The takeaway
Vanguard Total Inflation-Protected Securities ETF shows a slight seasonal lean over 1 years of data — strongest in August (+0.9%) and softest in December (−0.2%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 100% of years, averaging +0.2%, roughly 1.9 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
Vanguard Total Inflation-Protected Securities ETF's most dependable month has been August, higher in 1 of 1 years; December has been its least reliable, up just 0% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Median return % | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in September (+0.7 pts); it has trailed the market most in November (−2.0 pts).
“vs S&P” is Vanguard Total Inflation-Protected Securities ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Vanguard Total Inflation-Protected Securities ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Not enough recent August history to say whether the pattern still holds.
Figures are the typical (median) August return and how often it rose — the last 1 years versus the last 1(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 1-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
This is a fund you can almost set a calendar by, and August is the anchor — it has closed higher in all 1 Augusts, the steadiest beat on its year.
The strength looks broad-based rather than freakish: its average (+0.9%) and median (+0.9%) sit close together, so no single blow-out year is flattering the figure. No month is steadier: August's returns vary by just 0.0% year to year, and even its worst August in 1 years lost only 0.9% — the gentlest downside anywhere on its calendar. Better still, that strength is the fund's own and not just a buoyant market — August has outpaced the S&P 500 by +0.6 points on average. Few peers keep such company in August — the typical stock clears it just 52% of the time.
August anchors a run, too: the July-through-November window has been the fund's reliable season. At the other end of the calendar, December is the year's quietest corner, essentially flat on average, and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in November, July, and December.
For a fund this dependable in August, the sharper question is the rest of the year — outside its strong stretch, the calendar gives far less to lean on. With a short 1-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (August), its worst (December), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Only mildly. The fund's months are fairly even — August is the firmest (+0.9%) and December the softest (−0.2%), a narrow spread that points to weak seasonality rather than a strong calendar effect.
August has been the strongest, averaging +0.9% and closing higher in its one year on record since 2025.
It's the weakest, averaging −0.2% — historically a soft spot, though it still varies from year to year.
Explore
These names have the strongest July track records on record — a starting point for comparison.
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