Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BSV vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
BSV's duration was 2.5 years on Jun 30, 2026 and VGSH's 1.8 on May 31, 2026; both charge 0.03%.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $45.4bn for Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF and $35.1bn for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.03% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.7 points; BSV is 1.3 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | BSV | VGSH |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.0% | +1.7% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $45.4bn | $35.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 39% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 4, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 881 weekly returnsBSV returned more: +37.8% to +26.7%. VGSH swung less: 1.3% to 2.0%. VGSH fell less at its worst: −5.5% to −8.1%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | BSV | VGSH | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +37.8% | +26.7% | BSV | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +1.9% | +1.4% | BSV | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −4.2% | −3.7% | VGSH | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 2.0% | 1.3% | VGSH | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 1.4% | 0.9% | VGSH | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −8.1% | −5.5% | VGSH | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.19 | −0.09 | BSV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.28 | −0.14 | BSV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.23 | 0.26 | VGSH (slight) | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 881 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, BSV and VGSH hold 39% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
half
39% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
BSV and VGSH on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
BSV and VGSH do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. BSV follows Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index and VGSH follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index.
- Holdings in common. 39% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
- Number of holdings. BSV holds 3,157 positions and VGSH holds 93.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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BSV
BSV tracks an index of Short-Term Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
VGSH
VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index.
Questions people ask
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, BSV against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bsv-vs-vgsh
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BSV against VGSH. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bsv-vs-vgsh
[BSV against VGSH (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bsv-vs-vgsh)
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