FSMB vs. VTES

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF (FSMB) and Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES).

FSMB and VTES are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FSMB is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Nov 1, 2018. VTES is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the S&P 0-7 Yr National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Mar 8, 2023.

Performance

FSMB vs. VTES - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF (FSMB) and Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FSMB vs. VTES - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
FSMB First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF	0.37%	4.22%	2.35%	3.33%
VTES Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares	0.02%	4.19%	1.85%	3.32%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FSMB achieves a 0.37% return, which is significantly higher than VTES's 0.02% return.

FSMB

• 1D: 0.05%
• 1M: -1.02%
• YTD: 0.37%
• 6M: 0.98%
• 1Y: 3.64%
• 3Y*: 3.06%
• 5Y*: 1.45%
• 10Y*: —

VTES

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -1.24%
• YTD: 0.02%
• 6M: 0.60%
• 1Y: 3.45%
• 3Y*: 2.61%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FSMB vs. VTES - Expense Ratio Comparison

FSMB has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than VTES's 0.07% expense ratio.

FSMB

First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF

VTES

Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares

Return for Risk

FSMB vs. VTES — Risk / Return Rank

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

FSMB

FSMB Risk / Return Rank: 85
FSMB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
FSMB Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
FSMB Omega Ratio Rank: 93
FSMB Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
FSMB Martin Ratio Rank: 82

VTES

VTES Risk / Return Rank: 87
VTES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
VTES Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
VTES Omega Ratio Rank: 96
VTES Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
VTES Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

FSMB vs. VTES - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF (FSMB) and Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES). 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.

	FSMB	VTES	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.76	1.91	-0.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.32	2.43	-0.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.42	1.49	-0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.13	2.30	-0.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.08	7.44	+1.64
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FSMB vs. VTES - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FSMB Sharpe Ratio is 1.76, which is comparable to the VTES Sharpe Ratio of 1.91. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FSMB and VTES, 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

	FSMB	VTES	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.76	1.91	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.73	1.76	-1.04

Correlation

The correlation between FSMB and VTES is 0.59, 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

FSMB vs. VTES - Dividend Comparison

FSMB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.13%, more than VTES's 2.77% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
FSMB First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF	3.13%	3.09%	2.88%	2.40%	1.47%	1.20%	1.79%	2.27%	0.19%
VTES Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares	2.77%	2.77%	2.99%	2.03%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FSMB vs. VTES - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FSMB drawdown since its inception was -6.32%, which is greater than VTES's maximum drawdown of -2.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FSMB and VTES.

Drawdown Indicators

	FSMB	VTES	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-6.32%	-2.42%	-3.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.76%	-1.59%	-0.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-5.97%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.02%	-1.24%	+0.22%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.17%	-0.48%	-0.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.41%	0.49%	-0.08%

Volatility

FSMB vs. VTES - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF (FSMB) is 0.60%, while Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES) has a volatility of 0.69%. This indicates that FSMB experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VTES based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FSMB	VTES	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.60%	0.69%	-0.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.02%	0.96%	+0.06%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.08%	1.83%	+0.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.95%	1.75%	+0.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.95%	1.75%	+1.20%