VSCPX vs. VBIAX
VSCPX (Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares) and VBIAX (Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - VSCPX is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund managed by Vanguard, while VBIAX is a Diversified Portfolio fund tracking the 60% CRSP US Total Market Index / 40% Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index. Over the past 10 years, VSCPX returned 11.31%/yr vs 9.78%/yr for VBIAX. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VSCPX charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VBIAX.
Performance
VSCPX vs. VBIAX - 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 VBIAX's 6.79% return. Over the past 10 years, VSCPX has outperformed VBIAX with an annualized return of 11.31%, while VBIAX has yielded a comparatively lower 9.78% 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%
VBIAX
- 1D
- -0.53%
- 1M
- 2.54%
- YTD
- 6.79%
- 6M
- 6.67%
- 1Y
- 18.45%
- 3Y*
- 14.83%
- 5Y*
- 7.75%
- 10Y*
- 9.78%
VSCPX vs. VBIAX - 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% |
VBIAX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares | 6.79% | 13.61% | 14.58% | 17.54% | -16.90% | 14.21% | 16.40% | 21.78% | -2.86% | 13.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between VSCPX and VBIAX is 0.83, 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 | 0.83 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.84 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.87 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.87 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 14, 2010 | 0.89 |
The correlation between VSCPX and VBIAX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.83 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
VSCPX vs. VBIAX — Risk / Return Rank
VSCPX
VBIAX
VSCPX vs. VBIAX - 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 Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIAX). 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 | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.59 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.84 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.44 | -0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 3.23 | 0.00 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.91 | 14.71 | -2.80 |
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 | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.78 | 2.38 | -0.59 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.35 | 0.70 | -0.36 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.53 | 0.87 | -0.35 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.54 | 0.64 | -0.10 |
Drawdowns
VSCPX vs. VBIAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSCPX drawdown since its inception was -41.81%, which is greater than VBIAX's maximum drawdown of -35.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSCPX and VBIAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSCPX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -41.81% | -35.90% | -5.91% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.97% | -5.83% | -3.14% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.25% | -11.70% | -13.55% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -28.13% | -21.53% | -6.60% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -41.81% | -22.78% | -19.03% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.68% | -0.53% | -0.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.49% | -4.44% | -2.05% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.42% | 1.27% | +1.15% |
Volatility
VSCPX vs. VBIAX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VSCPX) has a higher volatility of 4.44% compared to Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIAX) at 2.31%. This indicates that VSCPX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBIAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSCPX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.44% | 2.31% | +2.13% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.72% | 6.11% | +5.61% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.29% | 7.92% | +8.37% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.71% | 11.05% | +9.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.57% | 11.21% | +10.36% |
VSCPX vs. VBIAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSCPX has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than VBIAX's 0.07% 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. VBIAX - Dividend Comparison
VSCPX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.21%, less than VBIAX's 5.24% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBIAX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares | 5.24% | 6.00% | 5.27% | 4.35% | 2.83% | 3.19% | 2.65% | 2.28% | 2.32% | 1.95% | 2.09% | 2.09% |
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 VBIAX have a correlation of 0.83, 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 VBIAX (2.31%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VSCPX dropped -41.81% vs VBIAX's -35.90%.
VBIAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.38 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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