ETF Versus

BNDX vs SPLG

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BNDX Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international bond securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.46%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $115.4B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: 2013-06-04

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.02%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.15%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.02% Yield: 1.15% Since: 2009-01-02

Quick Verdict

SPLG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.02% vs 0.07%), saving about $100 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SPLG has significantly outperformed with a 16.2% return vs -1.7%. Income investors may prefer BNDX for its higher yield (4.5% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric BNDX SPLG
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.02%
Dividend Yield 4.5% 1.1%
Fund Family Vanguard N/A
Category International Bond US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 99 118 137 156 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
BNDX -15.9%
SPLG +61.4%

Performance Comparison

Period BNDX SPLG Difference
1 Month -1.70% -3.66% +1.96%
3 Months -0.64% -4.07% +3.43%
6 Months -2.64% -2.39% -0.25%
YTD -0.64% -4.07% +3.43%
1 Year -1.68% +16.16% -17.84%
3 Years -1.90% +59.57% -61.47%
5 Years -15.91% +61.44% -77.35%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BNDX Fees SPLG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $140 $40 $100
$10,000 20 years $600 $172 $428
$10,000 30 years $1,938 $558 $1,381
$50,000 10 years $698 $200 $498
$50,000 30 years $9,692 $2,788 $6,904
$100,000 30 years $19,383 $5,575 $13,808

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BNDX SPLG
Annualized Volatility 5.3% 16.8%
Max Drawdown -19.1% -25.4%
Sharpe Ratio -1.48 0.39

Dividend Comparison

Metric BNDX SPLG
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.14 $0.88
Dividend Yield 4.46% 1.15%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

BNDX Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vanguard Cmt Funds-Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund231.22%
United Kingdom Gilt32.33%
Bundesrepublik Deutschland Bundesanleihe26.04%
French Republic Government Bond OAT25.14%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPLG if...

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

Choose SPLG if...

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

Choose BNDX if...

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

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