VMBS vs. VXUS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS).

VMBS and VXUS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VMBS is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. MBS Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009. VXUS is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country World ex USA Investable Market Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2011. Both VMBS and VXUS 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

VMBS vs. VXUS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VMBS vs. VXUS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VMBS Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF	0.41%	8.36%	1.70%	5.34%	-11.90%	-1.28%	3.76%	6.19%	0.91%	2.47%
VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF	2.32%	32.35%	5.08%	15.86%	-16.08%	8.98%	10.66%	21.75%	-14.43%	27.46%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VMBS achieves a 0.41% return, which is significantly lower than VXUS's 2.32% return. Over the past 10 years, VMBS has underperformed VXUS with an annualized return of 1.41%, while VXUS has yielded a comparatively higher 8.91% annualized return.

VMBS

• 1D: 0.21%
• 1M: -1.57%
• YTD: 0.41%
• 6M: 2.06%
• 1Y: 5.79%
• 3Y*: 4.29%
• 5Y*: 0.49%
• 10Y*: 1.41%

VXUS

• 1D: 3.32%
• 1M: -7.90%
• YTD: 2.32%
• 6M: 7.01%
• 1Y: 28.12%
• 3Y*: 15.50%
• 5Y*: 7.32%
• 10Y*: 8.91%

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

VMBS vs. VXUS - Expense Ratio Comparison

VMBS has a 0.04% expense ratio, which is lower than VXUS's 0.05% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VXUS

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF

VMBS

Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

Return for Risk

VMBS vs. VXUS — Risk / Return Rank

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

VMBS

VMBS Risk / Return Rank: 68
VMBS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
VMBS Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
VMBS Omega Ratio Rank: 60
VMBS Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
VMBS Martin Ratio Rank: 64

VXUS

VXUS Risk / Return Rank: 86
VXUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
VXUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
VXUS Omega Ratio Rank: 87
VXUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
VXUS Martin Ratio Rank: 85

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.

VMBS vs. VXUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS). 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.

	VMBS	VXUS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.16	1.64	-0.48
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.67	2.26	-0.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.34	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.95	2.42	-0.47
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.10	9.37	-3.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VMBS vs. VXUS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VMBS Sharpe Ratio is 1.16, which is comparable to the VXUS Sharpe Ratio of 1.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VMBS and VXUS, 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

	VMBS	VXUS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.16	1.64	-0.48
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.07	0.47	-0.39
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.26	0.52	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.35	+0.11

Correlation

The correlation between VMBS and VXUS is 0.02, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

VMBS vs. VXUS - Dividend Comparison

VMBS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.23%, more than VXUS's 2.97% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VMBS Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF	4.23%	4.20%	3.94%	3.31%	2.35%	1.02%	2.01%	2.77%	2.72%	2.16%	2.10%	2.12%
VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF	2.97%	3.18%	3.37%	3.24%	3.09%	3.10%	2.14%	3.06%	3.18%	2.73%	2.93%	2.83%

Drawdowns

VMBS vs. VXUS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VMBS drawdown since its inception was -17.47%, smaller than the maximum VXUS drawdown of -35.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VMBS and VXUS.

Drawdown Indicators

	VMBS	VXUS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.47%	-35.97%	+18.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.00%	-11.27%	+8.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.12%	-29.44%	+12.32%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-17.47%	-35.97%	+18.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.57%	-8.33%	+6.76%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.51%	-8.29%	+5.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.96%	2.91%	-1.95%

Volatility

VMBS vs. VXUS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (VMBS) is 1.90%, while Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) has a volatility of 8.31%. This indicates that VMBS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VXUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VMBS	VXUS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.90%	8.31%	-6.41%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.89%	11.50%	-8.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.00%	17.19%	-12.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.71%	15.82%	-9.11%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.37%	17.09%	-11.72%