Which returned more over the last year, PULS or VUSB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PULS returned +4.0% and VUSB +3.5%.

Which is cheaper, PULS or VUSB?

VUSB is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

PULS vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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PULS's duration was 0.7 years on May 29, 2026 and VUSB's 1.0 on Jun 30, 2026; VUSB charges 0.10% to PULS's 0.15%.

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Net assets: $19.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF, and $9.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.

PULS on its own →VUSB on its own →

At a glance

+4.0%

PULS total return, 1 year

+3.5%

VUSB total return, 1 year

0.15%

PULS expense ratio

0.10%

VUSB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VUSB costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points.

PULS vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	PULS	VUSB
Return
Measure	PULS	VUSB
Total return, 1 year	+4.0%	+3.5%
Benchmark
Measure	PULS	VUSB
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	PULS	VUSB
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.10%
Net assets, PULS as of Oct 27, 2026 and VUSB as of Sep 30, 2026	$19.8bn	$9.9bn
Holdings
Measure	PULS	VUSB
Holdings in common	report dates differ

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Apr 16, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 288 weekly returns

PULS VUSB

Return

Total return edge PULS +24.3% +20.0%

Annualized edge PULS +4.0% +3.3%

Price return edge PULS −0.5% −1.0%

Risk

Volatility edge PULS 0.5% 0.8%

Max drawdown edge PULS −0.5% −1.7%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge PULS 0.68 −0.33

Sortino edge PULS 0.95 −0.45

Calmar edge PULS 7.67 1.96

Reading

PULS returned more: +24.3% to +20.0%. PULS swung less: 0.5% to 0.8%. PULS fell less at its worst: −0.5% to −1.7%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: PULS vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	PULS	VUSB	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+24.3%	+20.0%	PULS	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.0%	+3.3%	PULS	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−0.5%	−1.0%	PULS	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	0.5%	0.8%	PULS	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	0.4%	0.6%	PULS	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−0.5%	−1.7%	PULS	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.68	−0.33	PULS	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.95	−0.45	PULS	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	7.67	1.96	PULS	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.

Side by side

PULS PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF VUSB Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer PGIM Vanguard

What it is Actively managed Actively managed

Total return, 1 year +4.0% +3.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.4% (AGG)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +4.9 pts vs AGG

Expense ratio 0.15% 0.10%

Holdings 553 1344

Net assets, PULS as of Oct 27, 2026 and VUSB as of Sep 30, 2026 $19.8bn $9.9bn

PULS and VUSB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-11B93928B3

PULS and VUSB are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

What each follows (similar). Both follow No index, actively managed.
One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 PULS returned +4.0% and VUSB +3.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.5 points.
Number of holdings (similar). PULS holds 553 positions and VUSB holds 1344.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

PULS

PULS is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +4.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% 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, PULS or VUSB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PULS returned +4.0% and VUSB +3.5%.
Which is cheaper, PULS or VUSB?: VUSB is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IBDS vs PULS BILS vs PULS PULS vs VNLA IBDR vs PULS BIL vs VUSB FTSM vs VUSB BSCR vs VUSB BILS vs VUSB

Where to next

PULS on its own →VUSB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →PULS dividend history →PULS holdings →VUSB dividend history →VUSB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

PULS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PULS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

PGIM website ↗

VUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VUSB ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, PULS against VUSB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/puls-vs-vusb

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