VWENX vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VWENX) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

VWENX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on May 14, 2001.

Performance

VWENX vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VWENX) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VWENX vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VWENX Vanguard Wellington Fund Admiral Shares	-3.33%	16.63%	14.82%	14.40%	-14.31%	19.09%	10.66%	22.61%	-3.35%	14.05%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-3.95%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VWENX achieves a -3.33% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's -3.95% return. Over the past 10 years, VWENX has underperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 9.40%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively higher 12.24% annualized return.

VWENX

• 1D: 2.01%
• 1M: -3.95%
• YTD: -3.33%
• 6M: -0.41%
• 1Y: 14.24%
• 3Y*: 12.74%
• 5Y*: 7.66%
• 10Y*: 9.40%

^GSPC

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.45%
• YTD: -3.95%
• 6M: -2.02%
• 1Y: 16.73%
• 3Y*: 16.96%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: 12.24%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

VWENX vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VWENX

VWENX Risk / Return Rank: 75
VWENX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
VWENX Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
VWENX Omega Ratio Rank: 71
VWENX Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
VWENX Martin Ratio Rank: 84

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 67
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

VWENX vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VWENX) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). 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.

	VWENX	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.24	0.92	+0.32
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.82	1.41	+0.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.21	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.89	1.41	+0.48
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.54	6.61	+1.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VWENX vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VWENX Sharpe Ratio is 1.24, which is higher than the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VWENX and ^GSPC, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VWENX	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.24	0.92	+0.32
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69	0.61	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.82	0.68	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.65	0.46	+0.19

Correlation

The correlation between VWENX and ^GSPC is 0.95, 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.

Drawdowns

VWENX vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VWENX drawdown since its inception was -36.02%, smaller than the maximum ^GSPC drawdown of -56.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VWENX and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	VWENX	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.02%	-56.78%	+20.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.02%	-12.14%	+4.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.84%	-25.43%	+4.59%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-25.33%	-33.92%	+8.59%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.90%	-5.78%	+0.88%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.38%	-10.75%	+6.37%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.78%	2.60%	-0.82%

Volatility

VWENX vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VWENX) is 4.06%, while S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) has a volatility of 5.37%. This indicates that VWENX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VWENX	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.06%	5.37%	-1.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.66%	9.55%	-2.89%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.88%	18.33%	-6.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.12%	16.90%	-5.78%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.50%	18.05%	-6.55%