VSMGX vs. ITDC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund (VSMGX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF (ITDC).

VSMGX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Sep 30, 1994. ITDC is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Oct 17, 2023.

Performance

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund (VSMGX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF (ITDC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
VSMGX Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund	-1.04%	16.26%	15.03%	11.26%
ITDC Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF	-0.06%	16.10%	11.41%	12.40%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VSMGX achieves a -1.04% return, which is significantly lower than ITDC's -0.06% return.

VSMGX

• 1D: 1.81%
• 1M: -4.25%
• YTD: -1.04%
• 6M: 0.93%
• 1Y: 14.43%
• 3Y*: 13.22%
• 5Y*: 6.60%
• 10Y*: 8.13%

ITDC

• 1D: 0.56%
• 1M: -3.55%
• YTD: -0.06%
• 6M: 1.66%
• 1Y: 15.15%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Expense Ratio Comparison

VSMGX has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is higher than ITDC's 0.10% 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%.

VSMGX

Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund

ITDC

Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF

Return for Risk

VSMGX vs. ITDC — Risk / Return Rank

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

VSMGX

VSMGX Risk / Return Rank: 81
VSMGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
VSMGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
VSMGX Omega Ratio Rank: 77
VSMGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
VSMGX Martin Ratio Rank: 85

ITDC

ITDC Risk / Return Rank: 73
ITDC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ITDC Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
ITDC Omega Ratio Rank: 73
ITDC Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
ITDC Martin Ratio Rank: 76

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.

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund (VSMGX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF (ITDC). 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.

	VSMGX	ITDC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.45	1.31	+0.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.08	1.93	+0.15
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.29	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.05	1.91	+0.14
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.78	8.64	+0.14
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VSMGX Sharpe Ratio is 1.45, which is comparable to the ITDC Sharpe Ratio of 1.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VSMGX and ITDC, 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

	VSMGX	ITDC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.45	1.31	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.66	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.79	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.67	1.65	-0.98

Correlation

The correlation between VSMGX and ITDC is 0.96, 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

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Dividend Comparison

VSMGX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.30%, more than ITDC's 2.02% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VSMGX Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund	5.30%	5.25%	11.49%	4.01%	2.66%	3.86%	3.46%	2.52%	4.11%	1.09%	2.26%	3.89%
ITDC Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF	2.02%	2.02%	1.93%	0.84%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VSMGX drawdown since its inception was -41.13%, which is greater than ITDC's maximum drawdown of -10.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSMGX and ITDC.

Drawdown Indicators

	VSMGX	ITDC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-41.13%	-10.39%	-30.74%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.24%	-8.11%	+0.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.29%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.43%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.94%	-4.18%	-0.76%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.86%	-1.10%	-3.76%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.69%	1.79%	-0.10%

Volatility

VSMGX vs. ITDC - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund (VSMGX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2035 ETF (ITDC) have volatilities of 4.14% and 4.30%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VSMGX	ITDC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.14%	4.30%	-0.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.30%	6.58%	-0.28%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.24%	11.59%	-1.35%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.12%	10.06%	+0.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.32%	10.06%	+0.26%