ETF Versus

BNDX vs IJR

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund 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: $76.8B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: Jun 4, 2013
IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.06% vs 0.07%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, IJR has significantly outperformed with a 19.2% return vs -1.7%. Income investors may prefer BNDX for its higher yield (4.5% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric BNDX IJR
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 4.5% 1.3%
Fund Family N/A iShares
Category International Bond US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 84 93 102 111 120 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BNDX -15.9%
IJR +13.0%

Performance Comparison

Period BNDX IJR Difference
1 Month -1.88% -4.33% +2.45%
3 Months -0.62% +2.92% -3.54%
6 Months -2.83% +4.03% -6.86%
YTD -0.62% +2.92% -3.54%
1 Year -1.68% +19.20% -20.88%
3 Years -1.88% +29.06% -30.94%
5 Years -15.89% +12.98% -28.87%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BNDX Fees IJR Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $140 $120 $20
$10.000 20 years $600 $515 $85
$10.000 30 years $1.938 $1.664 $275
$50.000 10 years $698 $598 $99
$50.000 30 years $9.692 $8.318 $1.373
$100.000 30 years $19.383 $16.637 $2.747

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BNDX IJR
Annualized Volatility 5.3% 21.6%
Max Drawdown -19.1% -28.9%
Sharpe Ratio -1.48 0.01

Dividend Comparison

Metric BNDX IJR
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.14 $1.60
Dividend Yield 4.45% 1.28%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR 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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