Stock fact sheet · data as of
Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares (VCORX): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Financial Services · Asset Management - Bonds · United States · High Yield Income
Is VCORX undervalued?
VCORX closed at 8.61 on 16 Oct 2026, more than 30% above the GLS average fair value of 3.58. Only 0 of the 2 models that produced a value sit above the price. By our models the shares are priced well beyond what the filed earnings, cash flow and book value support; the Sunday Scan drops names like this at the "below fair value" rule.
Only 2 of the nine models produced a value (10 Cap, DDM); the others need a dividend, positive free cash flow or positive book value the company does not have yet, so the average rests on a narrow base.
The nightly engine files VCORX under High Yield Income: a dividend yield above 4%.
Nine valuation models for VCORX
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | - | - | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share; no value tonight |
| Graham Growth | - | - | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields; no value tonight |
| Lynch | - | - | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25%; no value tonight |
| GLS Growth | - | - | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year; no value tonight |
| 10 Cap | 0.9970 | -88% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | 6.16 | -28% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | - | - | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth; no value tonight |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -0.1180 | -101% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - VCORX passes 5 of the nine Piotroski tests, which falls one point short of the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 5.9 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in others.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 6.2%, ROE 9.3%, ROA 5.9% - with debt at 0.51 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 0.6%.
The dividend yield is high at 4.86% (payout ratio 87%). A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual.
Institutional ownership scores 5/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 6.2% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.9 / 10 | ROE | 9.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.51 | ROA | 5.9% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 0.6% | Payout ratio | 87% |
| Institutions | 5 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 32: No options
VCORX has no listed options in the nightly snapshot, so there is nothing to sell and the stock cannot be wheeled however good the business; the Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options" (32 here). The valuation and quality numbers still apply to owning the shares outright.
Volume runs at - a day on a market cap of $23.4B, with a beta of 0.99; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 12 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 0 / 25 | -141% margin of safety | |
| Health | 11 / 20 | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Moat | 9 / 15 | moat 5.9/10 | |
| Premium | 0 / 20 | no option data | |
| Stability | 12 / 20 | 0k shares/day, $23.4B cap, beta 0.99 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for VCORX in the nightly calendar.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management - Bonds
The 12 companies below are the closest to Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares by market cap within the Asset Management - Bonds industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JHNBX John Hancock Bond Fund Class A | 12.95 | 4.70 | -176% | 30No options | $25.1B |
| ANBEX American Funds Strategic Bond Fund Class F-1 | 8.75 | 5.37 | -63% | 23No options | $20.6B |
| LUBAX Lord Abbett Ultra Short Bond Fund - Class A | 9.99 | 3.12 | -220% | 31No options | $16.7B |
| BFIFX American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund - Class F-1 | 9.31 | 2.64 | -253% | 22No options | $11.8B |
| JCBZX JPMorgan Core Bond Fund Class R2 | 9.91 | 2.95 | -236% | 32No options | $50.7B |
| RCWAX American Funds Capital World Bond Fund Class R-1 | 15.12 | 7.64 | -98% | 26No options | $9.7B |
| FATRX Frost Total Return Bond Fund Investor Class Shares | 9.17 | 7.93 | -16% | 32No options | $4.1B |
| EBNEX American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund Class F-1 | 7.91 | 7.14 | -11% | 32No options | $3.8B |
| PRVAX T. Rowe Price Virginia Municipal Bond Fund | 10.52 | 3.31 | -218% | 27No options | $1.4B |
| APOIX American Century Short Duration Inflation Protection Bond Fund Investor Class | 10.41 | 4.19 | -148% | 28No options | $1.4B |
| VBTIX Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Institutional Shares | 9.27 | 24.54 | +62% | 39No options | $388.6B |
| FBIIX Fidelity International Bond Index Fund | 8.95 | 4.83 | -85% | 33No options | $1.4B |
⚖ Compare VCORX with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about VCORX
Is VCORX undervalued right now?
No: at 8.61 the stock trades 141% above the GLS average fair value of 3.58 (data as of 16 Oct 2026), well beyond what trailing earnings, cash flow and book value support.
What is the Wheel Score of VCORX and what does it mean?
VCORX has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; its Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for VCORX?
3.58 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 2 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Vanguard Core Bond Fund Investor Shares report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for VCORX in our calendar as of 16 Oct 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does VCORX have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on VCORX, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score is capped at 39.