Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) Options Chain
The options chain displays all available contracts with end-of-day quotes, Greeks, volume, and open interest for each strike and expiration, and streams live quotes for traders who connect a broker. It is the primary tool for options trade selection.
Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Asset Management - Bonds industry, with a market capitalization near $50.94B, listed on NASDAQ, carrying a beta of 0.41 to the broader market. This fund is designed to offer a consistent stream of income while exhibiting relatively low price volatility. public since 2009-11-23.
Snapshot as of Oct 14, 2026.
- Spot Price
- $77.28
- Total OI
- 344
- Total Volume
- 1
- Front Expiration
- 37 days
- Second Expiration
- 128 days
- ATM IV
- 3.7%
- Avg Bid/Ask Spread
- 9.80%
As of Oct 14, 2026, Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) has 344 open contracts and 1 contracts traded. The nearest expiration is 37 days out, followed by 128 days. ATM implied volatility is 3.7%. Average bid/ask spread across the chain is 9.80%: wider spreads, size positions conservatively. The options chain aggregates every listed strike and expiration, letting traders evaluate skew, term structure, and liquidity in a single view.
How VCSH options chain Data Feeds Strategy Selection
Strategy selection on Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF options does not derive from any single metric in isolation. The options chain view above sits inside a broader read: ATM IV currently sits at 3.7% and dealer gamma exposure is positive, so dealer hedging is mechanically mean-reverting. Combine the options chain data here with the volatility-skew surface, dealer-gamma exposure, max-pain level, and upcoming-events calendar to build a positioning thesis. Risk-defined structures (credit spreads, debit spreads, iron condors) are usually safer than naked positions while the regime is uncertain; the data on this page anchors the inputs but does not by itself constitute a trade thesis.
How to read the VCSH chain depth
The listed-expirations table below shows every expiration available for Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF options with its days-to-expiration count and ATM implied volatility. Front-month expirations carry the most volume, the highest gamma, and the tightest bid-ask spreads; longer-dated tenors carry less liquidity but more vega exposure. VCSH front expiration sits at 37 days - the typical hedging horizon for monthly options. The backwardated slope of -0.002 means near-dated IV is pricing acute event risk.
VCSH chain mechanics and execution
Options are listed at standardized strike intervals (typically $1 for sub-$25 underlyings, $2.50-$5 for mid-cap, $10-$50 for large-cap), and the deltas of each listed strike are determined by where IV lies relative to the strike's moneyness. Average bid/ask spread on the VCSH chain is 9.80% - a measure of liquidity. Tighter spreads on liquid strikes mean lower transaction costs; wider spreads on long-dated or far-OTM strikes mean execution drag can dominate the math. The chain table on the SPA side shows the full per-strike, per-expiration grid; this SSR page summarizes the listed expirations and the front-month context to anchor the structural read.
Using the VCSH chain to build structures
Strategy selection starts with the chain: directional theses use single-leg calls or puts, range-bound theses use credit spreads or iron condors, vol theses use straddles or strangles, calendar theses use diagonal spreads. VCSH's current 1.06% expected move anchors wing placement - structures with wings at the implied band collect the modal-outcome premium under lognormal assumptions. Cross-reference with the gamma-exposure profile to understand where dealer hedging will reinforce or fight your position, and with the volatility-skew chart to confirm the strikes you're trading sit at the IV levels your strategy assumes.
Learn how the options chain is reported and how to read the data →
VCSH listed expirations
Per-expiration ATM implied volatility for VCSH options. Each row is one listed expiration with its days-to-expiration count and ATM IV pulled from the same term-structure feed that powers the SPA's expiration filter. Front-month expirations carry the highest gamma, the tightest bid-ask spreads, and the most volume; longer-dated tenors carry less liquidity but more vega.
| Expiration | DTE | ATM IV |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 2 | 6.8% |
| Nov 20, 2026 | 37 | 3.7% |
| Feb 19, 2027 | 128 | 3.5% |
| May 21, 2027 | 219 | 3.2% |
Frequently asked VCSH options chain questions
- What does the VCSH options chain show right now?
- As of Oct 14, 2026, Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) has 344 contracts outstanding and 1 traded today, with ATM IV of 3.7%. The full chain spans every listed strike and expiration with bid/ask, Greeks, volume, and open interest per contract.
- What expirations are available for VCSH options?
- The nearest expiration is 37 days out, followed by 128 days. Listed expirations typically extend monthly with weeklies between, plus LEAPS one to two years out for liquid names.
- How tight are VCSH options bid/ask spreads?
- Average bid/ask spread across the chain is 9.80%. Wider spreads warrant conservative sizing; mid-market fills are unreliable for retail-size orders.