VSCPX vs. DFIHX
VSCPX (Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares) and DFIHX (DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio) are both mutual funds - VSCPX is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund managed by Vanguard, while DFIHX is a Ultrashort Bond fund managed by Dimensional. Over the past 10 years, VSCPX returned 11.31%/yr vs 1.98%/yr for DFIHX. At a correlation of -0.02, they often move in opposite directions. VSCPX charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.13%/yr for DFIHX.
Performance
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VSCPX achieves a 14.17% return, which is significantly higher than DFIHX's 1.52% return. Over the past 10 years, VSCPX has outperformed DFIHX with an annualized return of 11.31%, while DFIHX has yielded a comparatively lower 1.98% annualized return.
VSCPX
- 1D
- -0.68%
- 1M
- 2.34%
- YTD
- 14.17%
- 6M
- 13.55%
- 1Y
- 28.92%
- 3Y*
- 17.06%
- 5Y*
- 7.13%
- 10Y*
- 11.31%
DFIHX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.30%
- YTD
- 1.52%
- 6M
- 1.83%
- 1Y
- 3.65%
- 3Y*
- 4.46%
- 5Y*
- 2.76%
- 10Y*
- 1.98%
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSCPX Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares | 14.17% | 8.86% | 12.98% | 19.52% | -17.59% | 17.75% | 19.09% | 27.40% | -9.31% | 16.27% |
DFIHX DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio | 1.52% | 3.41% | 5.41% | 4.98% | -1.19% | -0.19% | 0.62% | 2.44% | 1.87% | 0.94% |
Correlation
The correlation between VSCPX and DFIHX is 0.09, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.09 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.03 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.04 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 14, 2010 | -0.02 |
The correlation between VSCPX and DFIHX shifts across timeframes, from -0.02 (all time) to 0.09 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
VSCPX vs. DFIHX — Risk / Return Rank
VSCPX
DFIHX
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VSCPX) and DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX). 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.
| VSCPX | DFIHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -3.39 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -6.39 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 7.53 | -6.22 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 9.49 | -6.27 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.91 | 57.84 | -45.93 |
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
| VSCPX | DFIHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.78 | 5.17 | -3.39 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.35 | 2.78 | -2.43 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.53 | 2.50 | -1.97 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.54 | 1.52 | -0.98 |
Drawdowns
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSCPX drawdown since its inception was -41.81%, which is greater than DFIHX's maximum drawdown of -2.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSCPX and DFIHX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSCPX | DFIHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -41.81% | -2.53% | -39.28% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.97% | -0.39% | -8.58% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.25% | -0.49% | -24.76% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -28.13% | -2.26% | -25.87% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -41.81% | -2.26% | -39.55% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.68% | 0.00% | -0.68% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.49% | -0.15% | -6.34% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.42% | 0.06% | +2.36% |
Volatility
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VSCPX) has a higher volatility of 4.44% compared to DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX) at 0.16%. This indicates that VSCPX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFIHX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSCPX | DFIHX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.44% | 0.16% | +4.28% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.72% | 0.43% | +11.29% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.29% | 0.71% | +15.58% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.71% | 1.00% | +19.71% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.57% | 0.80% | +20.77% |
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSCPX has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than DFIHX's 0.13% 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
VSCPX vs. DFIHX - Dividend Comparison
VSCPX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.21%, less than DFIHX's 3.58% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFIHX DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio | 3.58% | 3.26% | 4.99% | 3.37% | 1.07% | 0.00% | 0.62% | 2.12% | 1.85% | 1.13% | 0.66% | 0.51% |
VSCPX Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares | 1.21% | 1.35% | 1.32% | 1.56% | 1.56% | 1.26% | 1.16% | 1.41% | 1.69% | 1.37% | 1.52% | 1.51% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VSCPX and DFIHX have a correlation of 0.09, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VSCPX has higher volatility (4.44%) compared to DFIHX (0.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VSCPX dropped -41.81% vs DFIHX's -2.53%.
DFIHX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (5.17 vs 1.78), 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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