VCLT — Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

VCLT Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in VCLT over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

VCLT Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: VCLT's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares, trading under the ticker VCLT, operates within the US Bonds - Corporate category managed by issuer Vanguard. This fund holds an overall rank of #360 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 53.0 out of 100. It carries a low expense ratio of 0.03% while offering a dividend yield of 5.52%. With assets under management totaling $10.1 billion and a share price of $72.22, the fund demonstrates significant investor adoption relative to the 17 other ETFs tracked in its specific category. The substantial asset base suggests established market presence despite its mid-tier overall ranking among all tracked funds. Its cost structure remains competitive, positioning it as a low-cost vehicle for exposure to long-term corporate bonds.

Recent performance data shows a negative trajectory over the short term, with the fund down 0.06% over one day and 1.79% over one week. The decline deepens over the monthly horizon to -4.29%, followed by a slight recovery to -2.81% over three months. Over the six-month period, the return sits at -3.23%, while year-to-date performance reflects a -2.07% loss. In contrast, the one-year return turns positive at +1.82%, and the three-year annualized return reaches +8.54%. This pattern indicates a divergence where short-term volatility has suppressed recent gains, while longer-term horizons have maintained positive growth. The trend suggests a period of recent underperformance relative to the broader multi-year accumulation of returns.

The fund is assigned a Very Low volatility label despite exhibiting a high beta of 1.97, indicating significant sensitivity to market movements relative to its benchmark. This combination suggests that while price fluctuations may appear contained in absolute terms, the fund moves more aggressively than the broader market in response to directional shifts. A Sharpe ratio of -0.41 reflects a risk-adjusted return profile that has been negative over the measured period, implying that returns have not adequately compensated for the volatility incurred. The maximum drawdown of -12.52% highlights the potential for substantial temporary losses during market stress. Together, these metrics describe a fund that offers high income and low absolute volatility but carries elevated systematic risk and negative risk-adjusted performance.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

VCLT Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-02-28 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 3.4% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how VCLT's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With VCLT

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with VCLT's top 10 — VCSH overlaps most, holding 5 of the same companies as VCLT's top 10 (2.0% of VCLT's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.71% (as of 2026-07-23) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.70 (as of 2026-07-23) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

High-Yield Credit Spread: 2.77% (as of 2026-07-23) — The extra yield investors demand to hold high-yield corporate bonds over Treasuries — a real-time gauge of credit risk appetite relevant to this fund’s holdings.

VCLT Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 0.07% and average daily volume is 4.9M/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $10.1B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: VCLT is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

VCLT Performance History

How VCLT Compares to Other US Bonds - Corporate ETFs