BIV vs BSV: 51% overlap
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF and Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF share 51.3% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.
You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.5. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.
Top shared holdings
BIV and BSV hold 642 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in BIV | in BSV | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| UST-3-10Y | 55.9% | 28.5% | 27.4% |
| 46647P | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| 298785 | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| 06051G | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| 459058 | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| 38141G | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| 404280 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| 95000U | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| 61747Y | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| CASH | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
Where BIV and BSV differ
Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.
| Sector | BIV | BSV | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasuries | 55.9% | 69.4% | −13.5pp |
| Corporate — industrial & other | 20.2% | 12.6% | +7.6pp |
| Financials | 14.3% | 10.0% | +4.2pp |
| Utilities | 3.9% | 1.8% | +2.1pp |
| Sovereign | 1.9% | 0.8% | +1.1pp |
| Supranational | 1.8% | 2.5% | −0.7pp |
| Agency | 0.4% | 1.2% | −0.7pp |
| Cash and/or Derivatives | 0.3% | 0.7% | −0.4pp |
Δ is BIV minus BSV, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.
What each fund holds alone
3.5% of BIV by weight, held in no part of BSV.
45.2% of BSV by weight, held in no part of BIV.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| BIV | BSV | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 62.1% | 73.8% |
| Positions held | 854 | 960 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $3 | $3 |
Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.
Frequently asked
How much do BIV and BSV overlap?
BIV and BSV overlap 51.3% by portfolio weight — substantial duplication if you hold both. They share 642 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (BIV as of 2026-06-30, BSV as of 2026-06-30).
How is the overlap between BIV and BSV calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If BIV holds a stock at 6% and BSV holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.
Is it redundant to hold both BIV and BSV?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 51.3% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does BIV own that BSV doesn't?
BIV holds 854 positions and BSV holds 960; 212 of BIV's positions don't appear in BSV at all, and they are 3.5% of BIV by weight.
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, BIV as of 2026-06-30, BSV as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.