VGUS ETF — Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF

Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS)

Updated October 16, 2026.

VGUS is a low-cost ETF. its distribution rate is 3.59%, its trailing-12-month yield is 3.56%, its expense ratio is 0.07%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 89/100 (Safe). Total return is 6.7% over the past 1.7 years, 21.9 points behind SPY at 28.6%.

Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF is an index-tracking fund that holds U.S. Treasury securities with maturities up to 12 months, designed to provide exposure to short-term government debt. The fund carries a modest current distribution rate and pays distributions monthly, with a very low expense ratio of 0.07%. It appeals to conservative income investors seeking stable, low-risk cash flow from Treasury instruments.

VGUS performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 6.7% over the past 1.7 years, 21.9 points behind SPY at 28.6%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 3.6%.

VGUS key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

89 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

3.20%

Issuer

Vanguard

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Fixed Income

Inception date

02/10/2025

Expense ratio

0.07%

Distribution rate

3.59%

Distribution frequency

Monthly

Trailing yield

3.56%

Last close

$75.56 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$1,196,675,000

Average volume

194630.0

Dividend

$0.226

Ex-dividend date

10/01/2026

Payment date

10/05/2026

Beta

-0.003

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (3.59%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (3.56%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: Vanguard or company page; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

VGUS risks and drawbacks

VGUS's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window.

Who may consider VGUS — and who may not

VGUS may suit someone looking for low-cost broad dividend exposure, a high Distribution Safety Score, moderate current income with a quality tilt. It is a weaker fit for investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on VGUS

• All tickers starting with V

Tagged: Fixed Income, Treasury.

Frequently asked questions

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