- ISIN
- US9229078038
- CUSIP
- 922907803
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Feb 12, 2001
- Category
- Municipal Bonds
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VWSUX Performance Chart
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VWSUX) is up 1.2% since the beginning of the year. VWSUX is currently trading at $16 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VWSUX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,135.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VWSUX) has returned 1.20% so far this year and 3.63% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VWSUX has returned 2.01% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.51%
- YTD
- 1.20%
- 6M
- 1.54%
- 1Y
- 3.63%
- 3Y*
- 4.14%
- 5Y*
- 2.56%
- 10Y*
- 2.01%
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%
VWSUX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 12, 2001, VWSUX's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.16%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 36.1 years.
Historically, 77% of months were positive and 23% were negative. The best month was Nov 2023 with a return of +1.5%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -0.7%. The longest winning streak lasted 34 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VWSUX closed higher 17% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 25, 2020 with a return of +0.9%, while the worst single day was Mar 20, 2020 at -0.8%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.49% | 0.44% | -0.38% | 0.33% | 0.25% | 0.06% | 1.20% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.45% | 0.71% | 0.35% | 0.26% | 0.46% | 0.52% | 0.51% | 0.46% | 0.40% | 0.08% | 0.27% | 0.33% | 4.90% |
| 2024 | 0.06% | 0.27% | 0.14% | -0.04% | 0.22% | 0.60% | 0.59% | 0.60% | 0.47% | -0.16% | 0.74% | 0.23% | 3.77% |
| 2023 | 0.75% | -0.51% | 0.83% | -0.06% | 0.00% | 0.40% | 0.20% | 0.09% | -0.29% | 0.00% | 1.48% | 0.77% | 3.70% |
| 2022 | -0.59% | -0.13% | -0.64% | -0.44% | 0.53% | -0.04% | 0.54% | -0.51% | -0.64% | 0.03% | 1.00% | 0.18% | -0.73% |
| 2021 | 0.06% | -0.11% | 0.06% | 0.13% | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.12% | -0.08% | -0.08% | -0.01% | 0.05% | -0.02% | 0.19% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares has an annualized alpha of 1.92%, beta of 0.00, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since February 12, 2001.
- This fund captured 4.74% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -4.01%) - a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of 0.00 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
- 1.92%
- Beta
- 0.00
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 4.74%
- Downside Capture
- -4.01%
Expense Ratio
VWSUX has an expense ratio of 0.09%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VWSUX ranks 97 for risk / return — in the top 97% 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 Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VWSUX) 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.
| VWSUX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.24 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +5.37 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 2.53 | 1.37 | +1.17 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.28 | 2.78 | +2.50 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 23.56 | 12.44 | +11.12 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares provided a 3.12% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.49 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 4 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.49 | $0.64 | $0.60 | $0.36 | $0.19 | $0.10 | $0.20 | $0.28 | $0.24 | $0.18 | $0.15 | $0.12 |
Dividend yield | 3.12% | 4.00% | 3.82% | 2.27% | 1.24% | 0.63% | 1.26% | 1.79% | 1.53% | 1.16% | 0.97% | 0.78% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral 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 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.20 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.04 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.09 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.64 |
| 2024 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.60 |
| 2023 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.36 |
| 2022 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.03 | $0.19 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.10 |
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 Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral 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 Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares was 3.08%, occurring on Mar 20, 2020. Recovery took 45 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -3.08%Mar 2020 | 10d | 2mo 7d | 2mo 17dMar 2020 - May 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -2.23%Oct 2022 | 1y 2mo | 5mo 4d | 1y 7moAug 2021 - Mar 2023 |
2025 selloff2025 | -1.01%Apr 2025 | 2d | 21d | 23dApr 2025 - Apr 2025 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -0.99%Oct 2008 | 29d | 20d | 1mo 19dSep 2008 - Nov 2008 |
2004 pullback2004 | -0.89%May 2004 | 1mo 29d | 2mo 25d | 4mo 24dMar 2004 - Aug 2004 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VWSUX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -3.08% | -56.78% | +53.70% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.69% | -9.10% | +8.41% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.01% | -18.90% | +17.89% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -2.23% | -25.43% | +23.20% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -3.08% | -33.92% | +30.84% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -1.80% | +1.80% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.15% | -10.71% | +10.56% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.15% | 2.03% | -1.88% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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Build a portfolio with VWSUX
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