VWELX vs. IEF
VWELX (Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares) and IEF (iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both funds - VWELX is a Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by Vanguard, while IEF is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index. VWELX is actively managed, while IEF is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VWELX returned 9.87%/yr vs 0.53%/yr for IEF. At a correlation of -0.12, they often move in opposite directions. VWELX charges 0.24%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for IEF.
Performance
VWELX vs. IEF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VWELX achieves a 4.55% return, which is significantly higher than IEF's -1.16% return. Over the past 10 years, VWELX has outperformed IEF with an annualized return of 9.87%, while IEF has yielded a comparatively lower 0.53% annualized return.
VWELX
- 1D
- -2.02%
- 1M
- -0.51%
- YTD
- 4.55%
- 6M
- 4.96%
- 1Y
- 17.46%
- 3Y*
- 14.67%
- 5Y*
- 8.31%
- 10Y*
- 9.87%
IEF
- 1D
- -0.11%
- 1M
- -1.19%
- YTD
- -1.16%
- 6M
- -0.96%
- 1Y
- 3.91%
- 3Y*
- 2.43%
- 5Y*
- -1.34%
- 10Y*
- 0.53%
VWELX vs. IEF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 4.55% | 16.54% | 14.73% | 14.29% | -14.36% | 18.99% | 10.57% | 22.51% | -3.43% | 13.98% |
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -1.16% | 8.03% | -0.63% | 3.64% | -15.15% | -3.33% | 10.01% | 8.03% | 0.99% | 2.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between VWELX and IEF is 0.35, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.06 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 29, 2002 | -0.12 |
The correlation between VWELX and IEF shifts across timeframes, from -0.12 (all time) to 0.35 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
VWELX vs. IEF — Risk / Return Rank
VWELX
IEF
VWELX vs. IEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF). 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.
| VWELX | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.25 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.62 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.39 | 1.14 | +0.25 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.67 | 0.96 | +1.71 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.31 | 2.79 | +9.52 |
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
| VWELX | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.09 | 0.84 | +1.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.75 | -0.17 | +0.92 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.86 | 0.08 | +0.78 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.84 | 0.50 | +0.34 |
Drawdowns
VWELX vs. IEF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VWELX drawdown since its inception was -36.12%, which is greater than IEF's maximum drawdown of -23.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VWELX and IEF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VWELX | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -36.12% | -23.93% | -12.19% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.78% | -4.07% | -2.71% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -11.98% | -7.74% | -4.24% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.88% | -21.40% | +0.52% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -25.33% | -23.93% | -1.40% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.39% | -11.80% | +9.41% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.92% | -5.35% | +1.43% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.47% | 1.40% | +0.07% |
Volatility
VWELX vs. IEF - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) has a higher volatility of 3.12% compared to iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) at 1.51%. This indicates that VWELX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VWELX | IEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.12% | 1.51% | +1.61% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.00% | 3.36% | +3.64% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.67% | 4.69% | +3.98% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.17% | 7.71% | +3.46% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 11.55% | 6.63% | +4.92% |
VWELX vs. IEF - Expense Ratio Comparison
VWELX has a 0.24% expense ratio, which is higher than IEF's 0.15% 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
VWELX vs. IEF - Dividend Comparison
VWELX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.02%, more than IEF's 3.92% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.92% | 3.77% | 3.62% | 2.91% | 1.96% | 0.83% | 1.08% | 2.08% | 2.24% | 1.82% | 1.81% | 1.90% |
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 11.02% | 11.46% | 10.76% | 6.01% | 8.19% | 8.64% | 7.77% | 4.67% | 9.49% | 5.82% | 4.44% | 7.03% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VWELX and IEF have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VWELX has higher volatility (3.12%) compared to IEF (1.51%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VWELX dropped -36.12% vs IEF's -23.93%.
VWELX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.09 vs 0.84), 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.
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