NUSA vs. VSDB

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NUSA) and Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares (VSDB).

NUSA and VSDB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NUSA is a passively managed fund by Nuveen that tracks the performance of the ICE BofA Enhanced Yield US Broad Bond (1-5 Y). It was launched on Mar 31, 2017. VSDB is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Apr 1, 2025.

Performance

NUSA vs. VSDB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NUSA) and Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares (VSDB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NUSA vs. VSDB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
NUSA Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF	0.18%	3.24%
VSDB Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares	0.31%	4.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NUSA achieves a 0.18% return, which is significantly lower than VSDB's 0.31% return.

NUSA

• 1D: -0.07%
• 1M: -0.59%
• YTD: 0.18%
• 6M: 1.07%
• 1Y: 3.87%
• 3Y*: 4.29%
• 5Y*: 1.59%
• 10Y*: —

VSDB

• 1D: 0.10%
• 1M: -0.57%
• YTD: 0.31%
• 6M: 1.55%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NUSA vs. VSDB - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both NUSA and VSDB have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

NUSA

Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

VSDB

Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares

Return for Risk

NUSA vs. VSDB — Risk / Return Rank

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

NUSA

NUSA Risk / Return Rank: 90
NUSA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
NUSA Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
NUSA Omega Ratio Rank: 89
NUSA Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
NUSA Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

NUSA vs. VSDB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NUSA) and Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares (VSDB). 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.

	NUSA	VSDB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.99	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.06	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.01	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.54	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NUSA	VSDB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.99	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.82	2.75	-1.93

Correlation

The correlation between NUSA and VSDB is 0.76, 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

NUSA vs. VSDB - Dividend Comparison

NUSA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.82%, less than VSDB's 4.20% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NUSA Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF	3.82%	3.83%	3.93%	3.54%	2.44%	2.16%	2.51%	2.85%	3.22%	2.20%
VSDB Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF Shares	4.20%	3.30%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

NUSA vs. VSDB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NUSA drawdown since its inception was -9.44%, which is greater than VSDB's maximum drawdown of -1.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NUSA and VSDB.

Drawdown Indicators

	NUSA	VSDB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-9.44%	-1.42%	-8.02%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.28%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-9.44%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.76%	-0.79%	+0.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.67%	-0.17%	-1.50%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.33%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	NUSA	VSDB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.80%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.19%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.95%	1.91%	+0.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.78%	1.91%	+0.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.74%	1.91%	+0.83%