VBLAX vs. BNDW
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBLAX) and Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW).
VBLAX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Feb 7, 2019. 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.
Performance
VBLAX vs. BNDW - Performance Comparison
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VBLAX vs. BNDW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBLAX Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares | -1.15% | 6.57% | -4.14% | 7.55% | -27.22% | -3.36% | 15.75% | 16.45% |
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF | -0.03% | 5.02% | 2.42% | 7.18% | -12.88% | -2.10% | 6.22% | 7.16% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VBLAX achieves a -1.15% return, which is significantly lower than BNDW's -0.03% return.
VBLAX
- 1D
- 1.07%
- 1M
- -4.25%
- YTD
- -1.15%
- 6M
- -1.40%
- 1Y
- 1.61%
- 3Y*
- 0.74%
- 5Y*
- -2.98%
- 10Y*
- —
BNDW
- 1D
- 0.35%
- 1M
- -1.98%
- YTD
- -0.03%
- 6M
- 0.57%
- 1Y
- 3.50%
- 3Y*
- 3.73%
- 5Y*
- 0.20%
- 10Y*
- —
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VBLAX vs. BNDW - Expense Ratio Comparison
VBLAX 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%.
Return for Risk
VBLAX vs. BNDW — Risk / Return Rank
VBLAX
BNDW
VBLAX vs. BNDW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBLAX) 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.
| VBLAX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.27 | 1.00 | -0.72 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.43 | 1.40 | -0.97 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.05 | 1.18 | -0.12 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.53 | 1.34 | -0.80 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.30 | 4.97 | -3.67 |
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
| VBLAX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.27 | 1.00 | -0.72 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.23 | 0.04 | -0.27 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.03 | 0.37 | -0.34 |
Correlation
The correlation between VBLAX and BNDW is 0.89, 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
VBLAX vs. BNDW - Dividend Comparison
VBLAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.34%, more than BNDW's 4.16% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBLAX Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares | 4.34% | 4.64% | 4.61% | 4.08% | 4.13% | 2.62% | 5.39% | 3.25% | 0.00% |
BNDW Vanguard Total World Bond ETF | 4.16% | 4.12% | 3.90% | 3.73% | 2.02% | 2.58% | 1.56% | 3.05% | 1.66% |
Drawdowns
VBLAX vs. BNDW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VBLAX drawdown since its inception was -38.62%, which is greater than BNDW's maximum drawdown of -17.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VBLAX and BNDW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VBLAX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -38.62% | -17.22% | -21.40% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.87% | -2.70% | -4.17% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.32% | -16.93% | -19.39% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -25.71% | -1.98% | -23.73% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -17.93% | -5.05% | -12.88% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.81% | 0.72% | +2.09% |
Volatility
VBLAX vs. BNDW - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBLAX) has a higher volatility of 3.34% compared to Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) at 1.66%. This indicates that VBLAX'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
| VBLAX | BNDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.34% | 1.66% | +1.68% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.47% | 2.28% | +3.19% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.52% | 3.53% | +5.99% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 12.89% | 5.17% | +7.72% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.74% | 4.92% | +7.82% |