FIXD vs. BNDP

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) and Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF (BNDP).

FIXD and BNDP are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FIXD is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Feb 14, 2017. BNDP is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Float Adjusted Index. It was launched on Dec 2, 2025.

Performance

FIXD vs. BNDP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) and Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF (BNDP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FIXD vs. BNDP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
FIXD First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF	-0.54%	-0.10%
BNDP Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF	-0.19%	0.10%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FIXD achieves a -0.54% return, which is significantly lower than BNDP's -0.19% return.

FIXD

• 1D: 0.38%
• 1M: -2.33%
• YTD: -0.54%
• 6M: 0.52%
• 1Y: 4.11%
• 3Y*: 3.36%
• 5Y*: -0.25%
• 10Y*: —

BNDP

• 1D: 0.32%
• 1M: -1.83%
• YTD: -0.19%
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FIXD vs. BNDP - Expense Ratio Comparison

FIXD has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than BNDP's 0.05% expense ratio.

FIXD

First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF

BNDP

Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF

Return for Risk

FIXD vs. BNDP — Risk / Return Rank

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

FIXD

FIXD Risk / Return Rank: 45
FIXD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
FIXD Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
FIXD Omega Ratio Rank: 39
FIXD Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
FIXD Martin Ratio Rank: 42

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.

FIXD vs. BNDP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) and Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF (BNDP). 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.

	FIXD	BNDP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.87	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.22	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.38	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.02	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FIXD	BNDP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.87	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.04	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.34	-0.09	+0.43

Correlation

The correlation between FIXD and BNDP is 0.95, 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

FIXD vs. BNDP - Dividend Comparison

FIXD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.65%, more than BNDP's 0.95% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FIXD First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF	4.65%	4.50%	4.56%	3.93%	3.07%	1.74%	3.14%	5.10%	2.81%	1.95%
BNDP Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF	0.95%	0.24%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FIXD vs. BNDP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FIXD drawdown since its inception was -20.44%, which is greater than BNDP's maximum drawdown of -2.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FIXD and BNDP.

Drawdown Indicators

	FIXD	BNDP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.44%	-2.56%	-17.88%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.14%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.44%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.23%	-1.83%	-2.40%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.53%	-0.52%	-5.01%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.08%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	FIXD	BNDP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.84%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.80%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.73%	3.66%	+1.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.54%	3.66%	+2.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.86%	3.66%	+2.20%