ETF Evaluator:
BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF (BKAG)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Intermediate Core Bond Over the Last Year
| 7.1% | Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF (JUCY) |
| 7.1% | Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF (OVB) |
| 6.8% | SGI Enhanced Core ETF (USDX) |
| 6.7% | Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF (HTAB) |
| 6.1% | Simplify Aggregate Bond ETF (AGGH) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF Overview
BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF (BKAG) is a passively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). BNY Mellon launched the ETF in 2020.
The investment seeks to track the performance of the Bloomberg US Aggregate Total Return Index.
The fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in bonds, TBA transactions representing bonds and ETFs providing exposure to such securities. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Total Return Index is designed to measure the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. It is non-diversified.
About BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF (BKAG)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 3.60 years: Gregory Lee (2020) and Marlene Walker-Smith (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF has 5053 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 6.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF has 6.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 3.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 97.0% (90.4% domestic bond, 6.6% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $2 billion in total assets, which is below the $6 billion average for the Intermediate Core Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
BKAG Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category. BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF has an expense ratio of 0.00%, which is 100% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 70%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 100% for the Intermediate Core Bond category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF returned 0.2%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Intermediate Core Bond category had an average return of 0.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF has a trailing yield of 4.22%, which is below the 4.35% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 0.6%, 0.2 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 3.8% over the past year (grade of C), 4.1% over the past three years (grade of D) and 0.0% per year over the past five years (grade of D).
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BKAG Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| BKAG Return (NAV) | 0.2% | 0.7% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 0.0% | na |
| BKAG Return (Price) | 0.2% | 0.5% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 0.0% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.072% | 0.192% | 0.077% | 0.044% | 0.024% | na |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | 0.2% | 0.8% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 0.2% | 1.7% |
| BKAG Grade (NAV) | D | D | C | D | D | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.0% | -0.2% | -0.3% | -0.3% | -0.1% | na |
| BKAG Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.4% | na |
BKAG Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| BKAG Return (NAV) | 0.6% | 7.3% | 1.2% | 5.5% | -13.1% | -1.5% | na | na | na | na | na |
| BKAG Return (Price) | 0.7% | 7.2% | 1.2% | 5.7% | -13.3% | -1.5% | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.141% | -0.010% | -0.061% | 0.032% | 0.011% | -0.039% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | 0.9% | 7.1% | 1.9% | 6.0% | -13.2% | -1.5% | 7.6% | 9.1% | -0.5% | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| BKAG Grade (NAV) | D | C | F | D | B | B | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -0.2% | 0.2% | -0.6% | -0.5% | 0.1% | -0.0% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.00 |
| R-Squared: | 100% |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.6% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.03 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.46 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Low |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 4.2% |
| Total Assets: | $ 2,144 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 2,144 Mil |
| Turnover: | 71.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.00% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 6.2 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 3.6 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Lee Gregory (2020), Walker-Smith Marlene (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 5053 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 6.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 6.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 3.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 90.4% |
| Foreign Bond: | 6.6% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | BNY Mellon |
| Phone Number: | 833-383-2696 |
| Website: | www.bny.com/investments |
| Inception Date: | April 22, 2020 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.00% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.32% |
