VCSH vs. YEAR
VCSH (Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF) and YEAR (AB Ultra Short Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VCSH is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Barclays Capital U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index, while YEAR is a Ultrashort Bond fund actively managed by AllianceBernstein. VCSH is passively managed, while YEAR is actively managed. Over the past 3 years, VCSH returned 5.52%/yr vs 4.95%/yr for YEAR. A 0.64 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. VCSH charges 0.04%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for YEAR.
Performance
VCSH vs. YEAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VCSH achieves a 0.64% return, which is significantly lower than YEAR's 1.13% return.
VCSH
- 1D
- -0.08%
- 1M
- 0.20%
- YTD
- 0.64%
- 6M
- 0.95%
- 1Y
- 4.59%
- 3Y*
- 5.52%
- 5Y*
- 2.32%
- 10Y*
- 2.70%
YEAR
- 1D
- -0.04%
- 1M
- 0.20%
- YTD
- 1.13%
- 6M
- 1.37%
- 1Y
- 3.81%
- 3Y*
- 4.95%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
VCSH vs. YEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VCSH Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 0.64% | 6.77% | 4.91% | 6.20% | 0.30% |
YEAR AB Ultra Short Income ETF | 1.13% | 4.69% | 5.41% | 5.85% | 1.10% |
Correlation
The correlation between VCSH and YEAR is 0.65, 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 | 0.65 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.63 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 15, 2022 | 0.64 |
The correlation between VCSH and YEAR has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.63 to 0.65 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
VCSH vs. YEAR — Risk / Return Rank
VCSH
YEAR
VCSH vs. YEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) and AB Ultra Short Income ETF (YEAR). 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.
| VCSH | YEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.48 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -5.25 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.48 | 2.19 | -0.71 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.29 | 16.85 | -13.56 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.55 | 72.82 | -59.26 |
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
| VCSH | YEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.45 | 4.93 | -2.48 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.81 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.81 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.02 | 4.26 | -3.24 |
Drawdowns
VCSH vs. YEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VCSH drawdown since its inception was -12.86%, which is greater than YEAR's maximum drawdown of -0.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VCSH and YEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VCSH | YEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -12.86% | -0.61% | -12.25% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.40% | -0.23% | -1.17% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.40% | -0.43% | -0.97% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.48% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -12.86% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.32% | -0.10% | -0.22% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.97% | -0.06% | -0.91% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.34% | 0.05% | +0.29% |
Volatility
VCSH vs. YEAR - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) has a higher volatility of 0.57% compared to AB Ultra Short Income ETF (YEAR) at 0.19%. This indicates that VCSH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than YEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VCSH | YEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.57% | 0.19% | +0.38% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.38% | 0.51% | +0.87% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.88% | 0.78% | +1.10% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.88% | 1.15% | +1.73% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.35% | 1.15% | +2.20% |
VCSH vs. YEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
VCSH has a 0.04% expense ratio, which is lower than YEAR's 0.25% 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%.
Dividends
VCSH vs. YEAR - Dividend Comparison
VCSH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.45%, more than YEAR's 4.14% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VCSH Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 4.45% | 4.35% | 3.96% | 3.09% | 2.01% | 1.81% | 2.27% | 2.87% | 2.65% | 2.26% | 2.10% | 2.08% |
YEAR AB Ultra Short Income ETF | 4.14% | 4.33% | 5.16% | 5.00% | 1.19% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VCSH and YEAR have a correlation of 0.65, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VCSH has higher volatility (0.57%) compared to YEAR (0.19%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VCSH dropped -12.86% vs YEAR's -0.61%.
On 3-year performance, VCSH leads with 5.52% vs 4.95% for YEAR. On fees, VCSH is cheaper at 0.04% per year. On volatility, YEAR has been the lower-risk option at 0.19%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, VCSH has performed better with a 5.52% return vs 4.95%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VCSH is cheaper with a 0.04% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for YEAR.
VCSH has the higher dividend yield at 4.45%, compared with 4.14% for YEAR.
VCSH is categorized as Corporate Bonds, while YEAR is Ultrashort Bond. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and AllianceBernstein. Their fees differ too: 0.04% for VCSH and 0.25% for YEAR.
YEAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.93 vs 2.45), 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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