VGUS vs. BND
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) and Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND).
VGUS and BND are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VGUS is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Short Treasury Index. It was launched on Feb 7, 2025. BND is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Apr 3, 2007. Both VGUS and BND 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
VGUS vs. BND - Performance Comparison
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VGUS vs. BND - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 0.81% | 3.77% |
BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 0.05% | 6.25% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VGUS achieves a 0.81% return, which is significantly higher than BND's 0.05% return.
VGUS
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- YTD
- 0.81%
- 6M
- 1.82%
- 1Y
- 4.00%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
BND
- 1D
- 0.22%
- 1M
- -1.74%
- YTD
- 0.05%
- 6M
- 0.95%
- 1Y
- 4.24%
- 3Y*
- 3.59%
- 5Y*
- 0.24%
- 10Y*
- 1.67%
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VGUS vs. BND - Expense Ratio Comparison
VGUS has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is higher than BND's 0.03% 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%.
Return for Risk
VGUS vs. BND — Risk / Return Rank
VGUS
BND
VGUS vs. BND - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) and Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND). 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.
| VGUS | BND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 11.39 | 0.99 | +10.40 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 31.34 | 1.41 | +29.94 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 8.64 | 1.18 | +7.47 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 55.20 | 1.81 | +53.39 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 367.74 | 4.98 | +362.77 |
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
| VGUS | BND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.39 | 0.99 | +10.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.04 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.30 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 11.78 | 0.59 | +11.19 |
Correlation
The correlation between VGUS and BND is 0.11, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
VGUS vs. BND - Dividend Comparison
VGUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.66%, less than BND's 3.91% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGUS Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF | 3.66% | 3.12% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 3.91% | 3.86% | 3.67% | 3.09% | 2.60% | 2.12% | 2.38% | 2.72% | 2.81% | 2.54% | 2.51% | 2.57% |
Drawdowns
VGUS vs. BND - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VGUS drawdown since its inception was -0.07%, smaller than the maximum BND drawdown of -18.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGUS and BND.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VGUS | BND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -0.07% | -18.58% | +18.51% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.07% | -2.44% | +2.37% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -17.91% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -18.58% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -2.58% | +2.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | 0.00% | -3.07% | +3.07% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.01% | 0.89% | -0.88% |
Volatility
VGUS vs. BND - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) is 0.07%, while Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) has a volatility of 1.63%. This indicates that VGUS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BND based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VGUS | BND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.07% | 1.63% | -1.56% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.16% | 2.52% | -2.36% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.35% | 4.30% | -3.95% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 0.35% | 6.00% | -5.65% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 0.35% | 5.52% | -5.17% |