VBIL vs. BNDW

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) and Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW).

VBIL and BNDW are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VBIL is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg US Treasury Bills 0-3 Months Index. It was launched on Feb 7, 2025. 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. Both VBIL and BNDW 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

VBIL vs. BNDW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) and Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VBIL vs. BNDW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
VBIL Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF	0.87%	3.71%
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF	0.09%	4.34%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VBIL achieves a 0.87% return, which is significantly higher than BNDW's 0.09% return.

VBIL

• 1D: 0.01%
• 1M: 0.31%
• YTD: 0.87%
• 6M: 1.87%
• 1Y: 4.06%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BNDW

• 1D: 0.13%
• 1M: -1.46%
• YTD: 0.09%
• 6M: 0.53%
• 1Y: 3.34%
• 3Y*: 3.77%
• 5Y*: 0.23%
• 10Y*: —

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

VBIL vs. BNDW - Expense Ratio Comparison

VBIL has a 0.07% 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%.

VBIL

Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF

BNDW

Vanguard Total World Bond ETF

Return for Risk

VBIL vs. BNDW — Risk / Return Rank

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

VBIL

VBIL Risk / Return Rank: 100
VBIL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
VBIL Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
VBIL Omega Ratio Rank: 100
VBIL Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
VBIL Martin Ratio Rank: 100

BNDW

BNDW Risk / Return Rank: 47
BNDW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
BNDW Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
BNDW Omega Ratio Rank: 41
BNDW Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
BNDW Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

VBIL vs. BNDW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) 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.

	VBIL	BNDW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	12.78	0.95	+11.83
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	29.76	1.34	+28.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	12.77	1.17	+11.61
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	43.72	1.35	+42.37
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	377.55	4.95	+372.61
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VBIL vs. BNDW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VBIL Sharpe Ratio is 12.78, which is higher than the BNDW Sharpe Ratio of 0.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VBIL and BNDW, 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

	VBIL	BNDW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.78	0.95	+11.83
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.04	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	13.10	0.37	+12.73

Correlation

The correlation between VBIL and BNDW is -0.02. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

VBIL vs. BNDW - Dividend Comparison

VBIL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.66%, less than BNDW's 4.18% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VBIL Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF	3.66%	3.12%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF	4.18%	4.12%	3.90%	3.73%	2.02%	2.58%	1.56%	3.05%	1.66%

Drawdowns

VBIL vs. BNDW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VBIL drawdown since its inception was -0.09%, smaller than the maximum BNDW drawdown of -17.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VBIL and BNDW.

Drawdown Indicators

	VBIL	BNDW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-0.09%	-17.22%	+17.13%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.09%	-2.70%	+2.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-16.93%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-1.85%	+1.85%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	0.00%	-5.05%	+5.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.01%	0.73%	-0.72%

Volatility

VBIL vs. BNDW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) is 0.07%, while Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) has a volatility of 1.67%. This indicates that VBIL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BNDW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VBIL	BNDW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.07%	1.67%	-1.60%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.16%	2.29%	-2.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.32%	3.53%	-3.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	0.31%	5.17%	-4.86%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	0.31%	4.92%	-4.61%