When holding the Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index (VGLT) ETF, how long should you stay invested to have high probability to achieve a positive return?
Over the selected period (~15 years), the longest duration with a negative return was 156 months (from June 2012 to May 2025).
This indicates that, within the same timeframe, any rolling period of 157 months or more has consistently resulted in a positive return.
Understanding this metric is crucial as it highlights the importance of a safe investment horizon. Knowing the minimum duration required to likely see positive returns helps investors set realistic expectations and reinforces the strategy of staying invested through market cycles. This approach can mitigate the emotional reactions to short-term market fluctuations and enhance the likelihood of achieving financial goals.
Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index (VGLT) ETF: Historical Returns
Rolling Returns
A rolling return is a measure of investment performance that calculates the return of an investment over a set period of time, with the starting date rolling forward. This approach can provide a more accurate representation of the investment's historical performance and helps investors to evaluate the investment's consistency over time.
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Rolling Period Analysis
By selecting the 'Rolling Period', the chart and data will update. To study a different date range, change the simulation settings.
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| Worst | Median | Best | Negative Periods |
|---|---|---|---|
|
-31.81%
Nov 2021 - Oct 2022 |
+1.41% |
+36.99%
May 2019 - Apr 2020 |
47.06%
80 out of 170 |
|
-36.72%
Nov 2021 - Oct 2022 |
-0.96% |
+36.52%
May 2019 - Apr 2020 |
51.76%
88 out of 170 |
|
-21.23%
Nov 2021 - Oct 2023 |
+2.07% |
+21.91%
Aug 2018 - Jul 2020 |
40.51%
64 out of 158 |
|
-25.32%
Nov 2021 - Oct 2023 |
+0.08% |
+20.21%
Aug 2018 - Jul 2020 |
49.37%
78 out of 158 |
|
-16.24%
Nov 2020 - Oct 2023 |
+2.73% |
+13.67%
Aug 2017 - Jul 2020 |
30.82%
45 out of 146 |
|
-20.77%
Nov 2020 - Oct 2023 |
+1.57% |
+11.56%
May 2017 - Apr 2020 |
43.15%
63 out of 146 |
|
-11.87%
May 2020 - Apr 2024 |
+3.86% |
+12.87%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2015 |
31.34%
42 out of 134 |
|
-16.20%
May 2020 - Apr 2024 |
+2.37% |
+11.20%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2015 |
38.81%
52 out of 134 |
|
-9.19%
Aug 2020 - Jul 2025 |
+3.16% |
+10.10%
Jul 2011 - Jun 2016 |
33.61%
41 out of 122 |
|
-13.11%
Aug 2020 - Jul 2025 |
+1.36% |
+8.65%
Jul 2011 - Jun 2016 |
37.70%
46 out of 122 |
|
-5.13%
Sep 2019 - Aug 2025 |
+2.65% |
+9.57%
Apr 2014 - Mar 2020 |
37.27%
41 out of 110 |
|
-8.76%
Sep 2019 - Aug 2025 |
+0.60% |
+7.96%
May 2014 - Apr 2020 |
45.45%
50 out of 110 |
|
-3.59%
Nov 2016 - Oct 2023 |
+2.40% |
+9.25%
Aug 2013 - Jul 2020 |
40.82%
40 out of 98 |
|
-6.85%
Nov 2016 - Oct 2023 |
+0.56% |
+7.64%
Aug 2013 - Jul 2020 |
47.96%
47 out of 98 |
|
-2.27%
Jul 2016 - Jun 2024 |
+2.34% |
+7.55%
Apr 2012 - Mar 2020 |
40.70%
35 out of 86 |
|
-5.45%
Jul 2016 - Jun 2024 |
-0.41% |
+5.94%
Apr 2012 - Mar 2020 |
52.33%
45 out of 86 |
|
-2.18%
Aug 2016 - Jul 2025 |
+1.85% |
+9.10%
Apr 2011 - Mar 2020 |
36.49%
27 out of 74 |
|
-5.32%
Aug 2016 - Jul 2025 |
-0.82% |
+7.35%
May 2011 - Apr 2020 |
58.11%
43 out of 74 |
|
-1.49%
Feb 2015 - Jan 2025 |
+1.11% |
+7.69%
Jan 2011 - Dec 2020 |
17.74%
11 out of 62 |
|
-4.47%
Feb 2015 - Jan 2025 |
-1.65% |
+5.85%
Jan 2011 - Dec 2020 |
72.58%
45 out of 62 |
|
-0.95%
Feb 2015 - Jan 2026 |
+0.89% |
+6.47%
Jan 2011 - Dec 2021 |
12.00%
6 out of 50 |
|
-3.88%
Feb 2015 - Jan 2026 |
-1.69% |
+4.16%
Jan 2011 - Dec 2021 |
82.00%
41 out of 50 |
|
-0.06%
Jun 2012 - May 2024 |
+0.81% |
+3.67%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2023 |
5.26%
2 out of 38 |
|
-2.65%
Jun 2012 - May 2024 |
-1.74% |
+1.06%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2023 |
81.58%
31 out of 38 |
|
-0.01%
Aug 2012 - Jul 2025 |
+0.97% |
+2.93%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2024 |
7.69%
2 out of 26 |
|
-2.61%
Aug 2012 - Jul 2025 |
-1.61% |
+0.30%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2024 |
84.62%
22 out of 26 |
|
+0.72%
Feb 2012 - Jan 2026 |
+1.91% |
+2.68%
Mar 2011 - Feb 2025 |
0.00%
0 out of 14 |
|
-1.84%
Feb 2012 - Jan 2026 |
-0.66% |
+0.04%
Mar 2011 - Feb 2025 |
85.71%
12 out of 14 |
|
+2.43%
Jan 2011 - Dec 2025 |
+2.43% |
+2.56%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2026 |
0.00%
0 out of 2 |
|
-0.21%
Jan 2011 - Dec 2025 |
-0.21% |
-0.07%
Feb 2011 - Jan 2026 |
100.00%
2 out of 2 |
Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index (VGLT) ETF: Historical Returns

