VGSH vs. SPTL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL).

VGSH and SPTL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VGSH is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009. SPTL is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index. It was launched on May 23, 2007. Both VGSH and SPTL 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

VGSH vs. SPTL - Performance Comparison

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

VGSH vs. SPTL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	0.25%	5.07%	4.00%	4.31%	-3.86%	-0.60%	3.04%	3.52%	1.55%	0.04%
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF	-0.13%	5.28%	-6.23%	3.30%	-29.44%	-4.99%	18.07%	13.74%	-1.57%	9.01%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VGSH achieves a 0.25% return, which is significantly higher than SPTL's -0.13% return. Over the past 10 years, VGSH has outperformed SPTL with an annualized return of 1.74%, while SPTL has yielded a comparatively lower -0.88% annualized return.

VGSH

• 1D: -0.02%
• 1M: -0.33%
• YTD: 0.25%
• 6M: 1.24%
• 1Y: 3.68%
• 3Y*: 3.97%
• 5Y*: 1.79%
• 10Y*: 1.74%

SPTL

• 1D: -0.14%
• 1M: -3.16%
• YTD: -0.13%
• 6M: -0.79%
• 1Y: -0.34%
• 3Y*: -1.60%
• 5Y*: -4.91%
• 10Y*: -0.88%

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

VGSH vs. SPTL - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both VGSH and SPTL have an expense ratio of 0.03%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VGSH

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF

SPTL

SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF

Return for Risk

VGSH vs. SPTL — Risk / Return Rank

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

VGSH

VGSH Risk / Return Rank: 96
VGSH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
VGSH Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
VGSH Omega Ratio Rank: 97
VGSH Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
VGSH Martin Ratio Rank: 95

SPTL

SPTL Risk / Return Rank: 11
SPTL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
SPTL Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
SPTL Omega Ratio Rank: 10
SPTL Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
SPTL Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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.

VGSH vs. SPTL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL). 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.

	VGSH	SPTL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.57	-0.03	+2.60
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.13	0.02	+4.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.55	1.00	+0.55
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.21	0.04	+4.17
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	15.93	0.10	+15.83
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VGSH vs. SPTL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGSH Sharpe Ratio is 2.57, which is higher than the SPTL Sharpe Ratio of -0.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGSH and SPTL, 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

	VGSH	SPTL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.57	-0.03	+2.60
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.92	-0.34	+1.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.11	-0.06	+1.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.01	0.24	+0.77

Correlation

The correlation between VGSH and SPTL is 0.56, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

VGSH vs. SPTL - Dividend Comparison

VGSH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.93%, less than SPTL's 4.17% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	3.93%	4.00%	4.18%	3.31%	1.15%	0.66%	1.74%	2.28%	1.79%	1.10%	0.84%	0.69%
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF	4.17%	4.12%	4.03%	3.24%	2.75%	1.68%	1.71%	2.45%	2.69%	2.53%	2.56%	2.60%

Drawdowns

VGSH vs. SPTL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGSH drawdown since its inception was -5.70%, smaller than the maximum SPTL drawdown of -46.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGSH and SPTL.

Drawdown Indicators

	VGSH	SPTL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-5.70%	-46.20%	+40.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.88%	-8.44%	+7.56%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-5.70%	-41.02%	+35.32%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-5.70%	-46.20%	+40.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.52%	-36.71%	+36.19%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.60%	-14.04%	+13.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.23%	3.85%	-3.62%

Volatility

VGSH vs. SPTL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) is 0.52%, while SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL) has a volatility of 3.50%. This indicates that VGSH experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPTL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VGSH	SPTL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.52%	3.50%	-2.98%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.84%	6.01%	-5.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.44%	10.30%	-8.86%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.96%	14.64%	-12.68%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.57%	13.98%	-12.41%