VFWSX vs. VBIAX
VFWSX (Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares) and VBIAX (Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - VFWSX is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund managed by Vanguard, while VBIAX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, VFWSX returned 10.06%/yr vs 9.83%/yr for VBIAX. Their correlation of 0.82 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VFWSX charges 0.08%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VBIAX.
Performance
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VFWSX achieves a 15.78% return, which is significantly higher than VBIAX's 7.35% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VFWSX having a 10.06% annualized return and VBIAX not far behind at 9.83%.
VFWSX
- 1D
- 0.66%
- 1M
- 5.91%
- YTD
- 15.78%
- 6M
- 18.57%
- 1Y
- 33.79%
- 3Y*
- 20.08%
- 5Y*
- 9.08%
- 10Y*
- 10.06%
VBIAX
- 1D
- 0.15%
- 1M
- 3.71%
- YTD
- 7.35%
- 6M
- 7.26%
- 1Y
- 19.35%
- 3Y*
- 15.04%
- 5Y*
- 8.01%
- 10Y*
- 9.83%
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VFWSX Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares | 15.78% | 32.38% | 5.45% | 15.59% | -15.48% | 8.11% | 11.37% | 21.58% | -13.97% | 27.24% |
VBIAX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares | 7.35% | 13.61% | 14.58% | 17.54% | -16.90% | 14.21% | 16.40% | 21.78% | -2.86% | 13.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between VFWSX and VBIAX is 0.82, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.82 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.78 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.78 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.79 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 9, 2007 | 0.82 |
The correlation between VFWSX and VBIAX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.78 to 0.82 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
VFWSX vs. VBIAX — Risk / Return Rank
VFWSX
VBIAX
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares (VFWSX) and Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIAX). 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.
| VFWSX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.21 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.45 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.47 | -0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.94 | 3.42 | -0.48 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.55 | 15.60 | -4.05 |
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
| VFWSX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.32 | 2.52 | -0.21 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.60 | 0.73 | -0.13 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.63 | 0.88 | -0.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.28 | 0.64 | -0.36 |
Drawdowns
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VFWSX drawdown since its inception was -61.60%, which is greater than VBIAX's maximum drawdown of -35.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFWSX and VBIAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VFWSX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -61.60% | -35.90% | -25.70% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.34% | -5.83% | -5.51% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -13.26% | -11.70% | -1.56% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.37% | -21.53% | -7.84% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.87% | -22.78% | -12.09% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.25% | -4.44% | -8.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.88% | 1.27% | +1.61% |
Volatility
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares (VFWSX) has a higher volatility of 4.89% compared to Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIAX) at 2.26%. This indicates that VFWSX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VBIAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VFWSX | VBIAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.89% | 2.26% | +2.63% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.06% | 6.11% | +5.95% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 14.41% | 7.90% | +6.51% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.18% | 11.05% | +4.13% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.08% | 11.21% | +4.87% |
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VFWSX has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is higher than VBIAX's 0.07% 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
VFWSX vs. VBIAX - Dividend Comparison
VFWSX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.57%, less than VBIAX's 5.21% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VBIAX Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Admiral Shares | 5.21% | 6.00% | 5.27% | 4.35% | 2.83% | 3.19% | 2.65% | 2.28% | 2.32% | 1.95% | 2.09% | 2.09% |
VFWSX Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Institutional Shares | 2.57% | 3.08% | 3.23% | 3.31% | 3.10% | 3.06% | 1.99% | 3.10% | 3.28% | 2.67% | 2.97% | 2.97% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VFWSX and VBIAX have a correlation of 0.82, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VFWSX has higher volatility (4.89%) compared to VBIAX (2.26%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VFWSX dropped -61.60% vs VBIAX's -35.90%.
VBIAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.52 vs 2.32), 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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