWLTX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.77 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.67 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.65 | 1.34 | +0.32 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.60 | 2.52 | +0.08 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.27 | 11.31 | -2.04 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares provided a 3.70% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.40 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.40 | $0.49 | $0.43 | $0.34 | $0.31 | $0.32 | $0.40 | $0.45 | $0.40 | $0.43 | $0.45 | $0.44 |
Dividend yield | 3.70% | 4.51% | 3.98% | 3.09% | 2.91% | 2.65% | 3.24% | 3.82% | 3.49% | 3.70% | 3.98% | 3.79% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt 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 | $0.17 | ||||||
| 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 | $0.43 |
| 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 | $0.34 |
| 2022 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.31 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.09 | $0.32 |
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 Tax-Exempt 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 Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares was 49.97%, occurring on Dec 31, 1981. Recovery took 2823 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares drawdown is 0.43%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 bear market1981 | -49.97%Dec 1981 | 4y 1mo | 11y 2mo | 15y 3moNov 1977 - Mar 1993 |
Bear market2022 | -16.01%Oct 2022 | 1y 2mo | 2y 1mo | 3y 4moAug 2021 - Dec 2024 |
COVID crash2020 | -12.33%Mar 2020 | 10d | 4mo 13d | 4mo 23dMar 2020 - Jul 2020 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -11.83%Oct 2008 | 8mo 26d | 6mo 27d | 1y 3moJan 2008 - May 2009 |
1994 correction1994 | -11.78%Nov 1994 | 9mo 22d | 3mo 10d | 1y 27dFeb 1994 - Mar 1995 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VWLTX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -49.97% | -56.78% | +6.81% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.09% | -9.10% | +6.01% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -6.92% | -18.90% | +11.98% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -16.01% | -25.43% | +9.42% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -16.01% | -33.92% | +17.91% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.43% | -2.83% | +2.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.17% | -10.72% | +0.55% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.86% | 2.02% | -1.16% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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