VTHRX vs. ITDB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund (VTHRX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF (ITDB).

VTHRX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Jun 7, 2006. ITDB is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Oct 17, 2023.

Performance

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund (VTHRX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF (ITDB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
VTHRX Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund	-2.79%	16.25%	10.43%	11.37%
ITDB Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF	-0.58%	14.58%	9.65%	11.73%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VTHRX achieves a -2.79% return, which is significantly lower than ITDB's -0.58% return.

VTHRX

• 1D: -0.05%
• 1M: -6.35%
• YTD: -2.79%
• 6M: -0.54%
• 1Y: 12.77%
• 3Y*: 11.14%
• 5Y*: 5.70%
• 10Y*: 8.00%

ITDB

• 1D: 1.55%
• 1M: -3.88%
• YTD: -0.58%
• 6M: 1.36%
• 1Y: 12.66%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Expense Ratio Comparison

VTHRX has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than ITDB's 0.09% 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%.

ITDB

Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF

VTHRX

Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund

Return for Risk

VTHRX vs. ITDB — Risk / Return Rank

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

VTHRX

VTHRX Risk / Return Rank: 74
VTHRX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
VTHRX Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
VTHRX Omega Ratio Rank: 72
VTHRX Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
VTHRX Martin Ratio Rank: 76

ITDB

ITDB Risk / Return Rank: 76
ITDB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
ITDB Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
ITDB Omega Ratio Rank: 77
ITDB Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
ITDB Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund (VTHRX) and Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF (ITDB). 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.

	VTHRX	ITDB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.28	1.33	-0.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.84	1.88	-0.04
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.29	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.64	1.86	-0.21
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.24	8.41	-1.17
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VTHRX Sharpe Ratio is 1.28, which is comparable to the ITDB Sharpe Ratio of 1.33. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VTHRX and ITDB, 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

	VTHRX	ITDB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.28	1.33	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.72	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.47	1.71	-1.24

Correlation

The correlation between VTHRX and ITDB 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

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Dividend Comparison

VTHRX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.15%, more than ITDB's 2.06% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VTHRX Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund	4.15%	4.03%	3.63%	2.59%	2.53%	17.56%	2.56%	2.38%	2.71%	0.06%	2.38%	3.72%
ITDB Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF	2.06%	2.05%	1.96%	0.62%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VTHRX drawdown since its inception was -49.57%, which is greater than ITDB's maximum drawdown of -8.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTHRX and ITDB.

Drawdown Indicators

	VTHRX	ITDB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.57%	-8.41%	-41.16%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.25%	-6.94%	-0.31%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.75%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-24.86%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.56%	-4.05%	-2.51%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.23%	-0.95%	-5.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.65%	1.53%	+0.12%

Volatility

VTHRX vs. ITDB - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund (VTHRX) is 3.50%, while Ishares Lifepath Target Date 2030 ETF (ITDB) has a volatility of 3.74%. This indicates that VTHRX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ITDB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VTHRX	ITDB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.50%	3.74%	-0.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.94%	5.48%	+0.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.06%	9.59%	+0.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.30%	8.61%	+1.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.22%	8.61%	+2.61%