Which returned more over the last year, VCLT or VCSH?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VCLT returned −5.9% and VCSH +1.3%.

Which is cheaper, VCLT or VCSH?

Neither: VCLT and VCSH both charge 0.03% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

VCLT vs VCSH: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On May 31, 2026 VCLT's duration was 12.0 years and VCSH's 2.7; both charge 0.03%.

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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $7.5bn for Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF and $43.9bn for Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF.

VCLT on its own →VCSH on its own →

At a glance

−5.9%

VCLT total return, 1 year

+1.3%

VCSH total return, 1 year

0.03%

VCLT expense ratio

0.03%

VCSH expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.03% a year; their one-year returns differ by 7.2 points; VCSH is 5.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

VCLT vs VCSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	VCLT	VCSH
Return
Measure	VCLT	VCSH
Total return, 1 year	−5.9%	+1.3%
Drawdown
Measure	VCLT	VCSH
Below its high	17.8%, high on Sep 22, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	VCLT	VCSH
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	VCLT	VCSH
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$7.5bn	$43.9bn
Holdings
Measure	VCLT	VCSH
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Dec 4, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 881 weekly returns

VCLT VCSH

Return

Total return edge VCLT +101.2% +59.9%

Annualized edge VCLT +4.2% +2.8%

Price return edge VCSH −6.3% +2.8%

Risk

Volatility edge VCSH 12.5% 3.5%

Max drawdown edge VCSH −34.0% −11.3%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge VCSH 0.27 0.37

Sortino edge VCSH 0.39 0.52

Calmar edge VCSH 0.12 0.25

Reading

VCLT returned more: +101.2% to +59.9%. VCSH swung less: 3.5% to 12.5%. VCSH fell less at its worst: −11.3% to −34.0%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: VCLT vs VCSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	VCLT	VCSH	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+101.2%	+59.9%	VCLT	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.2%	+2.8%	VCLT	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−6.3%	+2.8%	VCSH	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	12.5%	3.5%	VCSH	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	8.7%	2.5%	VCSH	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−34.0%	−11.3%	VCSH	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.27	0.37	VCSH	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.39	0.52	VCSH	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.12	0.25	VCSH	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, VCLT and VCSH hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first VCLT VCSH

ALIBABA GROUP, due Feb 9, 2061 0.04% 0.00%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in VCLT

ANHEUSER-BUSCH, due Feb 1, 2046 0.37%

CVS HEALTH CORP, due Mar 25, 2048 0.33%

META PLATFORMS, due Nov 15, 2055 0.28%

BOEING CO, due May 1, 2050 0.27%

PFIZER INVSTMNT, due May 19, 2053 0.27%

AMAZON.COM INC, due Mar 13, 2056 0.26%

ORACLE CORP, due Feb 4, 2056 0.24%

AT&T INC, due Sep 15, 2053 0.23%

Only in VCSH

US TREASURY N/B, due May 31, 2028 0.83%

BANK OF AMER CRP, due Dec 20, 2028 0.23%

ABBVIE INC, due Nov 21, 2029 0.21%

CVS HEALTH CORP, due Mar 25, 2028 0.20%

T-MOBILE USA INC, due Apr 15, 2030 0.19%

BOEING CO, due May 1, 2030 0.19%

WELLS FARGO CO, due Jul 25, 2029 0.18%

JPMORGAN CHASE, due Apr 23, 2032 0.18%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF VCSH Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Vanguard Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index of Long-Term Corporate Bond Tracks an index of Short-Term Corporate Bond

Total return, 1 year −5.9% +1.3%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +1.3% (SCHJ)

Gap to its benchmark not measured 0.0 pts vs SCHJ

Expense ratio 0.03% 0.03%

Holdings 2562 3064

Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 $7.5bn $43.9bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-E9E528A34D

VCLT and VCSH do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. VCLT follows Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index and VCSH follows Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index.
Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated May 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VCLT returned −5.9% and VCSH +1.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 7.2 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

VCLT

VCLT tracks an index of Long-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −5.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 17.8% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.

VCSH

VCSH tracks an index of Short-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.3% with distributions reinvested, against +1.3% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, VCLT or VCSH?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VCLT returned −5.9% and VCSH +1.3%.
Which is cheaper, VCLT or VCSH?: Neither: VCLT and VCSH both charge 0.03% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BSV vs VCLT IGSB vs VCLT SPSB vs VCLT VCLT vs VGIT BOND vs VCSH EMB vs VCSH IEF vs VCSH IUSB vs VCSH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

VCLT and VCSH filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VCLT and VCSH prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VCLT ↗

Vanguard page for VCSH ↗

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, VCLT against VCSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vclt-vs-vcsh

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.