COUR vs. VWO

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

COUR (Coursera, Inc.) is a stock, while VWO (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF) is Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the FTSE Emerging Index. Over the past 5 years, COUR returned -31.65%/yr vs 6.08%/yr for VWO. Their 0.30 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.

Performance

COUR vs. VWO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Coursera, Inc. (COUR) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, COUR achieves a -27.85% return, which is significantly lower than VWO's 9.41% return.

COUR

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: -10.00%
• 6M: -12.38%
• YTD: -27.85%
• 1Y: -56.37%
• 3Y*: -30.42%
• 5Y*: -31.65%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: -31.19%

VWO

• 1D: 0.96%
• 1M: -0.49%
• 6M: 4.16%
• YTD: 9.41%
• 1Y: 21.69%
• 3Y*: 14.84%
• 5Y*: 6.08%
• 10Y*: 7.86%
• ALL TIME*: 6.81%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
COUR Coursera, Inc.	$47.09M	$38.50M	$40.73M
VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF	$386.61M	$469.40M	$499.89M

COUR vs. VWO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
COUR Coursera, Inc.	-27.85%	-13.41%	-56.12%	63.74%	-51.60%	-37.33%
VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF	9.41%	25.60%	10.59%	9.25%	-17.98%	-2.21%

Correlation

The correlation between COUR and VWO is 0.08, meaning there was essentially no consistent relationship between their historical price movements. Each responded to its own set of market drivers.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.08
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.20
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.32
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 31, 2021	0.30

Over the past year, the correlation between COUR and VWO has dropped to 0.08 - well below their long-term average of 0.30, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

COUR vs. VWO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

COUR

COUR Risk / Return Rank: 6
COUR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4
COUR Sortino Ratio Rank: 5
COUR Omega Ratio Rank: 6
COUR Calmar Ratio Rank: 4
COUR Martin Ratio Rank: 11

VWO

VWO Risk / Return Rank: 51
VWO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
VWO Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
VWO Omega Ratio Rank: 49
VWO Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
VWO Martin Ratio Rank: 53

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

COUR vs. VWO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Coursera, Inc. (COUR) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO). 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.

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.

	COUR	VWO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-1.04	1.20	-2.24
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-1.62	1.72	-3.34
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.79	1.22	-0.43
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.97	1.89	-2.86
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.32	6.16	-7.48

COUR vs. VWO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current COUR Sharpe Ratio is -1.04, which is lower than the VWO Sharpe Ratio of 1.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of COUR and VWO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

COUR vs. VWO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum COUR drawdown since its inception was -91.22%, which is greater than VWO's maximum drawdown of -67.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for COUR and VWO.

Drawdown Indicators

	COUR	VWO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-91.22%	-67.68%	-23.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-59.92%	-11.17%	-48.75%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-75.81%	-17.37%	-58.44%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-88.25%	-30.88%	-57.37%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-36.39%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-90.84%	-4.07%	-86.77%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-73.44%	-15.73%	-57.71%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	44.01%	3.43%	+40.58%

Volatility

COUR vs. VWO - Volatility Comparison

Coursera, Inc. (COUR) has a higher volatility of 19.02% compared to Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) at 5.58%. This indicates that COUR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VWO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	COUR	VWO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	19.02%	5.58%	+13.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	45.44%	15.22%	+30.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	56.24%	17.58%	+38.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	59.25%	17.56%	+41.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	60.31%	19.17%	+41.14%

Dividends

COUR vs. VWO - Dividend Comparison

COUR has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VWO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.35%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
COUR Coursera, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF	2.35%	2.79%	3.20%	3.52%	4.11%	2.63%	1.91%	3.23%	2.88%	2.30%	2.52%	3.26%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both COUR and VWO in my portfolio?

COUR and VWO have a correlation of 0.08, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, COUR or VWO?

COUR has higher volatility (19.02%) compared to VWO (5.58%). In terms of maximum drawdown, COUR dropped -91.22% vs VWO's -67.68%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VWO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.20 vs -1.04), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.