VCSH — Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

VCSH Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in VCSH 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.

VCSH Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: VCSH'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

Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares, issued by Vanguard, is a US Bonds - Corporate ETF. Tracking at #254 of 458 in ETFValuer's overall ranking, it has a grade of C with a score of 58.9/100. The expense ratio is a low 0.03%, and it offers a dividend yield of 4.46%. With an asset under management (AUM) of $52.0B, the fund appears to be well-adopted by investors, given its size and ranking within its category. The current price of $78.59 reflects its position in the market, indicating a balance between cost efficiency and income generation for investors.

The fund's performance shows a mixed picture across different time horizons. In the short term, the 1-day and 1-week returns were negative, with -0.03% and -0.06% respectively, suggesting some volatility in the immediate market conditions. However, the 1-month return of +0.61% and the 3-month return of +0.73% indicate a gradual improvement in performance. The 6-month and year-to-date (YTD) returns of +0.31% and +1.10% respectively, and the 1-year return of +3.16% show a more pronounced upward trend, with the 3-year return of +17.84% being particularly strong. This suggests that the fund has been performing better in the longer term, with some short-term fluctuations that have been gradually resolved.

The fund has a volatility label of 'Very Low', indicating that it is expected to experience less price fluctuation compared to other ETFs. Its beta of 0.41 suggests that it is less sensitive to market movements, which is consistent with the low volatility label. The Sharpe ratio of -0.97, though negative, does not necessarily imply poor performance but rather that the returns have not been sufficient to compensate for the risk taken. The maximum drawdown of -1.40% indicates that the fund has experienced a decline of 1.40% from its peak value, which is relatively small. This combination of figures suggests that the fund is likely to be more stable and less risky than the broader market, making it suitable for investors who prioritize capital preservation and steady income over high returns.

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

VCSH Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-05-31 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 3.0% 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 VCSH's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With VCSH

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with VCSH's top 10 — VCIT overlaps most, holding 5 of the same companies as VCSH's top 10 (1.3% of VCSH'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: 4.69% (as of 2026-08-20) — 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): 16.01 (as of 2026-08-20) — 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 2026-07-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

High-Yield Credit Spread: 2.75% (as of 2026-08-20) — 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.

VCSH Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 0.01% and average daily volume is 4.4M/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 $52.0B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: VCSH 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.

VCSH Performance History

How VCSH Compares to Other US Bonds - Corporate ETFs