AFK vs. IDOG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG).

AFK and IDOG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AFK is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Africa Titans 50 Index. It was launched on Jul 10, 2008. IDOG is a passively managed fund by SS&C that tracks the performance of the S-Network International Sector Dividend Dogs Index. It was launched on Jun 27, 2013. Both AFK and IDOG are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

AFK vs. IDOG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AFK vs. IDOG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AFK VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF	-1.31%	74.71%	12.10%	-12.11%	-17.31%	3.00%	4.26%	9.90%	-19.55%	28.22%
IDOG ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF	9.20%	39.94%	1.35%	23.57%	-4.50%	11.33%	-1.78%	21.93%	-13.47%	25.61%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AFK achieves a -1.31% return, which is significantly lower than IDOG's 9.20% return. Over the past 10 years, AFK has underperformed IDOG with an annualized return of 6.05%, while IDOG has yielded a comparatively higher 10.70% annualized return.

AFK

• 1D: 2.52%
• 1M: -11.47%
• YTD: -1.31%
• 6M: 9.59%
• 1Y: 52.33%
• 3Y*: 19.55%
• 5Y*: 6.66%
• 10Y*: 6.05%

IDOG

• 1D: 0.64%
• 1M: -0.46%
• YTD: 9.20%
• 6M: 18.16%
• 1Y: 37.24%
• 3Y*: 20.24%
• 5Y*: 13.76%
• 10Y*: 10.70%

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

AFK vs. IDOG - Expense Ratio Comparison

AFK has a 0.78% expense ratio, which is higher than IDOG's 0.50% expense ratio.

AFK

VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF

IDOG

ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF

Return for Risk

AFK vs. IDOG — Risk / Return Rank

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

AFK

AFK Risk / Return Rank: 87
AFK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
AFK Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
AFK Omega Ratio Rank: 87
AFK Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
AFK Martin Ratio Rank: 85

IDOG

IDOG Risk / Return Rank: 93
IDOG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
IDOG Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
IDOG Omega Ratio Rank: 93
IDOG Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
IDOG Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

AFK vs. IDOG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG). 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.

	AFK	IDOG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.97	2.28	-0.31
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.43	3.08	-0.65
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.43	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.73	3.40	-0.67
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.49	17.12	-6.63
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AFK vs. IDOG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AFK Sharpe Ratio is 1.97, which is comparable to the IDOG Sharpe Ratio of 2.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AFK and IDOG, 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

	AFK	IDOG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.97	2.28	-0.31
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.31	0.89	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.27	0.61	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.00	0.50	-0.50

Correlation

The correlation between AFK and IDOG is 0.60, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

AFK vs. IDOG - Dividend Comparison

AFK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.03%, less than IDOG's 3.57% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AFK VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF	1.03%	1.02%	0.00%	2.27%	3.59%	4.17%	3.91%	6.34%	1.71%	1.99%	2.67%	2.16%
IDOG ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF	3.57%	4.26%	4.90%	4.86%	4.46%	3.85%	3.00%	5.41%	4.50%	3.33%	4.01%	4.19%

Drawdowns

AFK vs. IDOG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AFK drawdown since its inception was -62.46%, which is greater than IDOG's maximum drawdown of -37.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFK and IDOG.

Drawdown Indicators

	AFK	IDOG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.46%	-37.32%	-25.14%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.54%	-10.80%	-8.74%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.57%	-25.31%	-13.26%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-53.33%	-37.32%	-16.01%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.61%	-1.60%	-12.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.25%	-8.03%	-24.22%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.09%	2.22%	+2.87%

Volatility

AFK vs. IDOG - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) has a higher volatility of 10.84% compared to ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) at 5.74%. This indicates that AFK's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IDOG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AFK	IDOG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.84%	5.74%	+5.10%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	21.23%	9.77%	+11.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.75%	16.44%	+10.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.58%	15.57%	+6.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.13%	17.47%	+4.66%