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BWX vs. SPYM
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

BWX vs. SPYM

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

BWX (SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF) and SPYM (State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - BWX is a International Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Global Treasury x US Capped (Inception 8/31/2007), while SPYM is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, BWX returned -1.28%/yr vs 15.62%/yr for SPYM. At a 0.13 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. BWX charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.02%/yr for SPYM.

Performance

BWX vs. SPYM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BWX achieves a -1.91% return, which is significantly lower than SPYM's 10.98% return. Over the past 10 years, BWX has underperformed SPYM with an annualized return of -1.28%, while SPYM has yielded a comparatively higher 15.62% annualized return.

BWX

1D
-0.59%
1M
-0.88%
YTD
-1.91%
6M
-1.77%
1Y
-2.28%
3Y*
1.18%
5Y*
-4.48%
10Y*
-1.28%

SPYM

1D
-0.66%
1M
5.06%
YTD
10.98%
6M
10.98%
1Y
28.09%
3Y*
22.46%
5Y*
13.91%
10Y*
15.62%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BWX vs. SPYM - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
BWX
SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF		-1.91%7.67%-5.93%5.10%-19.72%-8.67%9.50%5.58%-1.85%9.93%
SPYM
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF		10.98%17.79%25.00%26.24%-18.09%28.78%18.49%31.99%-4.78%21.30%

Correlation

The correlation between BWX and SPYM is 0.39, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.39

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.26

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.28

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.17

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 12, 2007

0.13

Over the past year, BWX and SPYM have become more correlated (0.39) than their long-term average of 0.13, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF

Often compared with BWX:
BWX vs. IGOVBWX vs. BNDXBWX vs. BWZBWX vs. IAGGBWX vs. IBNDBWX vs. BNDBWX vs. CMF
Often compared with SPYM:
SPYM vs. SPYSPYM vs. VOOSPYM vs. QQQMSPYM vs. SPMOSPYM vs. VTISPYM vs. SPYGSPYM vs. SCHG

Return for Risk

BWX vs. SPYM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
BWX
BWX Risk / Return Rank: 55
Overall Rank
BWX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
Sharpe Ratio Rank
BWX Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
Sortino Ratio Rank
BWX Omega Ratio Rank: 55
Omega Ratio Rank
BWX Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
Calmar Ratio Rank
BWX Martin Ratio Rank: 55
Martin Ratio Rank
SPYM
SPYM Risk / Return Rank: 7070
Overall Rank
SPYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7171
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 7070
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPYM Omega Ratio Rank: 7171
Omega Ratio Rank
SPYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 6262
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPYM Martin Ratio Rank: 7676
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

BWX vs. SPYM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM). 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.

BWXSPYMDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-0.30
2.39

-2.69

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-0.38
3.27

-3.64

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.96

1.44

-0.48

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.37

3.17

-3.54

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-0.76

14.76

-15.52

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BWX vs. SPYM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BWX Sharpe Ratio is -0.30, which is lower than the SPYM Sharpe Ratio of 2.39. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BWX and SPYM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

BWXSPYMDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.30

2.39

-2.69

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.47

0.83

-1.30

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.15

0.87

-1.02

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.05

0.62

-0.56

Drawdowns

BWX vs. SPYM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BWX drawdown since its inception was -34.05%, smaller than the maximum SPYM drawdown of -54.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BWX and SPYM.

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Drawdown Indicators

BWXSPYMDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-34.05%

-54.46%

+20.41%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-6.16%

-8.90%

+2.74%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-10.22%

-18.72%

+8.50%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-31.25%

-24.48%

-6.77%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-34.05%

-33.87%

-0.18%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-23.98%

-0.66%

-23.32%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-10.05%

-7.15%

-2.90%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.00%

1.91%

+1.09%

Volatility

BWX vs. SPYM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX) is 2.41%, while State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM) has a volatility of 2.83%. This indicates that BWX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPYM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

BWXSPYMDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

2.41%

2.83%

-0.42%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

5.79%

8.90%

-3.11%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

7.70%

11.80%

-4.10%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

9.69%

16.80%

-7.11%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

8.66%

18.00%

-9.34%

BWX vs. SPYM - Expense Ratio Comparison

BWX has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than SPYM's 0.02% expense ratio.

Dividends

BWX vs. SPYM - Dividend Comparison

BWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.37%, more than SPYM's 1.00% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
BWX
SPDR Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETF		2.37%2.19%1.99%1.63%1.23%0.93%0.95%1.16%1.07%0.46%0.00%0.00%
SPYM
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF		1.00%1.13%1.28%1.44%1.69%1.25%1.54%1.79%2.23%1.75%1.97%1.98%

Frequently Asked Questions

BWX and SPYM have a correlation of 0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

SPYM has higher volatility (2.83%) compared to BWX (2.41%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BWX dropped -34.05% vs SPYM's -54.46%.

On 10-year performance, SPYM leads with 15.62% vs -1.28% for BWX. On fees, SPYM is cheaper at 0.02% per year. On volatility, BWX has been the lower-risk option at 2.41%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, SPYM has performed better with a 15.62% return vs -1.28%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SPYM is cheaper with a 0.02% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for BWX.

BWX has the higher dividend yield at 2.37%, compared with 1.00% for SPYM.

BWX is categorized as International Government Bonds, while SPYM is S&P 500. BWX tracks Bloomberg Global Treasury x US Capped (Inception 8/31/2007), while SPYM tracks S&P 500 Index. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for BWX and 0.02% for SPYM.

SPYM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.39 vs -0.30), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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