PortfoliosLab logoPortfoliosLab logo
VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK)
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

ETF Info

ISIN
US92189F8665
CUSIP
92189F866
Issuer
VanEck
Inception Date
Jul 10, 2008
Region
Africa (Broad)
Leveraged
1x (No leverage)
Index Tracked
Dow Jones Africa Titans 50 Index
Distribution Policy
Distributing
Asset Class
Equity
Asset Class Size
Multi-Cap
Asset Class Style
Blend

Share Price Chart


Loading graphics...

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.


Performance

Performance Chart

The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.


Loading graphics...

S&P 500 Index

Returns By Period

VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) has returned -3.74% so far this year and 49.61% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, AFK has returned 5.78% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.


VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF

1D
4.12%
1M
-15.74%
YTD
-3.74%
6M
6.76%
1Y
49.61%
3Y*
18.56%
5Y*
6.13%
10Y*
5.78%

Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)

1D
2.91%
1M
-5.09%
YTD
-4.63%
6M
-2.39%
1Y
16.33%
3Y*
16.69%
5Y*
10.18%
10Y*
12.16%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Monthly Returns

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jul 14, 2008, AFK's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.21%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 27.5 years.

Historically, 51% of months were positive and 49% were negative. The best month was May 2009 with a return of +27.3%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -27.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 7 months.

On a daily basis, AFK closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +9.3%, while the worst single day was Mar 9, 2020 at -11.6%.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20264.26%9.57%-15.74%-3.74%
20256.98%-0.54%5.65%2.07%6.70%6.44%3.87%7.04%8.72%-1.76%3.09%9.51%74.71%
2024-3.19%-1.57%10.80%1.68%6.52%-0.25%3.37%0.49%2.69%-2.14%-1.83%-4.09%12.10%
20236.44%-4.94%-1.73%-0.91%-6.21%-0.94%8.06%-8.09%-3.36%-6.13%5.62%0.89%-12.11%
20221.99%3.65%-0.09%-8.19%-2.61%-11.63%2.92%-3.69%-9.45%2.47%13.39%-4.99%-17.31%
2021-1.67%4.74%0.14%2.95%4.34%-3.19%-0.59%0.92%-5.29%2.94%-5.68%4.10%3.00%

Benchmark Metrics

VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF has an annualized alpha of -5.22%, beta of 0.69, and R² of 0.36 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since July 15, 2008.

  • This ETF participated in 108.93% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 66.85% of its upside — more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
  • Beta of 0.69 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.36 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index — low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
  • R² of 0.36 means the benchmark explains less than half of this ETF's behavior — treat beta with caution or consider switching to a more representative benchmark.

Alpha
-5.22%
Beta
0.69
0.36
Upside Capture
66.85%
Downside Capture
108.93%

Expense Ratio

AFK has an expense ratio of 0.78%, placing it in the medium range.


Return for Risk

Risk / Return Rank

AFK ranks 85 for risk / return — in the top 85% of ETFs on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.


AFK Risk / Return Rank: 8585
Overall Rank
AFK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8787
Sharpe Ratio Rank
AFK Sortino Ratio Rank: 8585
Sortino Ratio Rank
AFK Omega Ratio Rank: 8686
Omega Ratio Rank
AFK Calmar Ratio Rank: 8383
Calmar Ratio Rank
AFK Martin Ratio Rank: 8383
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

Return / Risk — by metrics

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).


AFKBenchmarkDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

1.87

0.90

+0.97

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

2.33

1.39

+0.94

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.35

1.21

+0.14

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

2.47

1.40

+1.07

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

9.62

6.61

+3.01

Explore AFK risk-adjusted metrics in detail

Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.

Dividends

Dividend History

VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF provided a 1.05% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.27 per share.


0.00%1.00%2.00%3.00%4.00%5.00%6.00%$0.00$0.20$0.40$0.60$0.80$1.00$1.2020152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Dividends
Dividend Yield
PeriodTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Dividend$0.27$0.27$0.00$0.31$0.58$0.84$0.80$1.29$0.34$0.49$0.53$0.39

Dividend yield

1.05%1.02%0.00%2.27%3.59%4.17%3.91%6.34%1.71%1.99%2.67%2.16%

Monthly Dividends

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00
2025$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.27$0.27
2024$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00
2023$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.31$0.31
2022$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.58$0.58
2021$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.84$0.84

Drawdowns

Drawdowns Chart

The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.


Loading graphics...

Worst Drawdowns

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.

The maximum drawdown for the VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF was 62.46%, occurring on Mar 20, 2020. Recovery took 1448 trading sessions.

The current VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF drawdown is 15.74%.


Depth

Start

To Bottom

Bottom

To Recover

End

Total

-62.46%Jul 16, 20082941Mar 20, 20201448Dec 23, 20254389
-19.54%Mar 2, 202615Mar 20, 2026
-9.68%Jan 29, 20266Feb 5, 202611Feb 23, 202617
-2.49%Dec 29, 20251Dec 29, 20254Jan 5, 20265
-2.21%Jan 15, 20262Jan 16, 20262Jan 21, 20264

Volatility

Volatility Chart

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.


Loading graphics...