Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
AGG vs VEA: how they differ
AGG is a bond index fund and VEA an equity index fund, and over the year VEA returned more, +24.5% against −0.7%.
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund.
| AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | VEA Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | US aggregate bonds | Developed markets ex US |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.7% | +24.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.2 pts | +7.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Holdings | not filed | 3870 |
AGG in plain words
AGG is a bond fund tracking the US aggregate bonds. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.7% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
VEA in plain words
VEA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +24.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3870 positions, with the top ten at 13.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, AGG or VEA?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AGG returned −0.7% and VEA returned +24.5%, so VEA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, AGG or VEA?
- AGG charges 0.03% a year and VEA charges 0.03%, so AGG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, AGG against VEA, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AGG-VEA Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources