VSGBX vs. BSV
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares (VSGBX) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV).
VSGBX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Dec 31, 1987. BSV is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Apr 3, 2007.
Performance
VSGBX vs. BSV - Performance Comparison
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VSGBX vs. BSV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSGBX Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares | 0.14% | 5.83% | 4.17% | 3.82% | -5.31% | -0.66% | 4.36% | 4.10% | 1.27% | 0.69% |
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.16% | 6.00% | 3.78% | 4.90% | -5.49% | -1.09% | 4.70% | 4.98% | 1.34% | 1.20% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VSGBX achieves a 0.14% return, which is significantly lower than BSV's 0.16% return. Over the past 10 years, VSGBX has underperformed BSV with an annualized return of 1.79%, while BSV has yielded a comparatively higher 1.97% annualized return.
VSGBX
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- -0.68%
- YTD
- 0.14%
- 6M
- 1.19%
- 1Y
- 3.95%
- 3Y*
- 4.22%
- 5Y*
- 1.58%
- 10Y*
- 1.79%
BSV
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- -0.57%
- YTD
- 0.16%
- 6M
- 1.15%
- 1Y
- 4.05%
- 3Y*
- 4.27%
- 5Y*
- 1.68%
- 10Y*
- 1.97%
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VSGBX vs. BSV - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSGBX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than BSV'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
VSGBX vs. BSV — Risk / Return Rank
VSGBX
BSV
VSGBX vs. BSV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares (VSGBX) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV). 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.
| VSGBX | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.79 | 2.04 | -0.24 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 3.02 | 3.25 | -0.23 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.37 | 1.40 | -0.03 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 3.23 | 0.00 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.78 | 12.23 | -0.45 |
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
| VSGBX | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.79 | 2.04 | -0.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.60 | 0.62 | -0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.84 | 0.83 | +0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.65 | 0.86 | +0.79 |
Correlation
The correlation between VSGBX and BSV is 0.74, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
VSGBX vs. BSV - Dividend Comparison
VSGBX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.48%, less than BSV's 3.93% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSGBX Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares | 3.48% | 3.69% | 3.47% | 3.32% | 1.67% | 1.37% | 1.68% | 2.32% | 1.92% | 1.35% | 1.33% | 1.20% |
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 3.93% | 3.83% | 3.38% | 2.46% | 1.50% | 1.45% | 1.79% | 2.29% | 1.99% | 1.65% | 1.48% | 1.40% |
Drawdowns
VSGBX vs. BSV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSGBX drawdown since its inception was -7.42%, smaller than the maximum BSV drawdown of -8.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSGBX and BSV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSGBX | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -7.42% | -8.54% | +1.12% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.35% | -1.29% | -0.06% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -7.42% | -8.54% | +1.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -7.42% | -8.54% | +1.12% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.87% | -0.76% | -0.11% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.74% | -0.98% | +0.24% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.37% | 0.34% | +0.03% |
Volatility
VSGBX vs. BSV - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund Investor Shares (VSGBX) is 0.74%, while Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) has a volatility of 0.78%. This indicates that VSGBX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BSV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSGBX | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.74% | 0.78% | -0.04% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.34% | 1.19% | +0.15% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.24% | 2.00% | +0.24% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.63% | 2.71% | -0.08% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.14% | 2.37% | -0.23% |