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VBCA vs VBCB

Vanguard Target Maturity 2027 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCAANasdaq

Vanguard Target Maturity 2028 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCBANasdaq

Overlap

No data

Expense ratio

Same figure. Both funds show the same value, so neither comes out ahead.

VBCA0.08%VBCB0.08%

Avg volume · 30D

VBCB 1.8×the volume

VBCA14.8KVBCB25.9K

VBCA vs VBCB Performance

Jul 31, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026

+0.8%VBCA+0.6%VBCB

Jul 31, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026. VBCA +0.8%. VBCB +0.6%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−0.25%0%0.25%Jul 2026Sep 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
VBCA 0.08%
VBCB 0.08%
Fund size
VBCA $65M
VBCB $117M
Holdings
VBCA 622
VBCB 667
Avg volume (30D)
VBCA 14.8K sh
VBCB 25.9K sh, better
NAV per share
VBCA $75.50
VBCB $75.14
52W range

ETF.net Grade

VBCA: Cost 89, Risk 70, Mission 100, Tradability 36, Holdings 82, Durability 54. VBCB: Cost 89, Risk 88, Mission 100, Tradability 40, Holdings 84, Durability 56.
Pillar letters and Scores for VBCA, VBCB, with each pillar’s weight
PillarVBCAVBCB
Cost30% weightA89A89
Mission25% weightA100A100
Risk15% weightA70A88Higher
Tradability15% weightD36C40Higher
Holdings10% weightA82A84Higher
Durability5% weightC54B56Higher

Rank among Defined-Maturity Investment Grade Corporate funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. VBCA and VBCB are both graded against the same 42 Defined-Maturity Investment Grade Corporate funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Defined-Maturity Investment Grade Corporate⁠

Category · 42 funds
See all 42 ›

VBCB ranks 1st and VBCA 2nd of 42 funds in the Defined-Maturity Investment Grade Corporate Category.

  1. Rank 1AVBCBVanguard Target Maturity 2028 Corporate Bond ETFScore 82
  2. Rank 2AVBCAVanguard Target Maturity 2027 Corporate Bond ETFScore 78
  3. Rank 3AIBDTiShares iBonds Dec 2028 Term Corporate ETFScore 77

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

VBCAAVanguard Target Maturity 2027 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCBAVanguard Target Maturity 2028 Corporate Bond ETF

In short

VBCA Vanguard showed up late to the bond-ladder aisle and priced it accordingly: one rung of investment-grade corporate bonds, all maturing in 2027, wrapped in an ETF at 0.08%.

VBCB Vanguard finally showed up to the bond-ladder party. VBCB owns U.S. investment-grade corporate bonds that all mature in 2028, and it undercuts the typical target-maturity rung on fees.

Stated mandate

VBCA The fund seeks to track a market-weighted index of U.S.-dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds that mature in 2027.

VBCB The fund seeks to track a market-weighted index of U.S.-dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds that mature in 2028.

Why people hold it

  • VBCA At 0.08%, it undercuts the target-maturity norm, where iShares iBonds and Invesco BulletShares rungs run 0.10%.
  • Its bonds are scheduled to mature between January 1 and December 15, 2027, and the index has a planned liquidation around that date, so duration winds down instead of resetting forever.sec.gov
  • Market-weighted and investment-grade only: a single maturity year spread across the US corporate market rather than a handful of hand-picked bonds.
  • Stands among the stronger implementations in a crowded target-maturity group, on cost and portfolio discipline.
  • VBCB Charges 0.08% a year, below the 0.10% typical for target-maturity bond funds and below the iBonds and BulletShares rungs (IBDU, BSCT, BSCU) it lines up against.
  • Every bond in the index is dollar-denominated investment grade maturing in 2028: one rung of a bond ladder in one ticker, with income paid quarterly.
  • A plain market-weighted ICE index run through Vanguard's index plumbing, and one of the stronger builds in the target-maturity bond group.

Worth knowing

  • VBCA Launched in 2026 and still small, it trades thinly; spreads can be wider than on established bond ETFs.
  • Corporate credit, not Treasuries: downgrades and defaults come with the territory. Treasury-only rungs such as IBTJ sidestep that risk.
  • Short operating history, so there is limited data so far on how closely it tracks its index.
  • VBCB Launched in 2026 and still small, it trades thinly, so spreads can run wider than on the long-established corporate ladders.
  • Corporate credit, not Treasuries. Investment grade lowers the odds of trouble, but downgrades and defaults stay in the mix.
  • One maturity year, not a whole curve. This is a rung, not a stand-in for a broad bond fund.

Full VBCA profile⁠

Full VBCB profile⁠

VBCA vs VBCB Holdings

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

VBCA vs VBCB Cost

Same expense ratio

$1,689

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

  • VBCA 0.08%

    $1,689

  • VBCB 0.08%

    $1,689

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • VBCA 0.08%
  • VBCB 0.08%
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$500$1K$1.5K$2K051015202530VBCA $1,689VBCB $1,689

Year by year

YearVBCAVBCB
10$147$147
20$575$575
30$1,689$1,689

Expense ratio

  • 0.08%VBCA
  • 0.08%VBCB
  • Middle half of Defined-Maturity Investment Grade Corporate funds
  • Median 0.10%

VBCA cheapest of 42 funds

VBCB cheapest of 42 funds

VBCA vs VBCB Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Last payment
VBCA $0.24
VBCB $0.26
Ex-dividend
VBCA Oct 1, 2026
VBCB Oct 1, 2026
Paid on
VBCA Oct 5, 2026
VBCB Oct 5, 2026
Frequency
VBCA Monthly
VBCB Monthly

Distribution history

Per share, 2026, same scale for both

VBCAMonthly · 6 paymentsAll VBCA payments⁠
One bar per payment. 6 payments in 2026 YTD. May 1, 2026 $0.08; Jun 1, 2026 $0.24; Jul 1, 2026 $0.24; Aug 3, 2026 $0.25; Sep 1, 2026 $0.25; Oct 1, 2026 $0.24. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.252026YTD
VBCBMonthly · 6 paymentsAll VBCB payments⁠
One bar per payment. 6 payments in 2026 YTD. May 1, 2026 $0.07; Jun 1, 2026 $0.24; Jul 1, 2026 $0.22; Aug 3, 2026 $0.24; Sep 1, 2026 $0.20; Oct 1, 2026 $0.26. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.252026YTD

VBCA vs VBCB Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
VBCA 0.04VBCB 0.05

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