Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
BNDX vs EFA: how they differ
BNDX and EFA hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund and iShares MSCI EAFE ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, BNDX and EFA hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | BNDX | EFA |
|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg Materials AG | 0.01% | 0.14% |
| Pandora A/S | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| UPM-Kymmene Oyj | 0.01% | 0.07% |
| Airbus SE | 0.01% | 0.57% |
| Neste Oyj | 0.01% | 0.07% |
| Sampo Oyj | 0.01% | 0.12% |
| Svenska Handelsbanken AB | 0.01% | 0.10% |
| Deutsche Post AG | 0.00% | 0.25% |
| Swedbank AB | 0.00% | 0.14% |
| AXA SA | 0.00% | 0.37% |
| EQT AB | 0.00% | 0.07% |
| Fastighets AB Balder | 0.00% | 0.02% |
| Only in BNDX | Only in EFA |
|---|---|
| French Republic Government Bond OAT 0.18% | ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% |
| Bundesschatzanweisungen 0.14% | HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% |
| Canadian Government Bond 0.13% | ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% |
| Canadian Government Bond 0.10% | Nestle S.A. 1.21% |
| Canadian Government Bond 0.10% | SHELL PLC 1.20% |
| Canadian Government Bond 0.09% | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% |
| Canadian Government Bond 0.08% | COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% |
| Canadian Government Bond 0.08% | Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. 0.94% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026.
| BNDX Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund | EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | iShares |
| What it is | Total International Bond | Developed markets ex US |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.7% | +18.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.2 pts | +0.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.32% |
| Holdings | 6707 | 705 |
BNDX in plain words
BNDX is a bond fund tracking the Total International Bond. 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 0.07% a year.
EFA in plain words
EFA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 705 positions, with the top ten at 13.4%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BNDX or EFA?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BNDX returned −0.7% and EFA returned +18.2%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, BNDX or EFA?
- BNDX charges 0.07% a year and EFA charges 0.32%, so BNDX 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, BNDX against EFA, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/BNDX-EFA Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources