VFSUX vs. VCSH
VFSUX (Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares) and VCSH (Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF) are both funds - VFSUX is a Total Bond Market fund managed by Vanguard, while VCSH is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Barclays Capital U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index. Over the past 10 years, VFSUX returned 2.64%/yr vs 2.70%/yr for VCSH. A 0.71 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. VFSUX charges 0.10%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for VCSH.
Performance
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VFSUX achieves a 0.82% return, which is significantly higher than VCSH's 0.64% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VFSUX having a 2.64% annualized return and VCSH not far ahead at 2.70%.
VFSUX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.31%
- YTD
- 0.82%
- 6M
- 1.11%
- 1Y
- 4.80%
- 3Y*
- 5.63%
- 5Y*
- 2.41%
- 10Y*
- 2.64%
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%
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VFSUX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares | 0.82% | 6.87% | 5.08% | 6.17% | -5.75% | -0.62% | 5.26% | 5.85% | 0.98% | 2.13% |
VCSH Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 0.64% | 6.77% | 4.91% | 6.20% | -5.62% | -0.63% | 5.13% | 7.02% | 0.92% | 2.17% |
Correlation
The correlation between VFSUX and VCSH is 0.84, 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 | 0.84 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.85 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.86 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.78 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 24, 2009 | 0.71 |
The correlation between VFSUX and VCSH shifts across timeframes, from 0.71 (all time) to 0.86 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
VFSUX vs. VCSH — Risk / Return Rank
VFSUX
VCSH
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares (VFSUX) and Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH). 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.
| VFSUX | VCSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.37 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.15 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.47 | 1.48 | -0.01 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.83 | 3.29 | -0.46 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.18 | 13.55 | -2.38 |
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
| VFSUX | VCSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.08 | 2.45 | -0.37 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.81 | 0.81 | 0.00 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 1.06 | 0.81 | +0.26 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.35 | 1.02 | +0.33 |
Drawdowns
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VFSUX drawdown since its inception was -9.24%, smaller than the maximum VCSH drawdown of -12.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFSUX and VCSH.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VFSUX | VCSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.24% | -12.86% | +3.62% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.71% | -1.40% | -0.31% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.71% | -1.40% | -0.31% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.24% | -9.48% | +0.24% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -9.24% | -12.86% | +3.62% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.23% | -0.32% | +0.09% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.87% | -0.97% | +0.10% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.43% | 0.34% | +0.09% |
Volatility
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares (VFSUX) has a higher volatility of 0.75% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) at 0.57%. This indicates that VFSUX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VCSH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VFSUX | VCSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.75% | 0.57% | +0.18% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.66% | 1.38% | +0.28% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.33% | 1.88% | +0.45% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.99% | 2.88% | +0.11% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.49% | 3.35% | -0.86% |
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Expense Ratio Comparison
VFSUX has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is higher than VCSH's 0.04% 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
VFSUX vs. VCSH - Dividend Comparison
VFSUX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.72%, more than VCSH's 4.45% 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% |
VFSUX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares | 4.72% | 4.59% | 4.16% | 3.14% | 2.03% | 1.79% | 2.34% | 2.92% | 2.79% | 2.11% | 2.14% | 2.09% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VFSUX and VCSH have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VFSUX has higher volatility (0.75%) compared to VCSH (0.57%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VFSUX dropped -9.24% vs VCSH's -12.86%.
VCSH currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.45 vs 2.08), 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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