VCLT — Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares

VCLT Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in VCLT over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

VCLT Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: VCLT's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (VCLT) operates within the US Bonds - Corporate category, which ETFValuer tracks across 17 funds. Issued by Vanguard, this fund has accumulated assets under management of $10.1 billion while trading at a price of $72.01. It holds an overall rank of #352 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 53.0 out of 100. The fund offers a low expense ratio of 0.03% alongside a dividend yield of 5.52%. The substantial asset size suggests significant investor adoption relative to the category average, despite the mid-tier ranking. This combination of low cost and high yield positions the fund as a notable option within the broader bond market landscape.

The fund's recent performance shows a decline across short-term horizons, with a 1-day return of -1.11%, a 1-week return of -0.87%, and a 1-month return of -4.74%. This negative momentum extended into the 3-month period at -2.81% and the 6-month period at -3.42%, while year-to-date returns sit at -2.35%. A divergence appears in the longer-term data, as the 1-year return turned positive at +1.51%. This upward trend continued over the 3-year horizon, which recorded a cumulative return of +12.81%. The pattern indicates a recovery from recent short-term losses to achieve positive gains over the past year and three years.

VCLT carries a volatility label of Very Low, yet it exhibits a beta of 1.97, indicating higher sensitivity to market movements than the benchmark. The fund's Sharpe ratio is -0.44, suggesting that returns have not adequately compensated for the risk taken during the measured period. A maximum drawdown of -12.10% highlights the potential for significant capital erosion during market downturns. This combination of a low volatility label with a high beta and negative risk-adjusted return implies the fund may experience sharp moves despite its classification. Investors should note that the fund's behavior in down markets involves substantial drawdowns that contrast with its stated volatility profile.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

VCLT Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-05-31 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 3.2% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how VCLT's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With VCLT

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with VCLT's top 10 — VCIT overlaps most, holding 7 of the same companies as VCLT's top 10 (2.4% of VCLT's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.61% (as of 2026-07-28) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.21 (as of 2026-07-28) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

High-Yield Credit Spread: 2.84% (as of 2026-07-28) — The extra yield investors demand to hold high-yield corporate bonds over Treasuries — a real-time gauge of credit risk appetite relevant to this fund’s holdings.

VCLT Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 0.08% and average daily volume is 4.8M/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $10.1B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: VCLT is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

VCLT Performance History

How VCLT Compares to Other US Bonds - Corporate ETFs