VSMIX vs. DFAIX
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) and DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX).
VSMIX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Oct 29, 1982. DFAIX is managed by Dimensional. It was launched on Nov 5, 2013.
Performance
VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Performance Comparison
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VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSMIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares | 6.62% | 18.01% | 24.82% | 23.14% | 4.58% | 36.67% | 11.14% | 32.32% | -25.45% | 18.47% |
DFAIX DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 0.86% | 4.86% | 6.38% | 5.64% | -2.77% | 5.40% | 2.75% | 5.63% | 0.11% | 1.71% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VSMIX achieves a 6.62% return, which is significantly higher than DFAIX's 0.86% return. Over the past 10 years, VSMIX has outperformed DFAIX with an annualized return of 15.58%, while DFAIX has yielded a comparatively lower 3.20% annualized return.
VSMIX
- 1D
- -1.87%
- 1M
- -10.11%
- YTD
- 6.62%
- 6M
- 13.97%
- 1Y
- 33.62%
- 3Y*
- 24.68%
- 5Y*
- 17.55%
- 10Y*
- 15.58%
DFAIX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.00%
- YTD
- 0.86%
- 6M
- 1.22%
- 1Y
- 3.68%
- 3Y*
- 5.27%
- 5Y*
- 3.80%
- 10Y*
- 3.20%
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VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSMIX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than DFAIX's 0.22% 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%.
Return for Risk
VSMIX vs. DFAIX — Risk / Return Rank
VSMIX
DFAIX
VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) and DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX). 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.
| VSMIX | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.29 | 3.49 | -2.19 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.80 | 5.81 | -4.01 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 2.05 | -0.78 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.66 | 8.23 | -6.57 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.43 | 32.03 | -25.60 |
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
| VSMIX | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.29 | 3.49 | -2.19 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.76 | 1.20 | -0.44 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.59 | 1.26 | -0.67 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.45 | 1.08 | -0.64 |
Correlation
The correlation between VSMIX and DFAIX is 0.08, 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
VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Dividend Comparison
VSMIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.00%, more than DFAIX's 4.61% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSMIX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares | 8.00% | 8.53% | 7.40% | 4.71% | 9.53% | 15.84% | 0.40% | 2.37% | 26.83% | 15.94% | 1.65% | 10.91% |
DFAIX DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 4.61% | 4.65% | 4.14% | 3.66% | 1.68% | 0.98% | 0.82% | 2.53% | 2.72% | 1.71% | 1.41% | 1.29% |
Drawdowns
VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSMIX drawdown since its inception was -57.53%, which is greater than DFAIX's maximum drawdown of -5.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSMIX and DFAIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSMIX | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -57.53% | -5.63% | -51.90% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -16.58% | -0.47% | -16.11% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.26% | -5.46% | -19.80% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -57.53% | -5.63% | -51.90% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -11.39% | -0.28% | -11.11% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.58% | -0.95% | -8.63% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.49% | 0.12% | +4.37% |
Volatility
VSMIX vs. DFAIX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Investor Shares (VSMIX) has a higher volatility of 8.30% compared to DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX) at 0.49%. This indicates that VSMIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFAIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSMIX | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.30% | 0.49% | +7.81% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.62% | 0.75% | +15.87% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.78% | 1.07% | +24.71% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.13% | 3.18% | +19.95% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 26.69% | 2.56% | +24.13% |