^SP600 vs. VGIT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about S&P 600 (^SP600) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT).

VGIT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays U.S. 3-10 Year Government Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009.

Performance

^SP600 vs. VGIT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in S&P 600 (^SP600) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^SP600 vs. VGIT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^SP600 S&P 600	3.10%	4.23%	6.82%	13.89%	-17.42%	25.27%	9.57%	20.86%	-9.75%	11.73%
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF	-0.03%	7.34%	1.39%	4.28%	-10.53%	-2.64%	7.71%	6.19%	1.35%	1.70%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^SP600 achieves a 3.10% return, which is significantly higher than VGIT's -0.03% return. Over the past 10 years, ^SP600 has outperformed VGIT with an annualized return of 8.20%, while VGIT has yielded a comparatively lower 1.32% annualized return.

^SP600

• 1D: 2.75%
• 1M: -4.28%
• YTD: 3.10%
• 6M: 4.41%
• 1Y: 18.49%
• 3Y*: 8.58%
• 5Y*: 2.46%
• 10Y*: 8.20%

VGIT

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: -1.66%
• YTD: -0.03%
• 6M: 1.07%
• 1Y: 4.13%
• 3Y*: 3.29%
• 5Y*: 0.32%
• 10Y*: 1.32%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^SP600 vs. VGIT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^SP600

^SP600 Risk / Return Rank: 63
^SP600 Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
^SP600 Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
^SP600 Omega Ratio Rank: 55
^SP600 Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
^SP600 Martin Ratio Rank: 71

VGIT

VGIT Risk / Return Rank: 64
VGIT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
VGIT Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
VGIT Omega Ratio Rank: 55
VGIT Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
VGIT Martin Ratio Rank: 61

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^SP600 vs. VGIT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for S&P 600 (^SP600) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^SP600	VGIT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.82	1.09	-0.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.29	1.63	-0.34
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.19	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.28	1.78	-0.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.10	5.53	-0.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^SP600 vs. VGIT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^SP600 Sharpe Ratio is 0.82, which is comparable to the VGIT Sharpe Ratio of 1.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^SP600 and VGIT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^SP600	VGIT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.82	1.09	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.11	0.06	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35	0.29	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.44	0.50	-0.06

Correlation

The correlation between ^SP600 and VGIT is -0.22. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Drawdowns

^SP600 vs. VGIT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^SP600 drawdown since its inception was -59.17%, which is greater than VGIT's maximum drawdown of -16.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^SP600 and VGIT.

Drawdown Indicators

	^SP600	VGIT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.17%	-16.05%	-43.12%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.89%	-2.42%	-12.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.39%	-15.02%	-13.37%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.77%	-16.05%	-29.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.05%	-1.97%	-4.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.31%	-3.54%	-5.77%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.73%	0.78%	+2.95%

Volatility

^SP600 vs. VGIT - Volatility Comparison

S&P 600 (^SP600) has a higher volatility of 6.28% compared to Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT) at 1.33%. This indicates that ^SP600's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGIT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^SP600	VGIT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.28%	1.33%	+4.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.05%	2.28%	+10.77%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.74%	3.81%	+18.93%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.57%	5.36%	+16.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.19%	4.50%	+18.69%