VWOB vs. NEMD

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF (VWOB) and Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF (NEMD).

VWOB and NEMD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VWOB is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays USD Emerging Markets Government RIC Capped Index. It was launched on May 31, 2013. NEMD is an actively managed fund by Neuberger Berman. It was launched on Sep 27, 2013.

Performance

VWOB vs. NEMD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF (VWOB) and Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF (NEMD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VWOB vs. NEMD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
VWOB Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF	-1.27%	4.85%
NEMD Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF	-0.02%	7.07%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VWOB achieves a -1.27% return, which is significantly lower than NEMD's -0.02% return.

VWOB

• 1D: 0.37%
• 1M: -2.64%
• YTD: -1.27%
• 6M: 1.07%
• 1Y: 8.63%
• 3Y*: 8.17%
• 5Y*: 2.10%
• 10Y*: 3.49%

NEMD

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: -2.63%
• YTD: -0.02%
• 6M: 3.71%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VWOB vs. NEMD - Expense Ratio Comparison

VWOB has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than NEMD's 0.60% expense ratio.

NEMD

Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF

VWOB

Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF

Return for Risk

VWOB vs. NEMD — Risk / Return Rank

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

VWOB

VWOB Risk / Return Rank: 73
VWOB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
VWOB Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
VWOB Omega Ratio Rank: 73
VWOB Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
VWOB Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

VWOB vs. NEMD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF (VWOB) and Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF (NEMD). 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.

	VWOB	NEMD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.33	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.84	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.00	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.18	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VWOB	NEMD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.33	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	1.79	-1.40

Correlation

The correlation between VWOB and NEMD is 0.88, 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

VWOB vs. NEMD - Dividend Comparison

VWOB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.96%, more than NEMD's 3.87% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VWOB Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF	5.96%	5.92%	6.08%	5.50%	5.30%	4.04%	4.18%	4.58%	4.52%	4.61%	4.71%	4.93%
NEMD Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF	3.87%	2.39%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VWOB vs. NEMD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VWOB drawdown since its inception was -26.98%, which is greater than NEMD's maximum drawdown of -4.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VWOB and NEMD.

Drawdown Indicators

	VWOB	NEMD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-26.98%	-4.43%	-22.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.48%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.98%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-26.98%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.12%	-3.03%	-0.09%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.83%	-0.51%	-4.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.10%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	VWOB	NEMD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.95%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.75%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.52%	6.30%	+0.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.17%	6.30%	+2.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.32%	6.30%	+3.02%