ETF Versus

ARKK vs BND

ARK Innovation ETF vs Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-02

ARKK ARK

ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by ARK that provides exposure to thematic - innovation securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.75%. Launched in 2014, the fund has a 12-year track record.

AUM: $6.7B ER: 0.75% Yield: N/A Since: 2014-10-31
BND Vanguard

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (BND) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.92%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $384.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.92% Since: 2007-04-10

Quick Verdict

BND is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.75% expense ratio, saving you approximately $1,393 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, ARKK has significantly outperformed with a 38.6% return vs 0.3%.

Key Metrics

Metric ARKK BND
Expense Ratio 0.75% 0.03%
Dividend Yield N/A 3.9%
Fund Family ARK Vanguard
Category Thematic - Innovation US Aggregate Bond

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

20 38 56 74 92 110 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
ARKK -44.0%
BND -13.1%

Performance Comparison

Period ARKK BND Difference
1 Month -5.72% -1.30% -4.42%
3 Months -13.00% -0.61% -12.39%
6 Months -25.61% -0.74% -24.87%
YTD -13.00% -0.61% -12.39%
1 Year +38.62% +0.29% +38.33%
3 Years +72.13% -0.50% +72.63%
5 Years -43.99% -13.09% -30.90%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ARKK Fees BND Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $1,453 $60 $1,393
$10,000 20 years $6,064 $258 $5,805
$10,000 30 years $18,984 $835 $18,148
$50,000 10 years $7,266 $299 $6,967
$50,000 30 years $94,918 $4,176 $90,742
$100,000 30 years $189,836 $8,352 $181,484

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ARKK BND
Annualized Volatility 46.4% 6.0%
Max Drawdown -77.3% -21.7%
Sharpe Ratio -0.12 -1.18

Dividend Comparison

Metric ARKK BND
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $2.89
Dividend Yield 0.00% 3.92%
Distribution Frequency None Monthly

Top Holdings

0 of top 2 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

ARKK Top Holdings

NameWeight
Tesla Inc1088.03%
CRISPR Therapeutics AG548.07%
Roku Inc500.14%
Tempus AI Inc487.20%
Coinbase Global Inc462.29%
Shopify Inc424.50%
Robinhood Markets Inc399.82%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc397.53%
Teradyne Inc357.06%
Beam Therapeutics Inc353.11%

BND Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vanguard Cmt Funds-Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund114.21%
United States Treasury Note/Bond37.98%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BND if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose ARKK if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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