VSTSX vs. VBTLX
VSTSX (Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares) and VBTLX (Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - VSTSX is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the CRSP U.S. Total Market Index, while VBTLX is a Total Bond Market fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VSTSX returned 12.33%/yr vs -0.38%/yr for VBTLX. Their 0.00 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. VSTSX charges 0.01%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for VBTLX.
Performance
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VSTSX achieves a 14.25% return, which is significantly higher than VBTLX's -0.39% return.
VSTSX
- 1D
- 1.83%
- 1M
- 2.44%
- 6M
- 13.24%
- YTD
- 14.25%
- 1Y
- 24.60%
- 3Y*
- 21.16%
- 5Y*
- 12.33%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 15.00%
VBTLX
- 1D
- 0.32%
- 1M
- -1.04%
- 6M
- -0.42%
- YTD
- -0.39%
- 1Y
- 1.88%
- 3Y*
- 4.06%
- 5Y*
- -0.38%
- 10Y*
- 1.38%
- ALL TIME*
- 3.35%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VSTSX Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares | 14.25% | 17.16% | 23.27% | 26.54% | -19.49% | 25.75% | 21.02% | 30.81% | -5.15% | 20.21% |
VBTLX Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares | -0.39% | 7.17% | 1.26% | 5.74% | -13.16% | -1.81% | 7.72% | 8.73% | -0.25% | 3.56% |
Correlation
The correlation between VSTSX and VBTLX is 0.35, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.35 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.22 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.16 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 2017 | 0.00 |
Over the past year, VSTSX and VBTLX have become more correlated (0.35) than their long-term average of 0.00, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
VSTSX vs. VBTLX — Risk / Return Rank
VSTSX
VBTLX
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares (VSTSX) and Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBTLX). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| VSTSX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.33 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.81 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.09 | +0.24 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.71 | 0.65 | +2.06 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.72 | 1.59 | +10.13 |
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Drawdowns
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VSTSX drawdown since its inception was -34.97%, which is greater than VBTLX's maximum drawdown of -18.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSTSX and VBTLX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VSTSX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.97% | -18.81% | -16.16% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.92% | -2.89% | -6.03% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.36% | -4.86% | -14.50% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.35% | -17.98% | -7.37% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -18.81% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -2.97% | +2.97% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.83% | -2.67% | -2.16% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.06% | 1.18% | +0.88% |
Volatility
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares (VSTSX) has a higher volatility of 4.12% compared to Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBTLX) at 1.06%. This indicates that VSTSX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBTLX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VSTSX | VBTLX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.12% | 1.06% | +3.06% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.50% | 2.97% | +7.53% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 13.21% | 3.74% | +9.47% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.50% | 6.01% | +11.49% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.70% | 4.98% | +13.72% |
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VSTSX has a 0.01% expense ratio, which is lower than VBTLX's 0.04% 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
VSTSX vs. VBTLX - Dividend Comparison
VSTSX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.04%, less than VBTLX's 3.70% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBTLX Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares | 3.70% | 3.87% | 3.69% | 3.10% | 2.59% | 1.96% | 2.39% | 2.74% | 2.57% | 2.56% | 2.53% | 2.82% |
VSTSX Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares | 1.04% | 1.13% | 1.27% | 1.43% | 1.67% | 1.23% | 1.44% | 1.79% | 2.07% | 1.74% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VSTSX and VBTLX have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VSTSX has higher volatility (4.12%) compared to VBTLX (1.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VSTSX dropped -34.97% vs VBTLX's -18.81%.
VSTSX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.84 vs 0.51), 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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