ETF Versus

BND vs MGK

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund vs Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-02

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
MGK Vanguard

Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund (MGK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $32.5B ER: 0.07% Yield: 0.39% Since: 2007-12-27

Quick Verdict

BND has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.07%), saving about $80 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, MGK has significantly outperformed with a 18.2% return vs 0.3%. Income investors may prefer BND for its higher yield (3.9% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric BND MGK
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.07%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 0.4%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Aggregate Bond US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 100 125 150 175 200 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
BND -13.1%
MGK +72.8%

Performance Comparison

Period BND MGK Difference
1 Month -1.30% -3.80% +2.50%
3 Months -0.61% -9.72% +9.11%
6 Months -0.74% -8.91% +8.17%
YTD -0.61% -9.72% +9.11%
1 Year +0.29% +18.16% -17.87%
3 Years -0.50% +81.45% -81.95%
5 Years -13.09% +72.76% -85.85%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BND Fees MGK Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $140 $80
$10,000 20 years $258 $600 $342
$10,000 30 years $835 $1,938 $1,103
$50,000 10 years $299 $698 $398
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $9,692 $5,516
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $19,383 $11,032

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BND MGK
Annualized Volatility 6.0% 22.6%
Max Drawdown -21.7% -36.4%
Sharpe Ratio -1.18 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric BND MGK
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.89 $1.43
Dividend Yield 3.92% 0.39%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

BND Top Holdings

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

MGK Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA Corp1297.27%
Apple Inc1207.38%
Microsoft Corp1061.93%
Amazon.com Inc457.34%
Tesla Inc446.59%
Meta Platforms Inc445.78%
Alphabet Inc421.92%
Broadcom Inc403.30%
Eli Lilly & Co328.40%

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 MGK if...

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

Choose BND if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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