BSV vs. VUSB
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) and Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB).
BSV and VUSB 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. VUSB is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Apr 5, 2021.
Performance
BSV vs. VUSB - Performance Comparison
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BSV vs. VUSB - 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% | -0.58% |
VUSB Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF | 0.59% | 5.20% | 5.68% | 5.52% | -0.36% | 0.00% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BSV achieves a 0.16% return, which is significantly lower than VUSB's 0.59% 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%
VUSB
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- -0.08%
- YTD
- 0.59%
- 6M
- 1.73%
- 1Y
- 4.45%
- 3Y*
- 5.28%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
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BSV vs. VUSB - Expense Ratio Comparison
BSV has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than VUSB's 0.10% 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. VUSB — Risk / Return Rank
BSV
VUSB
BSV vs. VUSB - 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 Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB). 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 | VUSB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.04 | 5.80 | -3.76 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 3.25 | 9.26 | -6.01 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 2.85 | -1.45 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 9.70 | -6.48 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.23 | 49.83 | -37.60 |
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 | VUSB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.04 | 5.80 | -3.76 |
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 | 4.00 | -3.15 |
Correlation
The correlation between BSV and VUSB is 0.71, 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. VUSB - Dividend Comparison
BSV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.93%, less than VUSB's 4.49% 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% |
VUSB Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF | 4.49% | 4.63% | 5.16% | 4.45% | 1.56% | 0.26% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
BSV vs. VUSB - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BSV drawdown since its inception was -8.54%, which is greater than VUSB's maximum drawdown of -1.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BSV and VUSB.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BSV | VUSB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.54% | -1.79% | -6.75% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.29% | -0.46% | -0.83% |
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% | -0.11% | -0.65% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.98% | -0.28% | -0.70% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.34% | 0.09% | +0.25% |
Volatility
BSV vs. VUSB - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) has a higher volatility of 0.78% compared to Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB) at 0.37%. This indicates that BSV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VUSB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BSV | VUSB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.78% | 0.37% | +0.41% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.19% | 0.48% | +0.71% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.00% | 0.77% | +1.23% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.71% | 0.83% | +1.88% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.37% | 0.83% | +1.54% |