VGWAX vs. BWBIX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX) and Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX).

VGWAX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Nov 2, 2017. BWBIX is managed by Baron Capital Group, Inc.. It was launched on Dec 28, 2017.

Performance

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX) and Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VGWAX Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares	2.68%	17.48%	6.27%	12.54%	-7.07%	13.51%	7.51%	22.16%	-5.26%
BWBIX Baron WealthBuilder Fund	-7.42%	10.23%	19.62%	25.77%	-32.58%	14.76%	62.85%	36.41%	-12.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VGWAX achieves a 2.68% return, which is significantly higher than BWBIX's -7.42% return.

VGWAX

• 1D: 1.61%
• 1M: -4.28%
• YTD: 2.68%
• 6M: 7.07%
• 1Y: 15.96%
• 3Y*: 11.90%
• 5Y*: 7.69%
• 10Y*: —

BWBIX

• 1D: 2.71%
• 1M: -6.25%
• YTD: -7.42%
• 6M: -2.93%
• 1Y: 10.39%
• 3Y*: 11.62%
• 5Y*: 2.90%
• 10Y*: —

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

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VGWAX has a 0.29% expense ratio, which is higher than BWBIX's 0.05% expense ratio.

VGWAX

Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares

BWBIX

Baron WealthBuilder Fund

Return for Risk

VGWAX vs. BWBIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

VGWAX

VGWAX Risk / Return Rank: 84
VGWAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
VGWAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
VGWAX Omega Ratio Rank: 82
VGWAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
VGWAX Martin Ratio Rank: 85

BWBIX

BWBIX Risk / Return Rank: 21
BWBIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
BWBIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
BWBIX Omega Ratio Rank: 18
BWBIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 24
BWBIX Martin Ratio Rank: 25

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.

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX) and Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX). 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.

	VGWAX	BWBIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.64	0.54	+1.10
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.26	0.95	+1.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.33	1.13	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.29	0.86	+1.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.01	3.22	+5.79
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGWAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.64, which is higher than the BWBIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.54. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGWAX and BWBIX, 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

	VGWAX	BWBIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.64	0.54	+1.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85	0.14	+0.71
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.76	0.49	+0.27

Correlation

The correlation between VGWAX and BWBIX is 0.75, 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

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Dividend Comparison

VGWAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.59%, less than BWBIX's 8.22% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VGWAX Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares	6.59%	6.78%	7.47%	2.66%	4.50%	3.36%	1.64%	2.08%	2.62%
BWBIX Baron WealthBuilder Fund	8.22%	7.61%	0.77%	0.06%	3.21%	3.75%	1.24%	3.51%	0.14%

Drawdowns

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGWAX drawdown since its inception was -25.28%, smaller than the maximum BWBIX drawdown of -39.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGWAX and BWBIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VGWAX	BWBIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.28%	-39.14%	+13.86%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.04%	-12.76%	+5.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.46%	-39.14%	+21.68%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.94%	-9.26%	+4.32%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.94%	-11.88%	+8.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.79%	3.41%	-1.62%

Volatility

VGWAX vs. BWBIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX) is 3.86%, while Baron WealthBuilder Fund (BWBIX) has a volatility of 5.39%. This indicates that VGWAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BWBIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VGWAX	BWBIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.86%	5.39%	-1.53%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.00%	11.38%	-5.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.69%	19.94%	-10.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.12%	21.19%	-12.07%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.00%	23.31%	-12.31%