VUSTX vs. SPTL
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Fund Investor Shares (VUSTX) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL).
VUSTX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on May 19, 1986. SPTL is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index. It was launched on May 23, 2007.
Performance
VUSTX vs. SPTL - Performance Comparison
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VUSTX vs. SPTL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VUSTX Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Fund Investor Shares | -0.56% | 5.55% | -6.41% | 3.33% | -29.58% | -4.93% | 18.20% | 14.14% | -1.89% | 8.60% |
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF | 0.01% | 5.28% | -6.23% | 3.30% | -29.44% | -4.99% | 18.07% | 13.74% | -1.57% | 9.01% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VUSTX achieves a -0.56% return, which is significantly lower than SPTL's 0.01% return. Over the past 10 years, VUSTX has underperformed SPTL with an annualized return of -0.93%, while SPTL has yielded a comparatively higher -0.87% annualized return.
VUSTX
- 1D
- 1.29%
- 1M
- -4.37%
- YTD
- -0.56%
- 6M
- -0.74%
- 1Y
- 0.22%
- 3Y*
- -1.62%
- 5Y*
- -4.71%
- 10Y*
- -0.93%
SPTL
- 1D
- 0.04%
- 1M
- -3.93%
- YTD
- 0.01%
- 6M
- -0.43%
- 1Y
- 0.50%
- 3Y*
- -1.55%
- 5Y*
- -4.88%
- 10Y*
- -0.87%
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VUSTX vs. SPTL - Expense Ratio Comparison
VUSTX has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than SPTL'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%.
Return for Risk
VUSTX vs. SPTL — Risk / Return Rank
VUSTX
SPTL
VUSTX vs. SPTL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Fund Investor Shares (VUSTX) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL). 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.
| VUSTX | SPTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.13 | 0.05 | +0.08 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.24 | 0.14 | +0.10 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.03 | 1.02 | +0.01 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.31 | 0.16 | +0.15 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.69 | 0.34 | +0.34 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| VUSTX | SPTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.13 | 0.05 | +0.08 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.32 | -0.34 | +0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.07 | -0.06 | -0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.44 | 0.24 | +0.19 |
Correlation
The correlation between VUSTX and SPTL 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
VUSTX vs. SPTL - Dividend Comparison
VUSTX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.02%, less than SPTL's 4.15% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VUSTX Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Fund Investor Shares | 4.02% | 4.29% | 4.03% | 3.33% | 2.93% | 4.21% | 10.38% | 2.82% | 2.82% | 2.64% | 5.27% | 5.52% |
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF | 4.15% | 4.12% | 4.03% | 3.24% | 2.75% | 1.68% | 1.71% | 2.45% | 2.69% | 2.53% | 2.56% | 2.60% |
Drawdowns
VUSTX vs. SPTL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VUSTX drawdown since its inception was -46.37%, roughly equal to the maximum SPTL drawdown of -46.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VUSTX and SPTL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VUSTX | SPTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.37% | -46.20% | -0.17% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.77% | -8.44% | -0.33% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -41.45% | -41.02% | -0.43% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.37% | -46.20% | -0.17% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -36.78% | -36.62% | -0.16% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.22% | -14.03% | +4.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.94% | 3.84% | +0.10% |
Volatility
VUSTX vs. SPTL - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Fund Investor Shares (VUSTX) has a higher volatility of 3.68% compared to SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL) at 3.50%. This indicates that VUSTX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPTL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VUSTX | SPTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.68% | 3.50% | +0.18% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.10% | 6.01% | +0.09% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 10.51% | 10.34% | +0.17% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 14.64% | 14.65% | -0.01% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 13.78% | 13.98% | -0.20% |