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VBCA vs VBCD

Vanguard Target Maturity 2027 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCAANasdaq

Vanguard Target Maturity 2030 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCDANasdaq

Overlap

No data

Expense ratio

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

VBCA0.08%VBCD0.08%

Avg volume · 30D

VBCD 1.2×the volume

VBCA14.8KVBCD17.4K

VBCA vs VBCD Performance

Jul 31, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026

+0.8%VBCA0.0%VBCD

Jul 31, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026. VBCA +0.8%. VBCD 0.0%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−1.5%−1%−0.5%0.5%Jul 2026Sep 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
VBCA 0.08%
VBCD 0.08%
Fund size
VBCA $65M
VBCD $60M
Holdings
VBCA 622
VBCD 677
Avg volume (30D)
VBCA 14.8K sh
VBCD 17.4K sh, better
NAV per share
VBCA $75.50
VBCD $74.06
52W range

ETF.net Grade

VBCA: Cost 89, Risk 70, Mission 100, Tradability 36, Holdings 82, Durability 54. VBCD: Cost 89, Risk 56, Mission 100, Tradability 32, Holdings 85, Durability 54.
Pillar letters and Scores for VBCA, VBCD, with each pillar’s weight
PillarVBCAVBCD
Cost30% weightA89A89
Mission25% weightA100A100
Risk15% weightA70HigherB56
Tradability15% weightD36HigherD32
Holdings10% weightA82A85Higher
Durability5% weightC54C54

Rank among Defined-Maturity Investment Grade Corporate funds

Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

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

See all 42 ›

VBCA ranks 2nd and VBCD 4th 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
  4. Rank 4AVBCCVanguard Target Maturity 2029 Corporate Bond ETFScore 76
  5. Rank 4AVBCDVanguard Target Maturity 2030 Corporate Bond ETFScore 76
  6. Rank 6ABSCRInvesco BulletShares 2027 Corporate Bond ETFScore 74

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

VBCAAVanguard Target Maturity 2027 Corporate Bond ETF

VBCDAVanguard Target Maturity 2030 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%.

VBCD Vanguard turned up late to the defined-maturity bond party and undercut the incumbents: 0.08% across its whole BondBuilder suite. VBCD is the 2030 rung, holding investment-grade corporate bonds that all come due that year.

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.

VBCD The Fund uses an indexing strategy to track an index of U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds scheduled to mature during 2030.

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.
  • VBCD Costs 0.08% a year against the 0.10% on rival 2030 and 2029 vintages such as BSCU and IBDU, and the same 0.08% applies to every fund in Vanguard's ten-ETF suite.prnewswire.com
  • Holds only investment-grade US corporate bonds scheduled to mature in 2030, so you get a bond-style end date with index diversification instead of hand-picking issues.vanguard.comvanguard.com 2
  • Built as an alternative to hand-built bond ladders and separately managed accounts, with ETF trading and diversification wrapped around a defined maturity year.prnewswire.com
  • Run by Vanguard's global bond indexing team, the same group behind its short-, intermediate- and long-term corporate bond ETFs, and it sits among the stronger builds in its peer group.prnewswire.com

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.
  • VBCD Launched in 2026 and still a small fund that trades thinly, so spreads can run wider than on the long-established iShares and Invesco rungs.
  • Corporate credit, not government bonds. A downgrade or default among issuers can change what the portfolio delivers, unlike a Treasury-only rung such as IBTJ.
  • Income lands quarterly, not monthly, which matters if you are lining the cash flow up against a recurring bill.

Full VBCA profile⁠

Full VBCD profile⁠

VBCA vs VBCD 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 VBCD 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

  • VBCD 0.08%

    $1,689

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • VBCA 0.08%
  • VBCD 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 $1,689VBCD $1,689

Year by year

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

Expense ratio

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

VBCA cheapest of 42 funds

VBCD cheapest of 42 funds

VBCA vs VBCD Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Last payment
VBCA $0.24
VBCD $0.26
Ex-dividend
VBCA Oct 1, 2026
VBCD Oct 1, 2026
Paid on
VBCA Oct 5, 2026
VBCD Oct 5, 2026
Frequency
VBCA Monthly
VBCD 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
VBCDMonthly · 6 paymentsAll VBCD payments⁠
One bar per payment. 6 payments in 2026 YTD. May 1, 2026 $0.11; Jun 1, 2026 $0.25; Jul 1, 2026 $0.26; Aug 3, 2026 $0.27; Sep 1, 2026 $0.26; Oct 1, 2026 $0.26. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.252026YTD

VBCA vs VBCD Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
VBCA 0.04VBCD 0.07

Popular comparisons

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