VCORX vs. VSCSX
VCORX (Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares) and VSCSX (Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - VCORX is a Total Bond Market fund managed by Vanguard, while VSCSX is a Corporate Bonds fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, VCORX returned 2.17%/yr vs 2.73%/yr for VSCSX. Their correlation of 0.85 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VCORX charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VSCSX.
Performance
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VCORX achieves a 0.50% return, which is significantly lower than VSCSX's 0.71% return. Over the past 10 years, VCORX has underperformed VSCSX with an annualized return of 2.17%, while VSCSX has yielded a comparatively higher 2.73% annualized return.
VCORX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.49%
- YTD
- 0.50%
- 6M
- 0.37%
- 1Y
- 5.63%
- 3Y*
- 4.65%
- 5Y*
- 0.47%
- 10Y*
- 2.17%
VSCSX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.33%
- YTD
- 0.71%
- 6M
- 0.99%
- 1Y
- 4.63%
- 3Y*
- 5.66%
- 5Y*
- 2.40%
- 10Y*
- 2.73%
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VCORX Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares | 0.50% | 7.68% | 2.10% | 5.90% | -13.27% | -0.80% | 10.19% | 9.47% | -0.92% | 4.34% |
VSCSX Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares | 0.71% | 6.75% | 5.36% | 6.11% | -5.72% | -0.43% | 5.06% | 6.85% | 0.88% | 2.46% |
Correlation
The correlation between VCORX and VSCSX is 0.89, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.89 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.90 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.89 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.85 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 31, 2016 | 0.85 |
The correlation between VCORX and VSCSX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.85 to 0.90 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
VCORX vs. VSCSX — Risk / Return Rank
VCORX
VSCSX
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares (VCORX) and Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSCSX). 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.
| VCORX | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.18 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.87 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.55 | -0.27 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.14 | 3.44 | -1.30 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.47 | 13.75 | -7.27 |
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
| VCORX | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.51 | 2.69 | -1.18 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.08 | 0.89 | -0.81 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.45 | 1.16 | -0.70 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.48 | 1.36 | -0.89 |
Drawdowns
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VCORX drawdown since its inception was -18.14%, which is greater than VSCSX's maximum drawdown of -9.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VCORX and VSCSX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VCORX | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.14% | -9.36% | -8.78% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.64% | -1.36% | -1.28% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.99% | -1.36% | -4.63% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.14% | -9.36% | -8.78% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -18.14% | -9.36% | -8.78% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.28% | -0.26% | -1.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.26% | -0.98% | -3.28% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.87% | 0.34% | +0.53% |
Volatility
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares (VCORX) has a higher volatility of 1.35% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSCSX) at 0.57%. This indicates that VCORX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VSCSX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VCORX | VSCSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.35% | 0.57% | +0.78% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.70% | 1.27% | +1.43% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.77% | 1.75% | +2.02% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 5.80% | 2.71% | +3.09% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 4.80% | 2.37% | +2.43% |
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VCORX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than VSCSX's 0.07% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
VCORX vs. VSCSX - Dividend Comparison
VCORX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.64%, more than VSCSX's 4.42% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VCORX Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares | 4.64% | 4.70% | 4.93% | 3.99% | 2.90% | 1.91% | 2.95% | 2.93% | 2.98% | 2.62% | 2.20% | 0.00% |
VSCSX Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares | 4.42% | 4.32% | 4.27% | 3.07% | 1.98% | 1.78% | 2.25% | 2.85% | 2.66% | 2.26% | 1.93% | 2.21% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VCORX and VSCSX have a correlation of 0.89, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VCORX has higher volatility (1.35%) compared to VSCSX (0.57%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VCORX dropped -18.14% vs VSCSX's -9.36%.
VSCSX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.69 vs 1.51), 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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