VGLT — Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares

VGLT Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in VGLT 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.

VGLT Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: VGLT'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 Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares (VGLT) operates within the US Bonds - Government category, which ETFValuer tracks with 22 total funds. Issued by Vanguard, the fund holds $15.2 billion in assets under management and trades at a price of $53.91. It carries an overall rank of #370 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 51.7 out of 100. The fund offers a low expense ratio of 0.03% while providing a dividend yield of 4.56%. The substantial asset base and low cost structure suggest significant investor adoption relative to the broader universe of 458 funds. Despite its high ranking position in the overall list, the fund maintains a distinct profile within its specific government bond sector.

The fund's returns show a mixed pattern across different time horizons, starting with a 1-day gain of +0.54% and a 1-week increase of +0.60%. Short-term performance turned negative over the last month with a decline of -2.88%, followed by a 3-month loss of -1.17% and a 6-month drop of -2.15%. Year-to-date returns stand at -0.97%, indicating a slight decline for the current period. However, the fund recovered over longer durations, posting a 1-year return of +2.39% and a 3-year return of +1.22%. This trajectory illustrates a divergence where recent short-term periods have been negative while the 1-year and 3-year windows remain positive. The data suggests a recovery phase following the mid-term declines observed in the 3-month and 6-month periods.

VGLT is assigned a Low volatility label despite exhibiting a high Beta of 2.25, indicating significant sensitivity to market movements relative to its benchmark. The fund's Sharpe ratio is recorded at -0.31, reflecting a negative risk-adjusted return profile over the measured period. A maximum drawdown of -15.23% highlights the potential for substantial capital erosion during market stress. This combination of a high Beta and negative Sharpe ratio suggests the fund experienced periods where returns did not adequately compensate for the level of volatility taken. The low volatility label contrasts with the high Beta and deep drawdown, implying that while daily price swings may appear contained, the fund's directional exposure creates significant downside risk during broader market corrections.

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

VGLT Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-02-28 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 21.8% 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 VGLT's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With VGLT

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with VGLT's top 10 — VCSH overlaps most, holding 1 of the same companies as VGLT's top 10 (21.8% of VGLT'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: 4.65% (as of 2026-07-27) — 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): 18.67 (as of 2026-07-27) — 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.

VGLT Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 6.09% and average daily volume is 2.0M/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 $15.2B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: VGLT 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.

VGLT Performance History

How VGLT Compares to Other US Bonds - Government ETFs