BNDX vs IAGG Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
BNDX (Vanguard) and IAGG (iShares) are nearly identical international investment-grade bond ETFs with the same expense ratio (0.07%), similar USD-hedged international bond exposure, and negligible tracking difference. The choice between them is primarily determined by which brokerage platform you use (Vanguard investors may prefer BNDX; others may prefer IAGG) rather than fundamental differences.
BNDX vs IAGG is an ETF brand comparison more than a product comparison — both provide nearly identical low-cost, USD-hedged international investment-grade bond exposure and are effectively interchangeable for most portfolio purposes.
BNDX and IAGG are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. IAGG has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+0.83% vs -0.61% for BNDX).
- Use Vanguard brokerage or prefer Vanguard fund family for their portfolio construction
- Want Vanguard's cooperative ownership structure and long-term alignment with investor interests
- Are building a Vanguard three-fund or total market portfolio where BNDX is the standard international bond component
- Use Fidelity, Schwab, or another brokerage offering iShares ETFs commission-free
- Prefer BlackRock/iShares as their ETF provider for international bond exposure
- Want a slightly different index methodology (10% issuer cap) versus BNDX's RIC capping approach for minor tracking difference
| Metric | BNDX | IAGG |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 24.4 | 24.5 |
| Latest closei | $47.35 | $49.61 |
| 1M returni | +1.05% | +1.27% |
| 3M returni | -0.53% | +0.06% |
| 6M returni | +0.18% | +1.01% |
| 1Y returni | -0.61% | +0.83% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | BNDX | IAGG |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $10.42K (+4.2%) started 2025-11-03 | $10.63K (+6.3%) started 2025-11-03 |
| 5Y ago | $12.52K (+25.2%) started 2021-11-03 | $12.6K (+26.0%) started 2021-11-03 |
| 10Y ago | $16.66K (+66.6%) started 2016-11-03 | $16.63K (+66.3%) started 2016-11-03 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | BNDX | IAGG |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.07% | 0.07% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $121.63B | $11.76B |
| Dividend yieldi | 4.68% | 4.58% |
| Trailing P/Ei | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| 52-week change | -0.61% | 0.83% |
| Metric | BNDX | IAGG |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | -0.61% | +0.83% |
| 6M returni | +0.18% | +1.01% |
| 3M returni | -0.53% | +0.06% |
| 1M returni | +1.05% | +1.27% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | -1.33 | -1.15 |
| Betai | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Dividend yieldi | 4.68% | 4.58% |
| 5Y CAGR | +0.25% | +1.17% |
Over the past year, BNDX and IAGG have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.94), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | BNDX | IAGG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -0.53% | +0.95% |
| CAGRi | -0.53% | +0.95% | |
| Volatilityi | 3.73% | 3.04% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -1.33 | -1.15 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -1.74 | -1.52 | |
| Max drawdowni | 3.22% | 2.32% | |
| Current drawdowni | 1.93% | 0.64% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 1.35% | 0.85% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 1.63% | 1.05% | |
| Max daily dropi | 0.83% | 0.68% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 1.34% | 1.02% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +1.25% | +5.99% |
| CAGRi | +0.25% | +1.17% | |
| Volatilityi | 4.92% | 4.51% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.84 | -0.72 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -1.16 | -1.00 | |
| Max drawdowni | 15.18% | 13.10% | |
| Current drawdowni | 1.93% | 0.64% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 5.64% | 4.17% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 7.16% | 5.76% | |
| Max daily dropi | 1.46% | 1.05% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 3.26% | 2.65% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +16.66% | +22.73% |
| CAGRi | +1.55% | +2.07% | |
| Volatilityi | 4.10% | 4.02% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.70 | -0.59 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.94 | -0.80 | |
| Max drawdowni | 16.23% | 13.88% | |
| Current drawdowni | 1.93% | 0.64% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 3.72% | 2.90% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 5.74% | 4.59% | |
| Max daily dropi | 2.29% | 2.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 5.32% | 5.22% |
| Category | BNDX | IAGG |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | iShares Core International Aggregate Bond ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.07% | 0.07% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $121.63B | $11.76B |
| Dividend yieldi | 4.68% | 4.58% |
- Extremely low expense ratio (0.07%) — Vanguard's scale and fund structure provides one of the lowest-cost options in international bond investing
- USD currency hedge eliminates foreign currency exchange rate risk from international bond holdings, providing cleaner fixed income exposure
- Broad diversification across thousands of international government and corporate bonds across developed and emerging markets
- Competitive 0.07% expense ratio matching Vanguard's BNDX — iShares has matched Vanguard's price leadership in core international bond ETFs
- BlackRock/iShares brand recognition provides institutional credibility alongside Vanguard for international bond allocation
- Broad international investment-grade bond exposure with USD currency hedge similar to BNDX
- USD hedging has a cost that varies with interest rate differentials between the U.S. and foreign markets — when U.S. rates are higher, hedging is more expensive and erodes return
- International bonds often have lower yields than U.S. bonds when accounting for hedging costs, reducing the income benefit of diversification
- Duration and interest rate sensitivity vary with the global bond market composition included in the index
- Index composition differs slightly from BNDX due to different index provider (Bloomberg-based but with different cap methodology) — tracking difference vs BNDX is minimal but non-zero
- Same USD hedging cost dynamics as BNDX reduce returns when U.S. interest rates are elevated versus international rates
- For most investors, BNDX and IAGG are interchangeable — the primary reason to prefer one over the other is which brokerage platform offers commission-free trading
Compare more than two at a time
This page is a fixed writeup on BNDX and IAGG. Our comparison engine is the interactive version: load up to five tickers, switch timeframes, and get the correlation, drawdown, and overlap analysis that a static page can't show.
Add three more names beside BNDX and IAGG, mixing stocks and ETFs in the same table — useful when the real question is which of a whole peer group to own.
AI score, forward P/E, analyst target upside, operating margin, and revenue growth are scored head-to-head, with a running tally of which ticker leads on how many metrics.
Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
Pairwise daily-return correlation for every combination, so you can see whether two holdings actually diversify each other or just move together.
A scatter plot of forward P/E against return on equity, plus drawdown and 30-day rolling volatility charts, to separate what is cheap from what is merely beaten down.
For ETFs, a top-holdings comparison that exposes hidden overlap between funds. Every comparison exports to CSV for your own spreadsheet work.
Two comparisons a week are free without an account. A 14-day trial removes the limit and adds AI price forecasts, stock rankings, saved watchlists, and the intrinsic value calculator — no credit card required.
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.