VGYAX vs. VGWAX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Global Wellesley Income Fund Admiral Shares (VGYAX) and Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX).

VGYAX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Nov 2, 2017. VGWAX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Nov 2, 2017.

Performance

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Performance Comparison

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

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VGYAX Vanguard Global Wellesley Income Fund Admiral Shares	0.52%	13.31%	6.15%	8.95%	-8.06%	6.58%	5.52%	13.92%	-3.62%
VGWAX Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares	1.04%	17.48%	6.27%	12.54%	-7.07%	13.51%	7.51%	22.16%	-5.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VGYAX achieves a 0.52% return, which is significantly lower than VGWAX's 1.04% return.

VGYAX

• 1D: 0.38%
• 1M: -4.12%
• YTD: 0.52%
• 6M: 3.60%
• 1Y: 10.05%
• 3Y*: 8.54%
• 5Y*: 4.98%
• 10Y*: —

VGWAX

• 1D: 0.23%
• 1M: -6.46%
• YTD: 1.04%
• 6M: 5.86%
• 1Y: 13.97%
• 3Y*: 11.30%
• 5Y*: 7.50%
• 10Y*: —

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

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VGYAX has a 0.28% expense ratio, which is lower than VGWAX's 0.29% expense ratio.

VGWAX

Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares

VGYAX

Vanguard Global Wellesley Income Fund Admiral Shares

Return for Risk

VGYAX vs. VGWAX — Risk / Return Rank

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

VGYAX

VGYAX Risk / Return Rank: 87
VGYAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
VGYAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
VGYAX Omega Ratio Rank: 86
VGYAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
VGYAX Martin Ratio Rank: 86

VGWAX

VGWAX Risk / Return Rank: 81
VGWAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
VGWAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
VGWAX Omega Ratio Rank: 79
VGWAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
VGWAX Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Global Wellesley Income Fund Admiral Shares (VGYAX) and Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX). 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.

	VGYAX	VGWAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.75	1.50	+0.25
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.35	2.05	+0.30
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.30	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.25	1.95	+0.30
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.08	7.80	+1.28
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGYAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.75, which is comparable to the VGWAX Sharpe Ratio of 1.50. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGYAX and VGWAX, 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

	VGYAX	VGWAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.75	1.50	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.81	0.83	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.73	0.74	-0.01

Correlation

The correlation between VGYAX and VGWAX is 0.90, 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

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Dividend Comparison

VGYAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.06%, less than VGWAX's 6.69% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VGYAX Vanguard Global Wellesley Income Fund Admiral Shares	4.06%	4.01%	3.90%	3.15%	1.54%	2.40%	1.99%	2.26%	4.36%	0.30%
VGWAX Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares	6.69%	6.78%	7.47%	2.66%	4.50%	3.36%	1.64%	2.08%	2.62%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGYAX drawdown since its inception was -17.71%, smaller than the maximum VGWAX drawdown of -25.28%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGYAX and VGWAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VGYAX	VGWAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.71%	-25.28%	+7.57%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.55%	-7.04%	+2.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.89%	-17.46%	+1.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.12%	-6.46%	+2.34%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.68%	-2.94%	+0.26%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.13%	1.76%	-0.63%

Volatility

VGYAX vs. VGWAX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Global Wellesley Income Fund Admiral Shares (VGYAX) is 2.50%, while Vanguard Global Wellington Fund Admiral Shares (VGWAX) has a volatility of 3.38%. This indicates that VGYAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VGWAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VGYAX	VGWAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.50%	3.38%	-0.88%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.63%	5.80%	-2.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.87%	9.58%	-3.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.19%	9.09%	-2.90%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.80%	10.99%	-4.19%