VTSPX vs. VTIP
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSPX) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP).
VTSPX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Oct 17, 2012. VTIP is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Years Index (Series-L). It was launched on Oct 12, 2012.
Scroll down to visually compare performance, riskiness, drawdowns, and other indicators and decide which better suits your portfolio: VTSPX or VTIP.
Correlation
The correlation between VTSPX and VTIP is 0.88, 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.

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VTSPX vs. VTIP - Performance Comparison
Key characteristics
VTSPX:
4.01
VTIP:
4.01
VTSPX:
6.44
VTIP:
6.70
VTSPX:
1.91
VTIP:
1.93
VTSPX:
9.22
VTIP:
9.66
VTSPX:
27.35
VTIP:
29.01
VTSPX:
0.27%
VTIP:
0.25%
VTSPX:
1.82%
VTIP:
1.81%
VTSPX:
-5.35%
VTIP:
-6.27%
VTSPX:
-0.24%
VTIP:
-0.30%
Returns By Period
The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with VTSPX having a 3.25% return and VTIP slightly higher at 3.28%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VTSPX having a 2.79% annualized return and VTIP not far ahead at 2.84%.
VTSPX
3.25%
1.29%
3.44%
7.11%
3.97%
2.79%
VTIP
3.28%
1.25%
3.47%
7.12%
4.00%
2.84%
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VTSPX vs. VTIP - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both VTSPX and VTIP have an expense ratio of 0.04%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
VTSPX vs. VTIP — Risk-Adjusted Performance Rank
VTSPX
VTIP
VTSPX vs. VTIP - Risk-Adjusted Performance Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSPX) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP). 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.
Dividends
VTSPX vs. VTIP - Dividend Comparison
VTSPX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.77%, which matches VTIP's 2.76% yield.
TTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VTSPX Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Institutional Shares | 2.77% | 2.71% | 2.86% | 6.84% | 4.69% | 1.21% | 1.96% | 2.47% | 1.52% | 0.80% | 0.00% | 0.85% |
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF | 2.76% | 2.70% | 3.36% | 6.84% | 4.68% | 1.20% | 1.95% | 2.45% | 1.52% | 0.76% | 0.00% | 0.82% |
Drawdowns
VTSPX vs. VTIP - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VTSPX drawdown since its inception was -5.35%, smaller than the maximum VTIP drawdown of -6.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTSPX and VTIP. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
VTSPX vs. VTIP - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTSPX) is 0.76%, while Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) has a volatility of 0.85%. This indicates that VTSPX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VTIP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
User Portfolios with VTSPX or VTIP
Recent discussions
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Marcus Crahan
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Marcus Crahan
How is Sharpe ratio calculated?
The highest sharpe ratio portfolioi in User portfolios holds only ultrashort treasuries and show a sharpe ratio of 7+. But my understanding is the Sharpe ratio is the return less the risk-free rate divided by the standard deviation of returns. But short-term treasuries ARE the risk free rate, so the Sharpe ratio should be zero since the risk free rate minus the risk free rate is zero. So are you simply ignoring the risk-free rate and dividing returns by the standard deviation???
Addendum:
Just input my portfolio and asked that your site optimize it for Sharpe ratio. I have ready cash in USFR, and ETF that holds US floating rate notes exclusively. The optimization recommended I put over 99% in USFR. However, the interest rate on floating rate notes is based on the three month treasury, so again, USFR has a Sharpe ratio of zero! Please correct this!
Bob Peticolas