VCRB vs. PIFI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Core Bond ETF (VCRB) and ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF (PIFI).

VCRB and PIFI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VCRB is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Dec 14, 2023. PIFI is an actively managed fund by ClearShares. It was launched on Oct 1, 2020.

Performance

VCRB vs. PIFI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Core Bond ETF (VCRB) and ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF (PIFI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VCRB vs. PIFI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
VCRB Vanguard Core Bond ETF	0.07%	7.56%	2.21%	0.65%
PIFI ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF	0.02%	6.29%	2.52%	0.37%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VCRB achieves a 0.07% return, which is significantly higher than PIFI's 0.02% return.

VCRB

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: -1.38%
• YTD: 0.07%
• 6M: 0.78%
• 1Y: 4.39%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

PIFI

• 1D: -0.09%
• 1M: -0.93%
• YTD: 0.02%
• 6M: 0.81%
• 1Y: 3.88%
• 3Y*: 3.66%
• 5Y*: 1.18%
• 10Y*: —

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

VCRB vs. PIFI - Expense Ratio Comparison

VCRB has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is lower than PIFI's 0.45% expense ratio.

PIFI

ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF

VCRB

Vanguard Core Bond ETF

Return for Risk

VCRB vs. PIFI — Risk / Return Rank

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

VCRB

VCRB Risk / Return Rank: 53
VCRB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
VCRB Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
VCRB Omega Ratio Rank: 45
VCRB Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
VCRB Martin Ratio Rank: 48

PIFI

PIFI Risk / Return Rank: 70
PIFI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
PIFI Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
PIFI Omega Ratio Rank: 62
PIFI Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
PIFI Martin Ratio Rank: 66

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.

VCRB vs. PIFI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Core Bond ETF (VCRB) and ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF (PIFI). 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.

	VCRB	PIFI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.02	1.35	-0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.44	2.02	-0.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.25	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.66	2.19	-0.53
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.83	7.59	-2.76
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VCRB vs. PIFI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VCRB Sharpe Ratio is 1.02, which is comparable to the PIFI Sharpe Ratio of 1.35. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VCRB and PIFI, 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

	VCRB	PIFI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.02	1.35	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.33	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.95	0.23	+0.72

Correlation

The correlation between VCRB and PIFI is 0.93, 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

VCRB vs. PIFI - Dividend Comparison

VCRB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.59%, more than PIFI's 3.75% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
VCRB Vanguard Core Bond ETF	4.59%	4.55%	4.22%	0.16%	0.00%	0.00%
PIFI ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF	3.75%	3.16%	2.92%	2.29%	1.22%	0.25%

Drawdowns

VCRB vs. PIFI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VCRB drawdown since its inception was -4.59%, smaller than the maximum PIFI drawdown of -10.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VCRB and PIFI.

Drawdown Indicators

	VCRB	PIFI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.59%	-10.59%	+6.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.77%	-1.85%	-0.92%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.41%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.79%	-1.30%	-0.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.14%	-3.29%	+2.15%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.95%	0.53%	+0.42%

Volatility

VCRB vs. PIFI - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Core Bond ETF (VCRB) has a higher volatility of 1.66% compared to ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF (PIFI) at 1.11%. This indicates that VCRB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PIFI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VCRB	PIFI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.66%	1.11%	+0.55%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.49%	1.77%	+0.72%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.34%	2.88%	+1.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.82%	3.64%	+1.18%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.82%	3.51%	+1.31%