AGG vs LQD — 20-Year Performance Comparison
US Total Bond vs Investment-Grade Corp Bonds — backtested 2005–2024
LQD wins$21,378 vs $17,648 on $10,000 over 20 years
AGGUS Total Bond
Final value$17,648
CAGR+2.9%
Max drawdown-14.6%
Best year+8% (2019)
Years won9 of 20
LQDInvestment-Grade Corp Bonds
Final value$21,378
CAGR+3.9%
Max drawdown-19.4%
Best year+17% (2019)
Years won11 of 20
Growth of $10,000
2005–2024AGGLQD
AGG$17,648
LQD$21,378
50/50 mix$19,492
50/50 blend: $19,492 (+3.4%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between AGG and LQD would have landed between the two — slightly lower CAGR than LQD but less volatility. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: AGG vs LQD
| Year | AGG | LQD | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +1.3% | +0.9% | AGG |
| 2023 | +5.7% | +9.4% | LQD |
| 2022 | -13.0% | -17.9% | AGG |
| 2021 | -1.8% | -1.8% | AGG |
| 2020 | +7.5% | +11.0% | LQD |
| 2019 | +8.5% | +17.4% | LQD |
| 2018 | +0.1% | -3.8% | AGG |
| 2017 | +3.5% | +7.1% | LQD |
| 2016 | +2.4% | +6.2% | LQD |
| 2015 | +0.5% | -1.3% | AGG |
| 2014 | +6.0% | +8.2% | LQD |
| 2013 | -2.0% | -2.0% | AGG |
| 2012 | +3.8% | +10.6% | LQD |
| 2011 | +7.7% | +9.7% | LQD |
| 2010 | +6.4% | +9.3% | LQD |
| 2009 | +3.0% | +8.4% | LQD |
| 2008 | +7.9% | +2.4% | AGG |
| 2007 | +6.6% | +3.7% | AGG |
| 2006 | +3.9% | +4.2% | LQD |
| 2005 | +2.1% | +1.2% | AGG |
More comparisons
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