Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF (VTC) Performance
VTC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −1.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −1.8% total return
- 5 years
- −0.0% a year
- Since first price
- +2.1% a year since 2017
VTC trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | VTC total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.6% | +0.1% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | −0.6% | −1.9% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | −1.9% | −4.3% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | −1.3% | −4.9% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | −1.8% | −6.5% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +19.7%+6.2%/yr | +4.0% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | −0.1%−0.0%/yr | −18.6% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 9, 2017 | +20.5%+2.1%/yr | −12.9% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: VTC vs AGG
From Nov 9, 2017: VTC grew to $12,054, AGG to $11,345.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
VTC returns by calendar year
5 of 8 full years positive. Best 2019 (+14.6%), worst 2022 (−15.7%). 2026 is year to date.
VTC annual returns table
| Year | VTC | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −1.3% | −4.6% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +7.6% | −2.9% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +2.2% | −3.8% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +8.6% | −7.4% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −15.7% | −20.0% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | −1.4% | −5.3% | −1.8% | −4.6% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +9.3% | −19.7% | +7.5% | +18.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +14.6% | −2.8% | +8.5% | +14.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −2.5% | −3.9% | +0.1% | −1.6% | −4.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
VTC largest drawdowns
Now 2.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 2021 | −22.1% | Oct 20, 2022 | Feb 12, 2026 | 1.1 years | 4.4 years |
| Mar 6, 2020 | −19.7% | Mar 19, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | 13 days | 4 months |
| Dec 31, 2020 | −5.7% | Mar 18, 2021 | Jul 28, 2021 | 3 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 5% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
VTC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +4.9% | −0.5% | +1.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.4% | 8.1% | 7.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.10 | -0.47 | -0.04 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.16 | -0.62 | -0.06 |
| Best month | +6.0% | +6.0% | +6.0% |
| Worst month | −2.8% | −5.6% | −6.2% |
| Best 12 months | +14.3% | +14.3% | +16.2% |
| Worst 12 months | −2.5% | −19.4% | −19.4% |
| Positive months | 67% | 55% | 58% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.29 | 0.36 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.57 | 0.70 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
VTC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 96 | −19.4% | +4.3% | +16.2% | 76% |
| 3-year (a year) | 72 | −5.5% | +1.9% | +7.9% | 56% |
| 5-year (a year) | 48 | −0.6% | +0.6% | +2.5% | 77% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
VTC performance overview
Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF (VTC) returned −1.8% over the past year and −0.0% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +2.1% a year, turning $10,000 into about $12,054. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
The deepest decline was −22.1%, from Sep 22, 2021 to Oct 20, 2022, and it took 3.3 years to get back to the old high. VTC finished 5 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+14.6%) and the worst 2022 (−15.7%). Volatility has been 7.3% a year.
Related: VTC chart, VTC dividends, VTC bond profile. See the VTC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
VTC performance FAQ
What is the VTC return over the past year?
VTC returned −1.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 6.5%.
What is the average annual return of VTC?
VTC has returned −0.0% a year over 5 years, +2.1% a year since November 9, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in VTC be worth?
$10,000 invested in VTC at its first recorded close on November 9, 2017 would be worth about $12,054 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for VTC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −15.7%. The best was 2019 at +14.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of VTC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −22.1% between September 22, 2021 and October 20, 2022. It recovered to the old high on February 12, 2026, 3.3 years after the bottom.
How volatile is VTC?
Over the past 3 years VTC had an annualized volatility of 6.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.10 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).