VTES vs. ZTAX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES) and X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF (ZTAX).

VTES and ZTAX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VTES is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the S&P 0-7 Yr National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Mar 8, 2023. ZTAX is an actively managed fund by X-Square. It was launched on May 18, 2023.

Performance

VTES vs. ZTAX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES) and X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF (ZTAX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VTES vs. ZTAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
VTES Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares	0.02%	4.19%	1.85%	3.22%
ZTAX X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF	0.90%	-1.02%	7.98%	9.14%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VTES achieves a 0.02% return, which is significantly lower than ZTAX's 0.90% return.

VTES

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -1.24%
• YTD: 0.02%
• 6M: 0.60%
• 1Y: 3.45%
• 3Y*: 2.61%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

ZTAX

• 1D: -2.16%
• 1M: 1.00%
• YTD: 0.90%
• 6M: 4.68%
• 1Y: 5.44%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VTES vs. ZTAX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VTES has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is lower than ZTAX's 1.14% expense ratio.

ZTAX

X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF

VTES

Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares

Return for Risk

VTES vs. ZTAX — Risk / Return Rank

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

VTES

VTES Risk / Return Rank: 87
VTES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
VTES Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
VTES Omega Ratio Rank: 96
VTES Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
VTES Martin Ratio Rank: 75

ZTAX

ZTAX Risk / Return Rank: 19
ZTAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
ZTAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
ZTAX Omega Ratio Rank: 21
ZTAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 21
ZTAX Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

VTES vs. ZTAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES) and X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF (ZTAX). 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.

	VTES	ZTAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.91	0.21	+1.70
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.43	0.49	+1.94
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.49	1.08	+0.41
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.30	0.43	+1.87
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.44	1.15	+6.29
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VTES vs. ZTAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VTES Sharpe Ratio is 1.91, which is higher than the ZTAX Sharpe Ratio of 0.21. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VTES and ZTAX, 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

	VTES	ZTAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.91	0.21	+1.70
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.76	0.22	+1.54

Correlation

The correlation between VTES and ZTAX is -0.01. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

VTES vs. ZTAX - Dividend Comparison

VTES's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.77%, less than ZTAX's 4.52% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023
VTES Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares	2.54%	2.77%	2.99%	2.03%
ZTAX X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF	4.52%	4.58%	4.55%	2.14%

Drawdowns

VTES vs. ZTAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VTES drawdown since its inception was -2.42%, smaller than the maximum ZTAX drawdown of -15.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTES and ZTAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VTES	ZTAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-2.42%	-15.33%	+12.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.59%	-10.47%	+8.88%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.24%	-5.92%	+4.68%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.48%	-6.88%	+6.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.49%	3.91%	-3.42%

Volatility

VTES vs. ZTAX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Shares (VTES) is 0.69%, while X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF (ZTAX) has a volatility of 9.50%. This indicates that VTES experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ZTAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VTES	ZTAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.69%	9.50%	-8.81%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.96%	24.09%	-23.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.83%	25.95%	-24.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.75%	27.27%	-25.52%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.75%	27.27%	-25.52%