VCOBX Performance — Vanguard Core Bond Fund, Admiral Shares
Data updated: 2026-08-28
VCOBX returned +0.93% year to date and +4.10% over one year to Jun 2026. Annualised returns are +4.76% over 3 years and +0.38% over 5 years. The fund beat its Intermediate Core Bond category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $115, against $115 for the category, and to $104 over one year, against $104. Volatility over the past three years was 5.49% a year. In the 12 months to Jun 2026 the fund took in a net $8.3B, and assets reached $22.64B.
VCOBX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Vanguard Core Bond Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Intermediate Core Bond category average over the same months.
| Period | VCOBX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) | $104 | $104 |
| 3 years (Jul 2023 – Jun 2026) | $115 | $115 |
| 5 years (Jul 2021 – Jun 2026) | $102 | $102 |
| Since data start (Jul 2019 – Jun 2026) | $114 | $112 |
VCOBX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jun 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +0.93% |
| 1 year | +4.10% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +4.76% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +0.38% |
VCOBX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Vanguard Core Bond Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | +0.93% |
| 2025 | +7.72% |
| 2024 | +1.88% |
| 2023 | +5.95% |
| 2022 | −13.13% |
| 2021 | −1.45% |
| 2020 | +10.40% |
| 2019 (Jul–Dec) | +2.48% |
VCOBX Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +0.3% | +1.5% | −1.9% | +0.3% | +0.4% | +0.3% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +0.7% | +2.2% | 0.0% | +0.4% | −0.6% | +1.6% | −0.2% | +1.2% | +1.1% | +0.6% | +0.6% | −0.2% |
| 2024 | −0.1% | −1.4% | +1.0% | −2.3% | +1.7% | +0.9% | +2.4% | +1.4% | +1.4% | −2.3% | +1.1% | −1.6% |
| 2023 | +3.2% | −2.6% | +2.4% | +0.6% | −1.1% | −0.3% | +0.1% | −0.6% | −2.4% | −1.6% | +4.6% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | −2.1% | −1.3% | −2.7% | −4.0% | +0.7% | −1.9% | +2.6% | −2.7% | −4.3% | −1.3% | +3.8% | −0.5% |
| 2021 | −0.8% | −1.6% | −1.2% | +1.0% | +0.3% | +0.8% | +1.1% | −0.1% | −0.9% | −0.1% | +0.3% | −0.3% |
| 2020 | +2.1% | +1.9% | −0.8% | +2.4% | +1.1% | +0.9% | +1.9% | −0.8% | +0.1% | −0.3% | +1.4% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | +0.3% | +2.6% | −0.5% | +0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
VCOBX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Jul 2023 – Jun 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 5.49%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.05 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +4.64% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −2.37% (Sep 2023)
VCOBX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Vanguard Core Bond Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $8.3B
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $11.5B
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 3.65×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | $931.5M | $285.7M | $645.8M |
| May 2026 | $904.2M | $384.8M | $519.4M |
| Apr 2026 | $768.6M | $255.9M | $512.6M |
| Mar 2026 | $1.1B | $266.2M | $825.3M |
| Feb 2026 | $812.9M | $336.2M | $476.7M |
| Jan 2026 | $792.6M | $227.9M | $564.7M |
| Dec 2025 | $1.1B | $346.6M | $778.0M |
| Nov 2025 | $755.2M | $248.2M | $507.0M |
| Oct 2025 | $832.3M | $200.0M | $632.3M |
| Sep 2025 | $839.9M | $197.2M | $642.6M |
| Aug 2025 | $1.1B | $192.3M | $947.0M |
| Jul 2025 | $1.5B | $202.1M | $1.3B |
VCOBX Assets Under Management
Net assets of Vanguard Core Bond Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | $22.64B |
| 2026-03-31 | $21.00B |
| 2025-12-31 | $19.30B |
| 2025-09-30 | $17.44B |
| 2025-06-30 | $14.40B |
| 2025-03-31 | $13.73B |
| 2024-12-31 | $12.76B |
| 2024-09-30 | $12.65B |
| 2024-06-30 | $11.45B |
| 2024-03-31 | $10.88B |
| 2023-12-31 | $10.13B |
| 2023-09-30 | $8.57B |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.