Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF

VCLT

Market cap $7.49B

Call it habit. Call it decades of conventional wisdom pushed by financial advisors and DIY investors.

Before the Federal Reserve began its aggressive rate-hiking cycle in 2022, Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (NASDAQ:VCLT) traded above $105 per share.

Today, Vanguard decided to join the target-maturity party, launching a suite of corporate bond ETFs designed to assist investors with bond laddering. Vanguard's entry is significant due to its massive distribution scale in tandem with its low-cost reputation.

Gallagher Fiduciary added 525,553 shares of VCLT in the fourth quarter. The fund's quarter-end stake value rose by approximately $39.9 million, reflecting both share increase and price movement.

Bought 163,615 shares; estimated transaction value of $12.6 million based on quarterly average price. Quarter-end position value increased by $12.6 million, reflecting the full valuation shift including price moves.

Davidson Capital Management increased its VCLT position by 54,315 shares; the estimated trade size was $4.19 million based on quarterly average pricing. Meanwhile, the quarter-end value of the stake rose by $3.46 million, reflecting both trading and price movements.

Sold 80,000 shares; estimated trade size was $6.21 million based on quarterly average pricing Quarter-end position value declined by $6.21 million, reflecting both the share sale and price movement Transaction represented a 2.63% change relative to 13F reportable assets under management Zero shares held after the trade, with no remaining position value The position was previously 1.8% of the fund's AUM as of the prior quarter

Ocean Park Asset Management sold 342,600 shares of VCLT in the fourth quarter. The shares had previously been worth about $26.60 million.

Vanguard is a favorite for many investors, thanks to its wide portfolio of index funds with very low expenses.

VCLT offers broad exposure to long-term investment-grade corporate bonds with a 0.03% expense ratio and a 5.5% yield to maturity. VCLT's performance closely tracks its benchmark, making outperformance unlikely due to its diversified 2,400-bond portfolio and minimal fees. Selective bond picking, such as GL.PR.D from Globe Life can deliver higher yields - 6.7% YTM for BBB+ credit - than VCLT's average.