SPAB vs. VCLT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) and Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT).

SPAB and VCLT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SPAB is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. It was launched on May 23, 2007. VCLT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009. Both SPAB and VCLT are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

SPAB vs. VCLT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) and Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SPAB vs. VCLT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SPAB SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF	0.13%	7.25%	1.25%	5.56%	-13.04%	-1.77%	7.39%	8.67%	-0.18%	3.71%
VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF	-0.63%	7.18%	-1.90%	11.17%	-25.50%	-1.73%	13.27%	23.89%	-7.04%	11.70%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SPAB achieves a 0.13% return, which is significantly higher than VCLT's -0.63% return. Over the past 10 years, SPAB has underperformed VCLT with an annualized return of 1.64%, while VCLT has yielded a comparatively higher 2.46% annualized return.

SPAB

• 1D: 0.27%
• 1M: -1.75%
• YTD: 0.13%
• 6M: 1.09%
• 1Y: 4.38%
• 3Y*: 3.62%
• 5Y*: 0.21%
• 10Y*: 1.64%

VCLT

• 1D: 0.78%
• 1M: -2.90%
• YTD: -0.63%
• 6M: -1.22%
• 1Y: 4.03%
• 3Y*: 3.07%
• 5Y*: -1.73%
• 10Y*: 2.46%

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

SPAB vs. VCLT - Expense Ratio Comparison

SPAB has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than VCLT'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%.

VCLT

Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF

SPAB

SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF

Return for Risk

SPAB vs. VCLT — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPAB

SPAB Risk / Return Rank: 60
SPAB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
SPAB Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
SPAB Omega Ratio Rank: 50
SPAB Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
SPAB Martin Ratio Rank: 55

VCLT

VCLT Risk / Return Rank: 27
VCLT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
VCLT Sortino Ratio Rank: 23
VCLT Omega Ratio Rank: 23
VCLT Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
VCLT Martin Ratio Rank: 26

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.

SPAB vs. VCLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) and Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT). 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.

	SPAB	VCLT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.03	0.40	+0.63
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.47	0.59	+0.88
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.08	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.82	0.82	+1.00
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.08	1.92	+3.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SPAB vs. VCLT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPAB Sharpe Ratio is 1.03, which is higher than the VCLT Sharpe Ratio of 0.40. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPAB and VCLT, 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

	SPAB	VCLT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.03	0.40	+0.63
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.04	-0.14	+0.17
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30	0.19	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.39	+0.12

Correlation

The correlation between SPAB and VCLT is 0.80, 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

SPAB vs. VCLT - Dividend Comparison

SPAB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.98%, less than VCLT's 5.62% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPAB SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF	3.98%	3.97%	3.86%	3.34%	2.59%	2.11%	2.43%	2.92%	2.96%	2.67%	2.63%	2.59%
VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF	5.62%	5.51%	5.19%	4.67%	4.44%	3.07%	3.16%	3.81%	4.55%	4.01%	4.33%	4.68%

Drawdowns

SPAB vs. VCLT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SPAB drawdown since its inception was -18.56%, smaller than the maximum VCLT drawdown of -34.31%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPAB and VCLT.

Drawdown Indicators

	SPAB	VCLT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.56%	-34.31%	+15.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.52%	-5.39%	+2.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.96%	-34.31%	+16.35%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-18.56%	-34.31%	+15.75%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.43%	-15.73%	+13.30%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.09%	-8.08%	+4.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.90%	2.32%	-1.42%

Volatility

SPAB vs. VCLT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF (SPAB) is 1.58%, while Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT) has a volatility of 3.98%. This indicates that SPAB experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VCLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SPAB	VCLT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.58%	3.98%	-2.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.51%	5.62%	-3.11%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.29%	10.22%	-5.93%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.91%	12.81%	-6.90%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.54%	12.84%	-7.30%