BNDW vs. VGIT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT).

BNDW and VGIT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BNDW is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Float Adjusted Composite Index. It was launched on Sep 4, 2018. VGIT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays U.S. 3-10 Year Government Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009. Both BNDW and VGIT are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

BNDW vs. VGIT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BNDW vs. VGIT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF	-0.03%	5.02%	2.42%	7.18%	-12.88%	-2.10%	6.22%	8.37%	1.21%
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF	-0.03%	7.34%	1.39%	4.28%	-10.53%	-2.64%	7.71%	6.19%	2.20%

Returns By Period

As of year-to-date, both investments have demonstrated similar returns, with BNDW at -0.03% and VGIT at -0.03%.

BNDW

• 1D: 0.35%
• 1M: -1.98%
• YTD: -0.03%
• 6M: 0.57%
• 1Y: 3.50%
• 3Y*: 3.73%
• 5Y*: 0.20%
• 10Y*: —

VGIT

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: -1.66%
• YTD: -0.03%
• 6M: 1.07%
• 1Y: 4.13%
• 3Y*: 3.29%
• 5Y*: 0.32%
• 10Y*: 1.32%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BNDW vs. VGIT - Expense Ratio Comparison

BNDW has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is higher than VGIT's 0.04% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

BNDW

Vanguard Total World Bond ETF

VGIT

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF

Return for Risk

BNDW vs. VGIT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BNDW

BNDW Risk / Return Rank: 56
BNDW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
BNDW Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
BNDW Omega Ratio Rank: 49
BNDW Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
BNDW Martin Ratio Rank: 56

VGIT

VGIT Risk / Return Rank: 64
VGIT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
VGIT Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
VGIT Omega Ratio Rank: 55
VGIT Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
VGIT Martin Ratio Rank: 61

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BNDW vs. VGIT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BNDW	VGIT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.00	1.09	-0.09
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.40	1.63	-0.23
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.19	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.34	1.78	-0.44
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.97	5.53	-0.56
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BNDW vs. VGIT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BNDW Sharpe Ratio is 1.00, which is comparable to the VGIT Sharpe Ratio of 1.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BNDW and VGIT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BNDW	VGIT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.00	1.09	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.04	0.06	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.29	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.50	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between BNDW and VGIT is 0.88, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

BNDW vs. VGIT - Dividend Comparison

BNDW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.16%, more than VGIT's 3.81% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF	4.16%	4.12%	3.90%	3.73%	2.02%	2.58%	1.56%	3.05%	1.66%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF	3.81%	3.79%	3.67%	2.73%	1.74%	1.69%	2.23%	2.24%	2.05%	1.67%	1.69%	1.69%

Drawdowns

BNDW vs. VGIT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BNDW drawdown since its inception was -17.22%, which is greater than VGIT's maximum drawdown of -16.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BNDW and VGIT.

Drawdown Indicators

	BNDW	VGIT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.22%	-16.05%	-1.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.70%	-2.42%	-0.28%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.93%	-15.02%	-1.91%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-16.05%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.98%	-1.97%	-0.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.05%	-3.54%	-1.51%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.72%	0.78%	-0.06%

Volatility

BNDW vs. VGIT - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) has a higher volatility of 1.66% compared to Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT) at 1.33%. This indicates that BNDW's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGIT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BNDW	VGIT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.66%	1.33%	+0.33%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.28%	2.28%	0.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.53%	3.81%	-0.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.17%	5.36%	-0.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.92%	4.50%	+0.42%