BSV vs VBTLX: 60% overlap
Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF and Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Admiral share 60.1% 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 1.4. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.
Top shared holdings
BSV and VBTLX hold 940 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in BSV | in VBTLX | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| UST-3-10Y | 28.5% | 21.3% | 7.2% |
| UST-0-3Y | 40.9% | 16.7% | 24.2% |
| CASH | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.4% |
| 46647P | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| 06051G | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| 459058 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| 298785 | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 38141G | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 404280 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 95000U | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
Where BSV and VBTLX 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 | BSV | VBTLX | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasuries | 69.4% | 48.2% | +21.2pp |
| MBS Pass-Through | 0.2% | 20.3% | −20.2pp |
| Financials | 10.0% | 7.9% | +2.1pp |
| Corporate — industrial & other | 12.6% | 14.6% | −2.0pp |
| Supranational | 2.5% | 1.4% | +1.2pp |
| Utilities | 1.8% | 2.6% | −0.8pp |
| Agency | 1.2% | 0.6% | +0.5pp |
| Cash and/or Derivatives | 0.7% | 1.1% | −0.4pp |
Δ is BSV minus VBTLX, 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
0.1% of BSV by weight, held in no part of VBTLX.
14.2% of VBTLX by weight, held in no part of BSV.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| BSV | VBTLX | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 73.8% | 71.7% |
| Positions held | 960 | 2,047 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $3 | $4 |
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 BSV and VBTLX overlap?
BSV and VBTLX overlap 60.1% by portfolio weight — substantial duplication if you hold both. They share 940 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (BSV as of 2026-06-30, VBTLX as of 2026-06-30).
How is the overlap between BSV and VBTLX calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If BSV holds a stock at 6% and VBTLX 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 BSV and VBTLX?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 60.1% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does BSV own that VBTLX doesn't?
BSV holds 960 positions and VBTLX holds 2,047; 20 of BSV's positions don't appear in VBTLX at all, and they are 0.1% of BSV by weight.
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, BSV as of 2026-06-30, VBTLX as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.