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BND vs SPY: which was the better investment?

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF against SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Apr 10, 2007 to Jul 15, 2026.

bonds (BND)the S&P 500 (SPY)
19 years of daily dataDividends reinvestedUpdated daily

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BNDVanguard Total Bond Market ETF
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Frequently asked questions

Did BND beat SPY?

No — measured from Apr 10, 2007 to Jul 15, 2026 with dividends reinvested, SPY came out ahead: $74,337 versus $17,710 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 11.0% annual return against 3.0%.

What would $10,000 in BND be worth today?

$10,000 invested in Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) on Apr 10, 2007 would be worth about $17,710 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 77.1% (3.0% per year). The same $10,000 in SPY would be worth $74,337.

Which was riskier — BND or SPY?

BND swung with an annualized volatility of 5.2% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -18.6%; SPY ran at 19.7% volatility with a -55.2% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.19 for BND vs 0.46 for SPY.

What data is this comparison based on?

Daily adjusted closing prices covering Apr 10, 2007 through Jul 15, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.

Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?

Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with BND vs SPY. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.