^SP600 vs. VGT

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about S&P 600 (^SP600) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT).

VGT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index. It was launched on Mar 25, 2004.

Performance

^SP600 vs. VGT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in S&P 600 (^SP600) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^SP600 vs. VGT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^SP600 S&P 600	3.65%	4.23%	6.82%	13.89%	-17.42%	25.27%	9.57%	20.86%	-9.75%	11.73%
VGT Vanguard Information Technology ETF	-6.16%	21.77%	29.30%	52.66%	-29.70%	30.45%	46.04%	48.62%	2.46%	37.08%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^SP600 achieves a 3.65% return, which is significantly higher than VGT's -6.16% return. Over the past 10 years, ^SP600 has underperformed VGT with an annualized return of 8.26%, while VGT has yielded a comparatively higher 21.51% annualized return.

^SP600

• 1D: 0.53%
• 1M: -4.39%
• YTD: 3.65%
• 6M: 4.71%
• 1Y: 18.85%
• 3Y*: 8.77%
• 5Y*: 2.57%
• 10Y*: 8.26%

VGT

• 1D: 1.28%
• 1M: -3.61%
• YTD: -6.16%
• 6M: -5.90%
• 1Y: 29.76%
• 3Y*: 23.10%
• 5Y*: 14.83%
• 10Y*: 21.51%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^SP600 vs. VGT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^SP600

^SP600 Risk / Return Rank: 54
^SP600 Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
^SP600 Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
^SP600 Omega Ratio Rank: 51
^SP600 Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
^SP600 Martin Ratio Rank: 59

VGT

VGT Risk / Return Rank: 62
VGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
VGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
VGT Omega Ratio Rank: 61
VGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
VGT Martin Ratio Rank: 57

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.

^SP600 vs. VGT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for S&P 600 (^SP600) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^SP600	VGT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	1.10	-0.26
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.31	1.67	-0.36
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.23	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.28	1.88	-0.60
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.11	5.77	-0.66
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^SP600 vs. VGT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^SP600 Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is comparable to the VGT Sharpe Ratio of 1.10. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^SP600 and VGT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^SP600	VGT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	1.10	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.12	0.59	-0.48
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.36	0.88	-0.52
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.44	0.61	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between ^SP600 and VGT is 0.73, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Drawdowns

^SP600 vs. VGT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^SP600 drawdown since its inception was -59.17%, which is greater than VGT's maximum drawdown of -54.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^SP600 and VGT.

Drawdown Indicators

	^SP600	VGT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.17%	-54.63%	-4.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.89%	-16.40%	+1.51%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.39%	-35.07%	+6.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.77%	-35.07%	-10.70%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.55%	-11.66%	+6.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.31%	-8.00%	-1.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.74%	5.35%	-1.61%

Volatility

^SP600 vs. VGT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for S&P 600 (^SP600) is 6.26%, while Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) has a volatility of 8.03%. This indicates that ^SP600 experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VGT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^SP600	VGT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.26%	8.03%	-1.77%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.06%	16.35%	-3.29%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.74%	27.27%	-4.53%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.56%	25.06%	-3.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.19%	24.48%	-1.29%