BSV vs. DFSD
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) and Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF (DFSD).
BSV and DFSD 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. DFSD is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Nov 15, 2021.
Performance
BSV vs. DFSD - Performance Comparison
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BSV vs. DFSD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.16% | 6.00% | 3.78% | 4.90% | -5.49% | -0.05% |
DFSD Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF | 0.15% | 6.59% | 4.60% | 6.09% | -5.87% | -0.02% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BSV achieves a 0.16% return, which is significantly higher than DFSD's 0.15% 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%
DFSD
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- -0.70%
- YTD
- 0.15%
- 6M
- 1.06%
- 1Y
- 4.66%
- 3Y*
- 5.24%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
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BSV vs. DFSD - Expense Ratio Comparison
BSV has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than DFSD's 0.16% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Return for Risk
BSV vs. DFSD — Risk / Return Rank
BSV
DFSD
BSV vs. DFSD - 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 Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF (DFSD). 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 | DFSD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.04 | 2.07 | -0.03 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 3.25 | 3.04 | +0.21 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.43 | -0.03 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 3.25 | -0.03 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.23 | 13.32 | -1.09 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| BSV | DFSD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.04 | 2.07 | -0.03 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.62 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.83 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.86 | 0.90 | -0.05 |
Correlation
The correlation between BSV and DFSD is 0.83, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
BSV vs. DFSD - Dividend Comparison
BSV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.93%, which matches DFSD's 3.94% 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% |
DFSD Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF | 3.94% | 4.12% | 4.81% | 3.89% | 2.12% | 0.11% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
BSV vs. DFSD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BSV drawdown since its inception was -8.54%, roughly equal to the maximum DFSD drawdown of -8.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BSV and DFSD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BSV | DFSD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.54% | -8.45% | -0.09% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.29% | -1.47% | +0.18% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -8.54% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -8.54% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.76% | -0.91% | +0.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.98% | -2.13% | +1.15% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.34% | 0.36% | -0.02% |
Volatility
BSV vs. DFSD - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) is 0.78%, while Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF (DFSD) has a volatility of 0.94%. This indicates that BSV experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFSD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BSV | DFSD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.78% | 0.94% | -0.16% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.19% | 1.33% | -0.14% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.00% | 2.26% | -0.26% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.71% | 2.80% | -0.09% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.37% | 2.80% | -0.43% |