Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF
$76.37−0.02 (−0.03%)
- 0.03%
- $71.1B
- +0.8%
- 4.12%
- 3M sh
- $76.36
- low $76.02high $79.32
The ETF.net BSV Grade
A
Score 81 out of 100
- 1 of 12
Score 81 of 100 falls in the A band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.A97 out of 100Rank 1 of 12Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.C45 out of 100Rank 8 of 11Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A89 out of 100Rank 1 of 12Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.B69 out of 100Rank 5 of 12Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A95 out of 100Rank 1 of 12
Our read on BSV
AThe short end of Vanguard's bond lineup: investment-grade US government and corporate paper capped at one to five years, for three basis points a year. Same indexing discipline as its total-market sibling, with far less rate whiplash.
The fund seeks to track a market-weighted bond index with a short-term dollar-weighted average maturity.
Why people hold it
- Three basis points a year, against a category median around 0.36%. One of the cheapest tickets into the short end of the investment-grade bond market.
- Every bond in the index matures within one to five years, which mechanically dampens how much the price moves when rates do, compared with longer-maturity bond funds.advisors.vanguard.com
- Broad by design: US Treasuries, investment-grade corporates and dollar-denominated international issues, all float-adjusted and market-weighted rather than hand-picked.advisors.vanguard.com
- Trading since 2007, a fund with tens of billions in assets and one of the busier tapes in its category. Income is paid out monthly.
Worth knowing
- A bond fund, not a savings account. The share price moves with rates and credit spreads, and short-term bond funds can and do post losing stretches.advisors.vanguard.com
- Not Treasuries only. Investment-grade corporate and dollar-denominated international bonds ride along, so a slice of credit risk comes with the ladder.advisors.vanguard.com
- One slice of the bond market, not the whole thing: nothing maturing past five years is in the index.advisors.vanguard.com
BSV Holdings
- Bonds
- 3,175
- 9%
- United States Treasury Note/Bond 4.38% 08/31/2031
Geography
- United States90.96%
- Supranational2.50%
- Canada1.52%
- United Kingdom1.14%
- Japan0.85%
- Germany0.71%
- Australia0.26%
- Spain0.24%
- 1.82%
BSV Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
BSV$10,081
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | BSV |
|---|---|
| Year to date | −0.1% |
| 1 month | −0.1% |
| 3 months | −0.5% |
| 1 year | +0.8% |
| 3 years | +4.4% |
| 5 years | +1.6% |
| 10 years | +1.9% |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | BSV |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | −0.1% | |
| 2025 | +6.0% | |
| 2024 | +3.8% | |
| 2023 | +4.9% | |
| 2022 | −5.5% | |
| 2021 | −1.1% | |
| 2020 | +4.7% |
BSV in the news
BSV Dividends
- 4.12%
- $3.15
- $0.27 per share
- Monthly
Distribution history
BSV Risk
- 2.4%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- −0.13
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −8.0%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 0.38
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
BSV Cost
0.03%
BSV0.03%
- The middle half of Short-Term Core Bond funds
- Median 0.25%
No Short-Term Core Bond fund charges less.
Other funds in Short-Term Core Bond
- AISTBiShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETFExpense ratio 0.06%1 year return +1.0%
- BAVSFAvantis Short-Term Fixed Income ETFExpense ratio 0.15%1 year return +1.1%
- BSHAGWisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond FundExpense ratio 0.12%1 year return +0.9%
- CEVSDEaton Vance Short Duration Income ETFExpense ratio 0.24%1 year return +1.5%
- CNUSANuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate BondExpense ratio 0.14%1 year return +0.5%