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VTV vs. BSV
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

VTV vs. BSV

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

VTV (Vanguard Value ETF) and BSV (Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares) are both exchange-traded funds - VTV is a Large Cap Value Equities fund tracking the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index, while BSV is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VTV returned 12.42%/yr vs 1.91%/yr for BSV. At a correlation of -0.15, they often move in opposite directions. VTV charges 0.04%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for BSV.

Performance

VTV vs. BSV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VTV achieves a 11.91% return, which is significantly higher than BSV's 0.10% return. Over the past 10 years, VTV has outperformed BSV with an annualized return of 12.42%, while BSV has yielded a comparatively lower 1.91% annualized return.

VTV

1D
0.25%
1M
2.67%
YTD
11.91%
6M
13.41%
1Y
25.49%
3Y*
17.72%
5Y*
11.30%
10Y*
12.42%

BSV

1D
-0.01%
1M
-0.38%
YTD
0.10%
6M
0.53%
1Y
3.66%
3Y*
4.42%
5Y*
1.57%
10Y*
1.91%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VTV vs. BSV - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
VTV
Vanguard Value ETF		11.91%15.27%15.95%9.32%-2.09%26.53%2.33%25.66%-5.47%17.15%
BSV
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares		0.10%6.00%3.78%4.90%-5.49%-1.09%4.70%4.98%1.34%1.20%

Correlation

The correlation between VTV and BSV is 0.27, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.27

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.16

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.12

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.03

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 11, 2007

-0.15

The correlation between VTV and BSV shifts across timeframes, from -0.15 (all time) to 0.27 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

Vanguard Value ETF

Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

Often compared with VTV:
VTV vs. SCHDVTV vs. VOOVTV vs. VTIVTV vs. VUGVTV vs. VYMVTV vs. SCHVVTV vs. VIG
Often compared with BSV:
BSV vs. BNDBSV vs. VCSHBSV vs. SCHOBSV vs. SHYBSV vs. VUSBBSV vs. VBIRXBSV vs. ISTB

Return for Risk

VTV vs. BSV — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
VTV
VTV Risk / Return Rank: 8484
Overall Rank
VTV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8585
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VTV Sortino Ratio Rank: 8787
Sortino Ratio Rank
VTV Omega Ratio Rank: 8383
Omega Ratio Rank
VTV Calmar Ratio Rank: 8383
Calmar Ratio Rank
VTV Martin Ratio Rank: 8383
Martin Ratio Rank
BSV
BSV Risk / Return Rank: 7070
Overall Rank
BSV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7070
Sharpe Ratio Rank
BSV Sortino Ratio Rank: 8282
Sortino Ratio Rank
BSV Omega Ratio Rank: 7474
Omega Ratio Rank
BSV Calmar Ratio Rank: 6363
Calmar Ratio Rank
BSV Martin Ratio Rank: 6161
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

VTV vs. BSV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV). 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.

VTVBSVDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.52
2.06

+0.46

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.58
3.30

+0.28

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.45

1.39

+0.06

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

4.03

2.85

+1.18

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

15.20

9.83

+5.37

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VTV vs. BSV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VTV Sharpe Ratio is 2.52, which is comparable to the BSV Sharpe Ratio of 2.06. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VTV and BSV, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

VTVBSVDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.52

2.06

+0.46

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.82

0.58

+0.24

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.75

0.81

-0.06

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.51

0.85

-0.34

Drawdowns

VTV vs. BSV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VTV drawdown since its inception was -59.27%, which is greater than BSV's maximum drawdown of -8.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTV and BSV.

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Drawdown Indicators

VTVBSVDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-59.27%

-8.54%

-50.73%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-6.35%

-1.29%

-5.06%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-14.52%

-1.53%

-12.99%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-17.04%

-8.54%

-8.50%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-36.78%

-8.54%

-28.24%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-1.11%

-0.82%

-0.29%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-7.87%

-0.97%

-6.90%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.68%

0.37%

+1.31%

Volatility

VTV vs. BSV - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) has a higher volatility of 2.65% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) at 0.54%. This indicates that VTV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BSV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

VTVBSVDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

2.65%

0.54%

+2.11%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

7.67%

1.28%

+6.39%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

10.18%

1.79%

+8.39%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

13.89%

2.73%

+11.16%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

16.68%

2.38%

+14.30%

VTV vs. BSV - Expense Ratio Comparison

VTV has a 0.04% expense ratio, which is higher than BSV's 0.03% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

VTV vs. BSV - Dividend Comparison

VTV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.87%, less than BSV's 4.00% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
BSV
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares		4.00%3.83%3.38%2.46%1.50%1.45%1.79%2.29%1.99%1.65%1.48%1.40%
VTV
Vanguard Value ETF		1.87%2.05%2.31%2.46%2.52%2.15%2.56%2.50%2.73%2.29%2.44%2.60%

Frequently Asked Questions

VTV and BSV have a correlation of 0.27, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

VTV has higher volatility (2.65%) compared to BSV (0.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VTV dropped -59.27% vs BSV's -8.54%.

On 10-year performance, VTV leads with 12.42% vs 1.91% for BSV. On fees, BSV is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, BSV has been the lower-risk option at 0.54%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, VTV has performed better with a 12.42% return vs 1.91%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

BSV is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.04% for VTV.

BSV has the higher dividend yield at 4.00%, compared with 1.87% for VTV.

VTV is categorized as Large Cap Value Equities, while BSV is Short-Term Bond. VTV tracks CRSP US Large Cap Value Index, while BSV tracks Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. Their fees differ too: 0.04% for VTV and 0.03% for BSV.

VTV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.52 vs 2.06), 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.

Portfolio Optimizer

Find the right allocation for VTV and BSV

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