VWELX vs. NEAR
VWELX (Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares) and NEAR (iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF) are both funds - VWELX is a Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by Vanguard, while NEAR is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by iShares. Both are actively managed. Over the past 10 years, VWELX returned 10.18%/yr vs 2.86%/yr for NEAR. At a 0.11 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VWELX charges 0.24%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for NEAR.
Performance
VWELX vs. NEAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VWELX achieves a 5.10% return, which is significantly higher than NEAR's 0.96% return. Over the past 10 years, VWELX has outperformed NEAR with an annualized return of 10.18%, while NEAR has yielded a comparatively lower 2.86% annualized return.
VWELX
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- -1.65%
- YTD
- 5.10%
- 6M
- 4.40%
- 1Y
- 15.21%
- 3Y*
- 14.57%
- 5Y*
- 8.33%
- 10Y*
- 10.18%
NEAR
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.14%
- YTD
- 0.96%
- 6M
- 0.94%
- 1Y
- 3.75%
- 3Y*
- 5.58%
- 5Y*
- 3.91%
- 10Y*
- 2.86%
VWELX vs. NEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 5.10% | 16.54% | 14.73% | 14.29% | -14.36% | 18.99% | 10.57% | 22.51% | -3.43% | 13.98% |
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 0.96% | 5.90% | 5.09% | 7.42% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 1.39% | 3.55% | 1.71% | 1.41% |
Correlation
The correlation between VWELX and NEAR is 0.34, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.34 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2013 | 0.11 |
Over the past year, VWELX and NEAR have become more correlated (0.34) than their long-term average of 0.11, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
VWELX vs. NEAR — Risk / Return Rank
VWELX
NEAR
VWELX vs. NEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) and iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| VWELX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.97 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.70 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.55 | -0.23 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.32 | 3.32 | -1.00 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.31 | 15.05 | -4.74 |
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Drawdowns
VWELX vs. NEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VWELX drawdown since its inception was -36.12%, which is greater than NEAR's maximum drawdown of -9.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VWELX and NEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VWELX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -36.12% | -9.61% | -26.51% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.78% | -1.13% | -5.65% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -11.98% | -1.16% | -10.82% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.88% | -1.32% | -19.56% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -25.33% | -9.61% | -15.72% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.88% | 0.00% | -1.88% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.92% | -0.16% | -3.76% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.52% | 0.25% | +1.27% |
Volatility
VWELX vs. NEAR - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) has a higher volatility of 3.63% compared to iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF (NEAR) at 0.49%. This indicates that VWELX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VWELX | NEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.63% | 0.49% | +3.14% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.33% | 1.06% | +6.27% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.96% | 1.38% | +7.58% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.22% | 1.35% | +9.87% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 11.54% | 2.50% | +9.04% |
VWELX vs. NEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
VWELX has a 0.24% expense ratio, which is lower than NEAR's 0.25% 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%.
Dividends
VWELX vs. NEAR - Dividend Comparison
VWELX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.01%, more than NEAR's 4.43% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEAR iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF | 4.43% | 4.54% | 5.00% | 4.59% | 1.78% | 0.76% | 1.53% | 2.69% | 2.25% | 1.52% | 1.07% | 0.85% |
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 11.01% | 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 NEAR have a correlation of 0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VWELX has higher volatility (3.63%) compared to NEAR (0.49%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VWELX dropped -36.12% vs NEAR's -9.61%.
NEAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.73 vs 1.76), 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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