VGSHvsTLTETF Comparison

ETF 1

VGSH

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF

This fund is part of

US Government Bonds

+0.01%

Full VGSH fund page

ETF 2

TLT

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

This fund is part of

US Government Bonds

+0.01%

Full TLT fund page

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) belong to the same industry segment: US Government Bonds. VGSH's top 1 sector exposures are Sovereign. In contrast, TLT's top sector exposures are Sovereign and Non-Corporate. VGSH is less expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.03%, versus 0.15% for TLT. VGSH is up 0.6% year-to-date (YTD) with +$9.76B in YTD flows. TLT performs worse with -3.39% YTD performance, and +$1.13B in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of VGSH and TLT below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.

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VGSH vs TLT performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

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Data Services

Historic performance and flows

Data as of 09/22/2026

		1M	3M	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y
Perf.	VGSH TLT	-0.54%-0.60%	+0.18%-3.93%	+0.60%-3.39%	+1.76%-3.58%	+12.93%+1.52%	+9.51%-35.72%
Flows	VGSH TLT	+$4.40B-$236M	+$6.20B+$6.97B	+$9.76B+$1.13B	+$12.66B+$1.72B	+$12.70B+$12.46B	+$22.67B+$45.55B

Volatility and drawdown

		3M	1Y	3Y	5Y
Volatility	VGSH TLT	+1.24%+9.67%	+1.25%+9.12%	+1.56%+13.22%	+1.96%+15.46%
Max drawdown	VGSH TLT	-0.73%-6.62%	-0.85%-8.69%	-0.96%-14.78%	-5.66%-43.68%
Max drawdown duration	VGSH TLT	28d85d	123d205d	122d736d	949d1752d

Trading data

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	VGSH	TLT
Last sale 9/23/2026 at 1:30 PM	$57.52	$80.47
Previous close 09/22/2026	$57.65	$81.75
Consolidated volume 09/22/2026
Average volume 30 days
Average discount or premium 30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days

Replication quality

Data as of August 31, 2026

1-year trailing difference

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	VGSH	TLT
Tracking error
Tracking difference
1 year cumulative return difference
Best
Worst
Daily return difference
Average
Worst

Main metrics

Last update 9/23/2026 at 1:30 PM

Live

Closed

	VGSH	TLT
Last price	$57.52	$80.47
1D performance	-0.23%	-1.57%
AuM	$34.98 B	$45.87 B
E/R	0.03%	0.15%

Characteristics

	VGSH	TLT
Management strategy	Passive	Passive
Provider	Vanguard	iShares
Benchmark	Bloomberg US Treasury 1-3 Year Index	ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index
N° of holdings	91	47
Asset class	Fixed Income	Fixed Income
Trailing 12m distribution yield	Join	Join
Inception date	November 19, 2009	July 22, 2002
ESG	No	No

More VGSH data on Trackinsight

More TLT data on Trackinsight

Exposure

Countries

VGSH

USA

99.39%

Other

0.61%

TLT

USA

100%

Other

Sectors

VGSH

Sovereign

99.39%

Other

0.61%

TLT

Sovereign

100%

Other

Diversification

VGSH

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

20.24%

TLT

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

59.52%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of July 31, 2026

VGSH

USA, Notes 3.5% 31jan2028, USD (U-2028)

2.24%

USA, Notes 4.625% 30apr2029, USD (Y-2029)

1.40%

USA, Notes 4.5% 31may2029, USD (Z-2029)

1.36%

USA, Notes 4% 31jul2029, USD (AB-2029)

1.36%

USA, Notes 4.25% 30jun2029, USD (AA-2029)

1.30%

USA, Notes 4.25% 28feb2029, USD (V-2029)

1.30%

USA, Notes 4.125% 31mar2029, USD (W-2029)

1.30%

USA, Notes 2.875% 15aug2028, USD (E-2028)

1.26%

USA, Notes 3.75% 15aug2027, USD (AR-2027)

1.26%

USA, Notes 4.25% 15jan2028, USD (AJ-2028)

1.25%

USA, Notes 2.875% 15may2028, USD (C-2028)

1.25%

USA, Notes 3.875% 15jul2028, USD (AQ-2028)

1.25%

USA, Notes 3.375% 29feb2028, USD (AY-2028)

1.25%

USA, Notes 1% 31jul2028, USD (N-2028)

1.24%

USA, Notes 1.125% 29feb2028, USD (H-2028)

1.23%

TLT

USA, Bonds 4.125% 15aug2053, USD

4.68%

USA, Bonds 4.75% 15nov2053, USD

4.55%

USA, Bonds 4.75% 15may2055, USD

4.51%

USA, Bonds 4.625% 15may2054, USD

4.45%

USA, Bonds 4.25% 15feb2054, USD

4.13%

USA, Bonds 4.75% 15feb2056, USD

4.04%

USA, Bonds 4.25% 15aug2054, USD

4.03%

USA, Bonds 3.625% 15may2053, USD

3.90%

USA, Bonds 4.625% 15feb2055, USD

3.89%

USA, Bonds 2% 15aug2051, USD

3.80%

USA, Bonds 4.5% 15nov2054, USD

3.79%

USA, Bonds 1.875% 15nov2051, USD

3.79%

USA, Bonds 4% 15nov2052, USD

3.66%

USA, Bonds 4.625% 15nov2055, USD

3.25%

USA, Bonds 3.625% 15feb2053, USD

3.04%

Frequently asked questions about VGSH and TLT

How have the VGSH and TLT ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 22, 2026, VGSH is up 0.6% year-to-date (YTD), while TLT has lost -3.39%. That puts VGSH better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: VGSH or TLT?

Year-to-date, the VGSH ETF saw +$9.76B in flows, compared to +$1.13B for TLT.

Which ETF is more volatile: VGSH or TLT?

Over the past year, VGSH had a volatility of 1.25%, while TLT experienced 9.12%.

Which ETF is bigger: VGSH or TLT?

As of September 22, 2026, VGSH holds $34.98 B in assets under management (AUM), while TLT manages $45.87 B.

What sectors do the VGSH and TLT ETFs invest in?

VGSH leans toward sectors like Sovereign. Meanwhile, TLT focuses on Sovereign.

What are the top holdings of the VGSH ETF and TLT ETF?

VGSH top holdings include USA, Notes 3.5% 31jan2028, USD (U-2028), USA, Notes 4.625% 30apr2029, USD (Y-2029) and USA, Notes 4.5% 31may2029, USD (Z-2029). TLT holds in its top three: USA, Bonds 4.125% 15aug2053, USD, USA, Bonds 4.75% 15nov2053, USD and USA, Bonds 4.75% 15may2055, USD.

VGSHvsTLTETF Comparison

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

VGSH vs TLT performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

Get all the metrics on this page, and more, through a reliable ETF data feed

Countries

Sectors

Diversification

Top 15 holdings

How have the VGSH and TLT ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 22, 2026, VGSH is up 0.6% year-to-date (YTD), while TLT has lost -3.39%. That puts VGSH better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: VGSH or TLT?

Year-to-date, the VGSH ETF saw +$9.76B in flows, compared to +$1.13B for TLT.

Which ETF is more volatile: VGSH or TLT?

Over the past year, VGSH had a volatility of 1.25%, while TLT experienced 9.12%.

Which ETF is bigger: VGSH or TLT?

As of September 22, 2026, VGSH holds $34.98 B in assets under management (AUM), while TLT manages $45.87 B.

What sectors do the VGSH and TLT ETFs invest in?

VGSH leans toward sectors like Sovereign. Meanwhile, TLT focuses on Sovereign.

What are the top holdings of the VGSH ETF and TLT ETF?

VGSH top holdings include USA, Notes 3.5% 31jan2028, USD (U-2028), USA, Notes 4.625% 30apr2029, USD (Y-2029) and USA, Notes 4.5% 31may2029, USD (Z-2029). TLT holds in its top three: USA, Bonds 4.125% 15aug2053, USD, USA, Bonds 4.75% 15nov2053, USD and USA, Bonds 4.75% 15may2055, USD.

Which ETF is more diversified: VGSH or TLT?

VGSH holds 91 securities with 20.24% of its assets in the top 15. TLT has 47 securities and a top 15 weight of 59.52%.

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