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Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF

VUSBCboeVanguardA

$49.45−0.01 (−0.01%)

At close: Nov 2, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 49.46 to 49.45. Range 49.45 to 49.46. Use the arrow keys to read each point.49.4549.4549.4549.4549.4610 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.10%
Fund size · all share classes
$9.9B
1Y total return
+3.7%
Yield · Last 12 months
4.27%
Holdings
1348
Avg volume · 30D
1.97M sh
52W range
low $49.37high $50.03
Launched
Filings
SEC EDGAR

The ETF.net VUSB Grade

A

Score 81 out of 100

Rank
3 of 78
Six-pillar profile for VUSB. Scores out of 100: Cost 84, Risk 53, Mission 100, Tradability 66, Holdings 90, Durability 89. Strongest: Mission (100). Weakest: Risk (53). Leans toward Mission.

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.
    A84 out of 100
    Rank 12 of 78
  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    A100 out of 100
    Rank 1 of 67
  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    C53 out of 100
    Rank 28 of 75
  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    B66 out of 100
    Rank 23 of 78
  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    A90 out of 100
    Rank 7 of 77
  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    A89 out of 100
    Rank 5 of 78

Our read on VUSB

ETF.net Research

In short

AVanguard's first actively managed bond ETF, run by its in-house fixed income team and priced at 0.10%. It holds investment-grade paper maturing inside two years: a step past a money fund, well short of a real bond fund.

Stated mandate

The fund seeks current income with limited price volatility while investing in diversified high- and medium-quality fixed-income securities. It expects to maintain a dollar-weighted average maturity of 0–2 years.

Why people hold it

  • At 0.10%, it costs half the typical ultra-short bond ETF and undercuts the other leaders in the group: SHV, PULS, FLDR and DUSB all charge 0.15%.
  • Active, not adventurous. The managers buy investment-grade bonds (A3-or-better high quality plus BBB-tier medium quality) and hold average maturity to zero-to-two years.vanguard.com
  • Income lands monthly, sourced from roughly 170 bonds, so no single issuer drives the outcome.
  • A multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively, and the same portfolio team also runs a similar Vanguard ultra-short fund.vanguard.com

Worth knowing

  • This is not a money market fund. No fixed $1 share price, and the market price can trade above or below the value of the holdings.vanguard.com
  • The mandate allows BBB-tier credit, a notch of risk a Treasury-only neighbor like SHV doesn't take.vanguard.com
  • Bonds this short reprice with short-term rates, so the monthly payout drifts up and down instead of holding a set level.vanguard.com

VUSB Performance

Launched Apr 5, 2021

Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.

Not enough history yet.
VUSB$10,368
SPY tracks large US stocks. It provides market context, rather than representing this fund’s strategy, asset class or investment benchmark.$11,199
Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. VUSB $10,368. SPY $11,199. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$10,000$11,000Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

Returns run to the Oct 30, 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.

Trailing total return for VUSB. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodVUSB
Year to date+2.8%
1 month+0.5%
3 months+0.8%
1 year+3.7%
3 yearsper year+5.2%
5 yearsper year+3.7%
10 yearsFund is under 10 years oldper yearNo data

With distributions reinvested.

Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.

Annual total returns for VUSB
YearReturn barVUSB
2026 YTD+2.8%
2025+5.2%
2024+5.7%
2023+5.5%
2022−0.4%
20210.0%

History from Apr 7, 2021

VUSB in the news

VUSB Dividends

Adds up every distribution paid per share over the last 12 months, divided by the last completed close. Distributions are counted by ex-date. Data through Oct 30, 2026.
4.27%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$2.12Last 12 months
Last payment
$0.18 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Monthly

Distribution history

2023–2026

One bar per payment. 45 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Feb 1, 2023 $0.16; Mar 1, 2023 $0.15; Apr 3, 2023 $0.16; May 1, 2023 $0.17; Jun 1, 2023 $0.18; Jul 3, 2023 $0.18; Aug 1, 2023 $0.19; Sep 1, 2023 $0.19; Oct 2, 2023 $0.20; Nov 1, 2023 $0.20; Dec 1, 2023 $0.21; Dec 22, 2023 $0.22; Feb 1, 2024 $0.22; Mar 1, 2024 $0.20; Apr 1, 2024 $0.23; May 1, 2024 $0.22; Jun 3, 2024 $0.22; Jul 1, 2024 $0.21; Aug 1, 2024 $0.21; Sep 3, 2024 $0.21; Oct 1, 2024 $0.21; Nov 1, 2024 $0.21; Dec 2, 2024 $0.21; Dec 24, 2024 $0.21; Feb 3, 2025 $0.21; Mar 3, 2025 $0.19; Apr 1, 2025 $0.20; May 1, 2025 $0.19; Jun 2, 2025 $0.20; Jul 1, 2025 $0.19; Aug 1, 2025 $0.19; Sep 2, 2025 $0.19; Oct 1, 2025 $0.19; Nov 3, 2025 $0.19; Dec 1, 2025 $0.18; Dec 18, 2025 $0.18; Feb 2, 2026 $0.18; Mar 2, 2026 $0.17; Apr 1, 2026 $0.18; May 1, 2026 $0.18; Jun 1, 2026 $0.17; Jul 1, 2026 $0.18; Aug 3, 2026 $0.17; Sep 1, 2026 $0.17; Oct 1, 2026 $0.18. Use the arrow keys to read each point.2023202420252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Nov 2, 2026Pays Nov 4, 2026$0.18
Oct 1, 2026Oct 5, 2026$0.18
Sep 1, 2026Sep 3, 2026$0.17
Aug 3, 2026Aug 5, 2026$0.17
Jul 1, 2026Jul 6, 2026$0.18
Jun 1, 2026Jun 3, 2026$0.17
May 1, 2026May 5, 2026$0.18
Apr 1, 2026Apr 6, 2026$0.18
Mar 2, 2026Mar 4, 2026$0.17
Feb 2, 2026Feb 4, 2026$0.18
Dec 18, 2025Dec 22, 2025$0.18
Dec 1, 2025Dec 3, 2025$0.18

See all 67 payments⁠

$10,000 in VUSB 5 years ago paid $1,889 in dividends.⁠

VUSB Risk

How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
0.8%
Annualised · 36 months to Oct 2026
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.

Return above 3-month US Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
0.86
vs 3-month T-bills · to Oct 2026
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.

The largest fall from a peak to the low that followed.
−1.7%
Trough Jun 2022
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.

How strongly the fund’s returns move with its asset-class index.
0.10
vs its asset-class index
How it’s calculated: beta

The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.

FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.

VUSB Cost

Overpaying vs XHLF, tied cheapest in Cash & Ultra-Short Income

$1,468

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • VUSB 0.10%

    $2,106

  • XHLF 0.03% Tied cheapest

    $638

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • VUSB 0.10%
  • XHLF 0.03%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$500$1K$1.5K$2K$2.5K051015202530VUSB $2,106XHLF $638

Year by year

YearVUSBXHLFOverpaying
10$183$55$128
20$717$216$501
30$2,106$638$1,468

Other funds in Cash & Ultra-Short Income