AGG vs BND

AGGiShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETFvsBNDVanguard Total Bond Market ETF
Expense ratioNet assetsYield (TTM)Overlap1 yr5 yr*
AGG0.03%$138.32B4.13%at least 42%-0.4%-0.2%
BND0.03%$397.11B4.12%-0.4%-0.3%

Total returns with distributions reinvested; * a year. Prices as of Nov 2, 2026 · holdings and costs from SEC filings · page updated Nov 3, 2026

At a glance

AGG’s holdings mature in 12.4 years on average and BND’s in 11.7 years, with average coupons of 3.85% and 3.86%. AGG is an ordinary open-end ETF and BND a share class of Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund, which also sells mutual fund shares. Both charge 0.03% a year, $30 on every $100,000. AGG has $138.32B in assets and BND $397.11B (all share classes); over the past 12 months AGG paid out 4.13% of its price and BND 4.12%, both monthly. Over the past year AGG returned −0.4% and BND −0.4% with distributions reinvested; over five years, −0.2% and −0.3% a year. In the 2022 bear market AGG fell 14.5% at its worst and BND 14.6%; both were back at their earlier highs 36 months after the low.

Key differences

AGGBND
FundiShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETFVanguard Total Bond Market ETF
IssueriSharesVanguard
StructureOpen-end ETFETF share class
TypeBroad marketBroad market
LaunchedSep 22, 2003Apr 3, 2007
Expense ratio0.03%0.03%
Cost a year on $100,000$30$30
Net assets$138.32B$397.11B *
Holdings13,38217,408
Ten largest positions3.9%4.1%
Average maturity12.4 years11.7 years
Average coupon3.85%3.86%
Yield (12 months)4.13%4.12%
Paysmonthlymonthly
Portfolio turnover62% a year38% a year
Price data fromJul 14, 2005Apr 10, 2007
* BND’s net assets are those of Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund, all share classes.

Structure and tax notes

  • Both: Bond prices move opposite to interest rates; the longer the maturities it holds, the more its price reacts to rate changes.
  • BND: An exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund, which also sells mutual fund shares; its net assets count every share class.

Holdings and overlap

Overlap by weightat least 42%the share of each fund in holdings both own
Securities in commonat least 331AGG 13,382 · BND 17,408 in all
Average maturity12.4 / 11.7years, AGG / BND

Overlap adds up, for every security both funds own, the smaller of its two weights: 100% would mean identical portfolios. The holdings reports list AGG and BND beyond their 600 largest positions only (59% of AGG, 56% of BND), so the figures are floors. Bond funds seldom own the same issues even when they behave alike; maturity and the kind of issuer say more.

By issuer

IssuerAGGBND
US Treasury46.02%48.14%
Companies24.95%28.24%
US government-sponsored enterprises18.26%15.45%
US government agencies5.61%4.82%
Foreign governments2.33%1.71%
Other0.83%—
Municipalities0.38%0.39%
Source: N-PORT holdings reports as of Aug 31, 2026 (AGG) and Jun 30, 2026 (BND).

Returns

$0$10K$20K20082012201620202024
AGG BND · $10,000 in each on Apr 30, 2007, distributions reinvested.

$10,000 put into AGG on Apr 30, 2007 was worth $17,352 on Nov 2, 2026, and in BND $17,548 (+2.9% and +2.9% a year). That is as far back as the price data for both goes.

1 yr3 yr5 yr10 yr
AGG price data to Nov 2, 2026-0.4%+4.7%-0.2%+1.4%
AGG official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025+7.19%—-0.38%+1.97%
BND price data to Nov 2, 2026-0.4%+4.7%-0.3%+1.4%
BND official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025+7.11%—-0.40%+2.00%
Multi-year figures are annualized total returns with distributions reinvested. "Official" rows are the SEC-standard returns from each fund's prospectus, to the end of the last calendar year; they reach back further where the price data starts late. AGG: Price data starts 2005-07-14, after the fund's launch on 2003-09-22; figures "since start" cover the available history only.

Calendar years

YearAGGBNDDifference
2026-0.8% *-0.7% *—
2025+7.2%+7.1%AGG +0.1
2024+1.3%+1.4%BND +0.1
2023+5.6%+5.6%—
2022-13.0%-13.1%AGG +0.1
2021-1.8%-1.9%AGG +0.1
2020+7.5%+7.7%BND +0.2
2019+8.5%+8.8%BND +0.4
2018+0.1%+0.1%—
2017+3.6%+3.6%—
Total returns from price data; * year to Nov 2, 2026.

Downturns and recovery

AGGBND
2008 financial crisis
stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009
−12.8% at the worst; back at its high 2 months after the low−9.3% at the worst; back at its high 2 months after the low
2020 COVID crash
stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020
−9.6% at the worst; back at its high 2 months after the low−8.7% at the worst; back at its high 2 months after the low
2022 bear market
stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022
−14.5% at the worst; back at its high 36 months after the low−14.6% at the worst; back at its high 36 months after the low
Worst fall in the price data−18.4% (Aug 4, 2020 – Oct 20, 2022)−18.6% (Aug 6, 2020 – Oct 20, 2022)
The deepest drop from a high to a low during each stretch when stocks fell, and how long the fund took to get back to its earlier high, with distributions reinvested. The price data starts Jul 14, 2005 for AGG and Apr 10, 2007 for BND.

Income

AGG yield (12 months)4.13%paid monthly
BND yield (12 months)4.12%paid monthly
YearAGGBND
2025$401$398
2024$365$358
2023$320$315
2022$204$221
2021$172$203
2020$226$248
2019$285$287
2018$264$295
Distributions paid during each calendar year on $10,000 of shares bought at the previous year-end close, adjusted for share splits. Before taxes.

Costs

Both funds charge 0.03% a year. The fee comes out of each fund's assets, so it is already in the returns above.

Cost of $10,000 (SEC example)1 yr3 yrs5 yrs10 yrs
AGG$3$10$17$39
BND$3$10$17$39
From each fund's prospectus: the total costs on $10,000 invested, at a 5% yearly return, with the shares sold at the end of each period.
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Sources

  • AGG: 485BPOS prospectus (risk/return XBRL), filed Jun 18, 2026 — SEC EDGAR
  • AGG: N-PORT holdings report, filed Oct 23, 2026 — SEC EDGAR
  • BND: 485BPOS prospectus (risk/return XBRL), filed Apr 28, 2026 — SEC EDGAR
  • BND: N-PORT holdings report, filed Aug 28, 2026 — SEC EDGAR
  • Prices: daily prices and distributions through Nov 2, 2026

For education only, not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell either fund. Past performance does not predict future results.