DFEN.DE vs. VGK
DFEN.DE (VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A) and VGK (Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - DFEN.DE is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index, while VGK is a Europe Equities fund tracking the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, DFEN.DE returned 37.43%/yr vs 14.01%/yr for VGK. At a 0.30 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. DFEN.DE charges 0.55%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for VGK.
Performance
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
DFEN.DE is traded in EUR, while VGK is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the VGK values have been converted to EUR using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFEN.DE achieves a 3.04% return, which is significantly lower than VGK's 9.35% return.
DFEN.DE
- 1D
- 0.60%
- 1M
- 0.90%
- YTD
- 3.04%
- 6M
- 4.46%
- 1Y
- 11.89%
- 3Y*
- 37.43%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
VGK
- 1D
- 0.26%
- 1M
- 3.37%
- YTD
- 9.35%
- 6M
- 11.54%
- 1Y
- 19.55%
- 3Y*
- 14.01%
- 5Y*
- 9.49%
- 10Y*
- 9.92%
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DFEN.DE VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A | 3.04% | 50.76% | 51.97% | 22.65% |
VGK Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF | 9.35% | 19.71% | 8.60% | 7.34% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFEN.DE and VGK is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 5, 2023 | 0.30 |
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Return for Risk
DFEN.DE vs. VGK — Risk / Return Rank
DFEN.DE
VGK
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) and Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK). 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.
| DFEN.DE | VGK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.76 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.11 | 1.24 | -0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.74 | 1.77 | -1.03 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.72 | 7.25 | -5.53 |
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Drawdowns
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFEN.DE drawdown since its inception was -18.88%, smaller than the maximum VGK drawdown of -58.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFEN.DE and VGK.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFEN.DE | VGK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.88% | -58.19% | +39.31% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -18.88% | -10.30% | -8.58% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.88% | -15.24% | -3.64% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -21.12% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -37.21% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -16.01% | 0.00% | -16.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.25% | -11.74% | +8.49% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.15% | 2.53% | +5.62% |
Volatility
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) has a higher volatility of 7.34% compared to Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) at 4.85%. This indicates that DFEN.DE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFEN.DE | VGK | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.34% | 4.85% | +2.49% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 19.34% | 11.55% | +7.79% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.01% | 13.73% | +11.28% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.22% | 14.96% | +6.26% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.22% | 17.22% | +4.00% |
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFEN.DE has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than VGK's 0.06% expense ratio.
Dividends
DFEN.DE vs. VGK - Dividend Comparison
DFEN.DE has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VGK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.76%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFEN.DE VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VGK Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF | 2.76% | 2.86% | 3.61% | 3.15% | 3.25% | 3.05% | 2.11% | 3.27% | 3.95% | 2.70% | 3.52% | 3.25% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DFEN.DE and VGK have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, VGK is cheaper at 0.06% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
VGK is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 0.55% for DFEN.DE.
DFEN.DE is categorized as Aerospace & Defense, while VGK is Europe Equities. DFEN.DE tracks MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index, while VGK tracks FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.55% for DFEN.DE and 0.06% for VGK.
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