Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF

VCIT

Market cap $66.3B

The Iran war has scrambled the old map of safety, leaving bond investors rethinking which havens still deserve the name. Perhaps the most surprising trend since the conflict began: bank loans have outperformed the rest of the field by a wide margin, based on a set of ETFs through yesterday's close (July 8).

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF offers a lower expense ratio and higher distribution yield than iShares National Muni Bond ETF iShares National Muni Bond ETF has experienced significantly lower volatility with a much shallower maximum drawdown over the last five years The Vanguard fund focuses on investment-grade corporate debt while the iShares fund provides federally tax-exempt exposure to municipal bonds

Retirement-focused investors leaning on Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF (NASDAQ:VCIT) for monthly income are watching a fund that has quietly performed through a full rate cycle.

The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) provides broad exposure to the entire U.S. investment-grade bond market. The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT) specifically targets the corporate sector.

The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF offers a lower expense ratio and higher trailing-12-month dividend yield than iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF. The iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF focuses on U.S. government debt, resulting in lower historical price volatility and a smaller maximum drawdown than the Vanguard fund.

iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF offer broad diversification, with each holding more than 2,000 bonds Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF maintains a slight cost advantage with a 0.03% expense ratio versus 0.04% for the iShares fund Both funds generated nearly identical total returns over the last five years and currently offer trailing-12-month dividend yields of 4.75%

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corp Bond Index Fund ETF offers a decent ~5.17% SEC yield and ultra-low 0.03% expense ratio for intermediate-duration fixed-income exposure. VCIT strikes a balance between yield and duration, outperforming short-duration funds on yield but requiring acceptance of moderate duration risk and tight credit spreads. Current credit spreads for VCIT's A- and BBB-rated holdings are tight, limiting compensation for credit risk and necessitating disciplined position sizing and regular monitoring.

There is an old rule in lending that a name on the door is worth less than a claim on the cash. Bond investors who spent two years buying data-centre debt on the strength of the tenant rather than the structure are now relearning it.

The Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:BLV) is the kind of fund retirees gravitate toward: a long-duration, investment-grade bond index ETF that has paid a monthly distribution for 230 consecutive months since May 2007.

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF provides a significantly lower expense ratio of 0.03% compared to the 0.36% charged by Fidelity Investment Grade Bond ETF. Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF offers a higher trailing-12-month dividend yield.