GLDN.AX vs. BNDW
GLDN.AX (Ishares Physical Gold ETF) and BNDW (Vanguard Total World Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GLDN.AX is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM AUD Index, while BNDW is a Global Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Float Adjusted Composite Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, GLDN.AX returned 20.68% vs -5.74% for BNDW. At a 0.03 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GLDN.AX charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.05%/yr for BNDW.
Performance
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
GLDN.AX is traded in AUD, while BNDW is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the BNDW values have been converted to AUD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GLDN.AX achieves a -3.58% return, which is significantly higher than BNDW's -5.63% return.
GLDN.AX
- 1D
- 0.67%
- 1M
- -1.25%
- YTD
- -3.58%
- 6M
- -1.13%
- 1Y
- 20.68%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
BNDW
- 1D
- 0.41%
- 1M
- 1.47%
- YTD
- -5.63%
- 6M
- -6.61%
- 1Y
- -5.74%
- 3Y*
- 1.61%
- 5Y*
- 1.98%
- 10Y*
- —
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GLDN.AX Ishares Physical Gold ETF | -3.58% | 55.11% | 38.15% | -2.11% |
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF | -5.63% | -2.61% | 12.72% | 0.33% |
Correlation
The correlation between GLDN.AX and BNDW is -0.05, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.05 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 3, 2023 | 0.03 |
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Return for Risk
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW — Risk / Return Rank
GLDN.AX
BNDW
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ishares Physical Gold ETF (GLDN.AX) and Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW). 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.
| GLDN.AX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.58 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.25 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 0.89 | +0.30 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.96 | -0.51 | +1.47 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.23 | -1.05 | +3.28 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| GLDN.AX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.83 | -0.75 | +1.58 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.19 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.62 | 0.20 | +1.42 |
Drawdowns
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GLDN.AX drawdown since its inception was -21.43%, smaller than the maximum BNDW drawdown of -24.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GLDN.AX and BNDW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GLDN.AX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -21.43% | -24.41% | +2.98% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -21.43% | -11.20% | -10.23% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -14.84% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -14.84% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -20.00% | -13.16% | -6.84% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.25% | -11.84% | +7.59% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 9.22% | 5.49% | +3.73% |
Volatility
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Volatility Comparison
Ishares Physical Gold ETF (GLDN.AX) has a higher volatility of 4.92% compared to Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) at 1.49%. This indicates that GLDN.AX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BNDW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GLDN.AX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.92% | 1.49% | +3.43% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.11% | 5.88% | +15.23% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 24.58% | 7.70% | +16.88% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 19.49% | 10.25% | +9.24% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.49% | 10.14% | +9.35% |
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Expense Ratio Comparison
GLDN.AX has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than BNDW's 0.05% 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%.
Dividends
GLDN.AX vs. BNDW - Dividend Comparison
GLDN.AX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.08%, less than BNDW's 4.21% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF | 4.21% | 4.12% | 3.90% | 3.73% | 2.02% | 2.58% | 1.56% | 3.05% | 1.66% |
GLDN.AX Ishares Physical Gold ETF | 0.08% | 0.07% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GLDN.AX and BNDW have a correlation of -0.05, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, BNDW is cheaper at 0.05% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
BNDW is cheaper with a 0.05% expense ratio, compared with 0.18% for GLDN.AX.
GLDN.AX is categorized as Gold, while BNDW is Global Bonds. GLDN.AX tracks LBMA Gold Price PM AUD Index, while BNDW tracks Bloomberg Global Aggregate Float Adjusted Composite Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for GLDN.AX and 0.05% for BNDW.
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