GHYG vs. VFSIX
GHYG (iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF) and VFSIX (Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Institutional Shares) are both funds - GHYG is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Markit iBoxx Global Developed Markets High Yield Index, while VFSIX is a Total Bond Market fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, GHYG returned 4.82%/yr vs 2.63%/yr for VFSIX. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GHYG charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VFSIX.
Performance
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GHYG achieves a 0.62% return, which is significantly lower than VFSIX's 0.83% return. Over the past 10 years, GHYG has outperformed VFSIX with an annualized return of 4.82%, while VFSIX has yielded a comparatively lower 2.63% annualized return.
GHYG
- 1D
- -0.15%
- 1M
- 0.20%
- YTD
- 0.62%
- 6M
- 0.87%
- 1Y
- 6.33%
- 3Y*
- 8.91%
- 5Y*
- 3.28%
- 10Y*
- 4.82%
VFSIX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.31%
- YTD
- 0.83%
- 6M
- 1.12%
- 1Y
- 4.82%
- 3Y*
- 5.55%
- 5Y*
- 2.37%
- 10Y*
- 2.63%
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GHYG iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF | 0.62% | 11.28% | 5.85% | 13.29% | -12.15% | 1.62% | 6.68% | 13.47% | -3.79% | 8.97% |
VFSIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Institutional Shares | 0.83% | 6.89% | 5.12% | 5.88% | -5.72% | -0.59% | 5.28% | 5.88% | 1.00% | 2.15% |
Correlation
The correlation between GHYG and VFSIX is 0.50, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.50 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.48 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.44 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 9, 2012 | 0.20 |
Over the past year, GHYG and VFSIX have become more correlated (0.50) than their long-term average of 0.20, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
GHYG vs. VFSIX — Risk / Return Rank
GHYG
VFSIX
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF (GHYG) and Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Institutional Shares (VFSIX). 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.
| GHYG | VFSIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.73 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.66 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.47 | -0.23 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.66 | 2.84 | -1.18 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.19 | 11.24 | -5.05 |
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
| GHYG | VFSIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.36 | 2.08 | -0.73 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.43 | 0.80 | -0.37 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.55 | 1.06 | -0.51 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.55 | 1.53 | -0.98 |
Drawdowns
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GHYG drawdown since its inception was -27.36%, which is greater than VFSIX's maximum drawdown of -9.21%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GHYG and VFSIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GHYG | VFSIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -27.36% | -9.21% | -18.15% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.84% | -1.71% | -2.13% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -4.46% | -1.71% | -2.75% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.44% | -9.21% | -11.23% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -27.36% | -9.21% | -18.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.73% | -0.23% | -0.50% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.35% | -0.79% | -2.56% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.02% | 0.43% | +0.59% |
Volatility
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Volatility Comparison
iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF (GHYG) has a higher volatility of 1.91% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Institutional Shares (VFSIX) at 0.75%. This indicates that GHYG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VFSIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GHYG | VFSIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.91% | 0.75% | +1.16% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.84% | 1.67% | +2.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.69% | 2.33% | +2.36% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.64% | 2.99% | +4.65% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 8.77% | 2.49% | +6.28% |
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
GHYG has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than VFSIX's 0.07% expense ratio.
Dividends
GHYG vs. VFSIX - Dividend Comparison
GHYG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.23%, more than VFSIX's 4.74% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GHYG iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF | 6.23% | 6.03% | 6.11% | 5.60% | 4.64% | 4.57% | 4.36% | 4.61% | 5.62% | 4.60% | 4.61% | 4.79% |
VFSIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Institutional Shares | 4.74% | 4.61% | 4.19% | 2.88% | 2.06% | 1.81% | 2.35% | 2.95% | 2.80% | 2.13% | 2.17% | 2.12% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GHYG and VFSIX have a correlation of 0.50, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GHYG has higher volatility (1.91%) compared to VFSIX (0.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GHYG dropped -27.36% vs VFSIX's -9.21%.
VFSIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.08 vs 1.36), 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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