Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond (VCSH): Rolling Returns

Simulation Settings
Category:
Period: January 2010 - February 2026 (~16 years)
Initial Amount: 1$
Currency: USD
Inflation: US
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When holding the Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond (VCSH) ETF, how long should you stay invested to have high probability to achieve a positive return?

Over the selected period (~16 years), the longest duration with a negative return was 45 months (from February 2020 to October 2023).

This indicates that, within the same timeframe, any rolling period of 46 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.

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.

VANGUARD SHORT-TERM CORPORATE BOND (VCSH) ETF
Annualized Rolling Returns
Annualized Rolling Returns - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 March 2016 - 28 February 2026 (10 Years)
Time Period: 1 January 2010 - 28 February 2026 (~16 years)
All Data
(2010/01 - 2026/02)
US Inflation Adjusted:

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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.

VANGUARD SHORT-TERM CORPORATE BOND (VCSH) ETF
Rolling Returns Chart
Rolling Returns Chart - Inflation Adjusted
Time Period: 1 January 2010 - 28 February 2026 (~16 years)
Over Time
Histogram
US Inflation Adjusted:

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Swipe left to see all data
Worst Median Best Negative Periods
-8.15%
Oct 2021 - Sep 2022
+2.84% +9.73%
Oct 2023 - Sep 2024
12.57%
23 out of 183
-15.11%
Oct 2021 - Sep 2022
+0.99% +7.15%
Oct 2023 - Sep 2024
32.24%
59 out of 183
-3.73%
Nov 2020 - Oct 2022
+2.57% +7.59%
Nov 2023 - Oct 2025
11.70%
20 out of 171
-10.01%
Nov 2020 - Oct 2022
+1.03% +4.75%
Nov 2023 - Oct 2025
27.49%
47 out of 171
-1.25%
Nov 2020 - Oct 2023
+2.39% +6.35%
Nov 2022 - Oct 2025
11.95%
19 out of 159
-6.59%
Nov 2020 - Oct 2023
+0.79% +3.38%
Mar 2023 - Feb 2026
32.08%
51 out of 159
+0.16%
Nov 2019 - Oct 2023
+2.26% +3.80%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2013
0.00%
0 out of 147
-4.22%
Nov 2019 - Oct 2023
+0.51% +1.83%
Dec 2016 - Nov 2020
36.73%
54 out of 147
+0.75%
Nov 2017 - Oct 2022
+2.21% +3.55%
Jan 2016 - Dec 2020
0.00%
0 out of 135
-2.98%
Nov 2017 - Oct 2022
+0.37% +1.82%
Feb 2010 - Jan 2015
38.52%
52 out of 135
+0.93%
Nov 2016 - Oct 2022
+2.55% +3.16%
Jan 2015 - Dec 2020
0.00%
0 out of 123
-2.52%
Nov 2016 - Oct 2022
+0.41% +1.60%
Aug 2014 - Jul 2020
40.65%
50 out of 123
+1.23%
Nov 2015 - Oct 2022
+2.44% +3.34%
Dec 2018 - Nov 2025
0.00%
0 out of 111
-2.10%
Oct 2016 - Sep 2023
+0.53% +1.51%
Sep 2013 - Aug 2020
45.05%
50 out of 111
+1.27%
Nov 2014 - Oct 2022
+2.49% +3.21%
Mar 2018 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 99
-1.66%
Nov 2015 - Oct 2023
-0.01% +1.38%
Jun 2012 - May 2020
50.51%
50 out of 99
+1.34%
Nov 2013 - Oct 2022
+2.49% +3.15%
Dec 2011 - Nov 2020
0.00%
0 out of 87
-1.36%
Nov 2013 - Oct 2022
-0.48% +1.58%
Dec 2011 - Nov 2020
56.32%
49 out of 87
+1.35%
Nov 2012 - Oct 2022
+2.40% +3.11%
Jul 2010 - Jun 2020
0.00%
0 out of 75
-1.17%
Nov 2012 - Oct 2022
-0.44% +1.42%
Jun 2010 - May 2020
64.00%
48 out of 75
+1.58%
Nov 2012 - Oct 2023
+2.28% +3.27%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2020
0.00%
0 out of 63
-1.01%
Nov 2012 - Oct 2023
-0.39% +1.53%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2020
76.19%
48 out of 63
+1.74%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2022
+2.21% +2.94%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2021
0.00%
0 out of 51
-0.84%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2022
-0.41% +0.77%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2021
92.16%
47 out of 51
+1.90%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2023
+2.31% +2.59%
Mar 2013 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 39
-0.72%
Nov 2010 - Oct 2023
-0.22% +0.00%
Oct 2011 - Sep 2024
97.44%
38 out of 39
+2.34%
May 2010 - Apr 2024
+2.52% +2.81%
Dec 2011 - Nov 2025
0.00%
0 out of 27
-0.30%
May 2010 - Apr 2024
-0.09% +0.21%
Dec 2011 - Nov 2025
74.07%
20 out of 27
+2.63%
Aug 2010 - Jul 2025
+2.68% +2.79%
Mar 2011 - Feb 2026
0.00%
0 out of 15
-0.03%
Oct 2010 - Sep 2025
+0.07% +0.17%
Mar 2011 - Feb 2026
20.00%
3 out of 15
+2.89%
Feb 2010 - Jan 2026
+2.90% +2.93%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2025
0.00%
0 out of 3
+0.30%
Feb 2010 - Jan 2026
+0.31% +0.35%
Jan 2010 - Dec 2025
0.00%
0 out of 3
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