BSV vs. BLV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) and Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV).

BSV and BLV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BSV is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Apr 3, 2007. BLV is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Long Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Apr 3, 2007. Both BSV and BLV are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

BSV vs. BLV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) and Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BSV vs. BLV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares	0.16%	6.00%	3.78%	4.90%	-5.49%	-1.09%	4.70%	4.98%	1.34%	1.20%
BLV Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF	-0.30%	6.44%	-3.65%	7.35%	-26.95%	-2.89%	16.13%	18.99%	-4.17%	10.74%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BSV achieves a 0.16% return, which is significantly higher than BLV's -0.30% return. Over the past 10 years, BSV has outperformed BLV with an annualized return of 1.97%, while BLV has yielded a comparatively lower 1.20% annualized return.

BSV

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: -0.57%
• YTD: 0.16%
• 6M: 1.15%
• 1Y: 4.05%
• 3Y*: 4.27%
• 5Y*: 1.68%
• 10Y*: 1.97%

BLV

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: -2.79%
• YTD: -0.30%
• 6M: -0.97%
• 1Y: 1.71%
• 3Y*: 1.02%
• 5Y*: -3.05%
• 10Y*: 1.20%

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

BSV vs. BLV - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both BSV and BLV have an expense ratio of 0.03%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

BSV

Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

BLV

Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF

Return for Risk

BSV vs. BLV — Risk / Return Rank

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

BSV

BSV Risk / Return Rank: 92
BSV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
BSV Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
BSV Omega Ratio Rank: 91
BSV Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
BSV Martin Ratio Rank: 90

BLV

BLV Risk / Return Rank: 16
BLV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 16
BLV Sortino Ratio Rank: 14
BLV Omega Ratio Rank: 14
BLV Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
BLV Martin Ratio Rank: 18

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.

BSV vs. BLV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) and Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV). 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.

	BSV	BLV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.04	0.18	+1.86
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.25	0.30	+2.95
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.04	+0.36
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.23	0.34	+2.88
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.23	0.83	+11.41
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BSV vs. BLV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BSV Sharpe Ratio is 2.04, which is higher than the BLV Sharpe Ratio of 0.18. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BSV and BLV, 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

	BSV	BLV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.04	0.18	+1.86
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.62	-0.24	+0.86
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.83	0.10	+0.73
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.86	0.37	+0.49

Correlation

The correlation between BSV and BLV is 0.65, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

BSV vs. BLV - Dividend Comparison

BSV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.93%, less than BLV's 4.76% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares	3.93%	3.83%	3.38%	2.46%	1.50%	1.45%	1.79%	2.29%	1.99%	1.65%	1.48%	1.40%
BLV Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF	4.76%	4.67%	5.09%	4.06%	4.17%	3.37%	6.12%	3.57%	4.07%	3.63%	4.16%	4.37%

Drawdowns

BSV vs. BLV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BSV drawdown since its inception was -8.54%, smaller than the maximum BLV drawdown of -38.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BSV and BLV.

Drawdown Indicators

	BSV	BLV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-8.54%	-38.29%	+29.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.29%	-6.89%	+5.60%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-8.54%	-36.27%	+27.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-8.54%	-38.29%	+29.75%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.76%	-24.58%	+23.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.98%	-9.38%	+8.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.34%	2.85%	-2.51%

Volatility

BSV vs. BLV - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) is 0.78%, while Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) has a volatility of 3.54%. This indicates that BSV experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BLV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BSV	BLV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.78%	3.54%	-2.76%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.19%	5.49%	-4.30%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.00%	9.75%	-7.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.71%	12.97%	-10.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.37%	11.99%	-9.62%