- ISIN
- US92189F8665
- CUSIP
- 92189F866
- Issuer
- VanEck
- Inception Date
- Jul 10, 2008
- Region
- Africa (Broad)
- Category
- Foreign Large Cap Equities
- 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
- Assets Under Management
- $105M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
AFK Performance Chart
VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) is up 0.2% since the beginning of the year. AFK is currently trading at $27 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of AFK shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,367.
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Returns By Period
VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) has returned 0.15% so far this year and 38.88% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, AFK has returned 5.95% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF
- 1D
- 0.86%
- 1M
- -0.37%
- YTD
- 0.15%
- 6M
- 1.17%
- 1Y
- 38.88%
- 3Y*
- 23.55%
- 5Y*
- 6.45%
- 10Y*
- 5.95%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
AFK Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jul 14, 2008, AFK's average daily return is +0.01%, while the average monthly return is +0.22%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 26.3 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%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.26% | 9.57% | -15.74% | 4.23% | 3.09% | -3.18% | 0.15% | ||||||
| 2025 | 6.98% | -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% |
| 2023 | 6.44% | -4.94% | -1.73% | -0.91% | -6.21% | -0.94% | 8.06% | -8.09% | -3.36% | -6.13% | 5.62% | 0.89% | -12.11% |
| 2022 | 1.99% | 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 -5.42%, beta of 0.70, and R2 of 0.36 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since July 14, 2008.
- This ETF participated in 109.36% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 66.20% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- 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
- -5.42%
- Beta
- 0.70
- R²
- 0.36
- Upside Capture
- 66.20%
- Downside Capture
- 109.36%
Expense Ratio
AFK has an expense ratio of 0.78%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
AFK ranks 40 for risk / return — on par with similar ETFs. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| AFK | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.57 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.83 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.37 | -0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 2.78 | -0.78 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.54 | 12.44 | -6.90 |
Dividends
Dividend History
VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF provided a 1.01% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.27 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1.01% | 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $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.
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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 12.34%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -62.46%Mar 2020 | 11y 8mo | 5y 9mo | 17y 5moJul 2008 - Dec 2025 |
2026 correction2026 | -19.54%Mar 2026 | 18d | — | 3mo 23dMar 2026 - now |
2026 pullback2026 | -9.68%Feb 2026 | 7d | 18d | 25dJan 2026 - Feb 2026 |
2025 pullback2025 | -2.49%Dec 2025 | 0s | 7d | 7dDec 2025 - Jan 2026 |
2026 pullback2026 | -2.21%Jan 2026 | 1d | 5d | 6dJan 2026 - Jan 2026 |
Drawdown Indicators
| AFK | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -62.46% | -56.78% | -5.68% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -19.54% | -9.10% | -10.44% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.54% | -18.90% | -0.64% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -37.62% | -25.43% | -12.19% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -53.33% | -33.92% | -19.41% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -12.34% | -1.80% | -10.54% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -31.98% | -10.71% | -21.27% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 7.03% | 2.03% | +5.00% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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