BSV vs. VTSAX
BSV (Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares) and VTSAX (Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both funds - BSV is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index, while VTSAX is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, BSV returned 1.93%/yr vs 15.02%/yr for VTSAX. At a correlation of -0.13, they often move in opposite directions. BSV charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for VTSAX.
Performance
BSV vs. VTSAX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BSV achieves a 0.11% return, which is significantly lower than VTSAX's 11.69% return. Over the past 10 years, BSV has underperformed VTSAX with an annualized return of 1.93%, while VTSAX has yielded a comparatively higher 15.02% annualized return.
BSV
- 1D
- -0.26%
- 1M
- -0.36%
- YTD
- 0.11%
- 6M
- 0.49%
- 1Y
- 3.38%
- 3Y*
- 4.36%
- 5Y*
- 1.58%
- 10Y*
- 1.93%
VTSAX
- 1D
- 0.50%
- 1M
- 3.12%
- YTD
- 11.69%
- 6M
- 11.22%
- 1Y
- 29.33%
- 3Y*
- 22.35%
- 5Y*
- 12.79%
- 10Y*
- 15.02%
BSV vs. VTSAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.11% | 6.00% | 3.78% | 4.90% | -5.49% | -1.09% | 4.70% | 4.98% | 1.34% | 1.20% |
VTSAX Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares | 11.69% | 17.12% | 23.23% | 26.51% | -19.52% | 25.72% | 20.98% | 30.79% | -5.18% | 21.16% |
Correlation
The correlation between BSV and VTSAX is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 11, 2007 | -0.13 |
The correlation between BSV and VTSAX shifts across timeframes, from -0.13 (all time) to 0.23 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
BSV vs. VTSAX — Risk / Return Rank
BSV
VTSAX
BSV vs. VTSAX - 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 Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX). 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 | VTSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.49 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.27 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.35 | 1.42 | -0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.63 | 3.24 | -0.61 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.17 | 14.93 | -5.76 |
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 | VTSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.87 | 2.37 | -0.49 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.58 | 0.74 | -0.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.81 | 0.82 | 0.00 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.85 | 0.47 | +0.38 |
Drawdowns
BSV vs. VTSAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BSV drawdown since its inception was -8.54%, smaller than the maximum VTSAX drawdown of -55.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BSV and VTSAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BSV | VTSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.54% | -55.33% | +46.79% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.29% | -8.92% | +7.63% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.53% | -19.36% | +17.83% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -8.54% | -25.36% | +16.82% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -8.54% | -34.97% | +26.43% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.81% | -0.25% | -0.56% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.97% | -9.00% | +8.03% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.37% | 1.93% | -1.56% |
Volatility
BSV vs. VTSAX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) is 0.55%, while Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX) has a volatility of 3.00%. This indicates that BSV experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VTSAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BSV | VTSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.55% | 3.00% | -2.45% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.28% | 9.21% | -7.93% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.81% | 12.21% | -10.40% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.73% | 17.36% | -14.63% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.37% | 18.41% | -16.04% |
BSV vs. VTSAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
BSV has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than VTSAX's 0.04% 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%.
Dividends
BSV vs. VTSAX - Dividend Comparison
BSV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.00%, more than VTSAX's 1.00% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 4.00% | 3.83% | 3.38% | 2.46% | 1.50% | 1.45% | 1.79% | 2.29% | 1.99% | 1.65% | 1.48% | 1.40% |
VTSAX Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares | 1.00% | 1.11% | 1.26% | 1.42% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.41% | 1.76% | 2.03% | 1.71% | 1.92% | 1.98% |
Frequently Asked Questions
BSV and VTSAX have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VTSAX has higher volatility (3.00%) compared to BSV (0.55%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BSV dropped -8.54% vs VTSAX's -55.33%.
VTSAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.37 vs 1.87), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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