AFK vs. PAF.L

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

AFK (VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF) is Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the Dow Jones Africa Titans 50 Index, while PAF.L (Pan African Resources plc) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, AFK returned 5.50%/yr vs 24.29%/yr for PAF.L. At a 0.24 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

AFK vs. PAF.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and Pan African Resources plc (PAF.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

AFK is traded in USD, while PAF.L is traded in GBp. To make them comparable, the PAF.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AFK achieves a -1.38% return, which is significantly higher than PAF.L's -10.97% return. Over the past 10 years, AFK has underperformed PAF.L with an annualized return of 5.50%, while PAF.L has yielded a comparatively higher 24.29% annualized return.

AFK

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: -6.98%
• YTD: -1.38%
• 6M: 6.19%
• 1Y: 34.47%
• 3Y*: 20.45%
• 5Y*: 5.50%
• 10Y*: 5.50%

PAF.L

• 1D: 1.84%
• 1M: -29.87%
• YTD: -10.97%
• 6M: 3.44%
• 1Y: 134.26%
• 3Y*: 111.26%
• 5Y*: 43.48%
• 10Y*: 24.29%

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

AFK vs. PAF.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AFK VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF	-1.38%	74.71%	12.10%	-12.11%	-17.31%	3.00%	4.26%	9.90%	-19.55%	28.22%
PAF.L Pan African Resources plc	-10.97%	285.04%	105.84%	11.99%	-6.99%	-26.45%	109.18%	46.45%	-38.63%	-3.35%

Correlation

The correlation between AFK and PAF.L is 0.64, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.64
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.46
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 14, 2008	0.24

Over the past year, AFK and PAF.L have become more correlated (0.64) than their long-term average of 0.24, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

AFK vs. PAF.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

AFK

AFK Risk / Return Rank: 39
AFK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
AFK Sortino Ratio Rank: 37
AFK Omega Ratio Rank: 43
AFK Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
AFK Martin Ratio Rank: 37

PAF.L

PAF.L Risk / Return Rank: 88
PAF.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
PAF.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
PAF.L Omega Ratio Rank: 87
PAF.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
PAF.L Martin Ratio Rank: 89

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. PAF.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) and Pan African Resources plc (PAF.L). 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	PAF.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.33	2.42	-1.09
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.77	2.68	-0.92
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.35	-0.11
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.77	3.17	-1.40
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	5.20	10.54	-5.34
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. PAF.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AFK Sharpe Ratio is 1.33, which is lower than the PAF.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AFK and PAF.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AFK	PAF.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.33	2.42	-1.09
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25	0.87	-0.62
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25	0.44	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.00	0.28	-0.28

Drawdowns

AFK vs. PAF.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AFK drawdown since its inception was -62.46%, smaller than the maximum PAF.L drawdown of -86.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFK and PAF.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	AFK	PAF.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.46%	-86.42%	+23.96%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.54%	-42.10%	+22.56%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-19.54%	-42.10%	+22.56%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.87%	-49.04%	+11.17%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-53.33%	-70.44%	+17.11%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.68%	-41.04%	+27.36%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.03%	-32.81%	+0.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.65%	12.69%	-6.04%

Volatility

AFK vs. PAF.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for VanEck Vectors Africa Index ETF (AFK) is 8.17%, while Pan African Resources plc (PAF.L) has a volatility of 21.25%. This indicates that AFK experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PAF.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AFK	PAF.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.17%	21.25%	-13.08%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	22.95%	45.65%	-22.70%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.07%	55.28%	-29.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.18%	50.26%	-28.08%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.21%	55.08%	-32.87%

Dividends

AFK vs. PAF.L - Dividend Comparison

AFK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.03%, less than PAF.L's 2.02% yield.

Position	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%
PAF.L Pan African Resources plc	2.02%	1.35%	2.79%	4.52%	5.25%	5.09%	2.92%	0.98%	0.00%	3.38%	5.67%	6.83%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AFK and PAF.L in my portfolio?

AFK and PAF.L have a correlation of 0.64, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.