Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BSV vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
On Jun 30, 2026 BSV's duration was 2.5 years and VUSB's 1.0; BSV charges 0.03% to VUSB's 0.10%.
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askIQ about BSV and VUSBNet assets on Sep 30, 2026: $45.4bn for Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF and $9.9bn for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
BSV costs 0.07 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.5 points; BSV is 4.6 times larger.
| Measure | BSV | VUSB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.0% | +3.5% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index | No index, actively managed |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.10% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $45.4bn | $9.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 4% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 16, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 288 weekly returnsVUSB returned more: +20.0% to +8.8%. VUSB swung less: 0.8% to 2.6%. VUSB fell less at its worst: −1.7% to −8.1%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | BSV | VUSB | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +8.8% | +20.0% | VUSB | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +1.5% | +3.3% | VUSB | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −6.6% | −1.0% | VUSB | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 2.6% | 0.8% | VUSB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 1.9% | 0.6% | VUSB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −8.1% | −1.7% | VUSB | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | −0.78 | −0.33 | VUSB | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | −1.05 | −0.45 | VUSB | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.19 | 1.96 | VUSB | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 288 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, BSV and VUSB hold 4% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.
half
4% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
BSV and VUSB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
BSV and VUSB 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 VUSB follows No index, actively managed.
- Holdings in common. 4% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jun 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BSV returned +1.0% and VUSB +3.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.5 points.
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.
VUSB
VUSB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BSV or VUSB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BSV returned +1.0% and VUSB +3.5%.
- Which is cheaper, BSV or VUSB?
- BSV is cheaper, by 0.07 percentage points a year. That is about $7 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, BSV against VUSB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bsv-vs-vusb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BSV against VUSB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bsv-vs-vusb
[BSV against VUSB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bsv-vs-vusb)
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