GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

GWO.TO (Great-West Lifeco Inc.) is a stock, while VDY.TO (Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF) is Dividend fund tracking the FTSE Canada High Dividend Yield Index. Over the past 10 years, GWO.TO returned 14.31%/yr vs 14.08%/yr for VDY.TO. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Great-West Lifeco Inc. (GWO.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with GWO.TO having a 21.00% return and VDY.TO slightly higher at 22.00%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with GWO.TO having a 14.31% annualized return and VDY.TO not far behind at 14.08%.

GWO.TO

• 1D: 0.97%
• 1M: 10.42%
• YTD: 21.00%
• 6M: 29.75%
• 1Y: 62.95%
• 3Y*: 33.73%
• 5Y*: 22.73%
• 10Y*: 14.31%

VDY.TO

• 1D: 1.17%
• 1M: 5.04%
• YTD: 22.00%
• 6M: 22.35%
• 1Y: 48.66%
• 3Y*: 26.84%
• 5Y*: 17.48%
• 10Y*: 14.08%

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

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GWO.TO Great-West Lifeco Inc.	21.00%	48.38%	14.28%	47.70%	-12.58%	31.45%	-2.64%	24.53%	-15.76%	4.08%
VDY.TO Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF	22.00%	29.20%	20.71%	8.40%	-0.23%	36.78%	-1.37%	21.43%	-10.09%	8.75%

Correlation

The correlation between GWO.TO and VDY.TO is 0.15, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.15
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.24
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 9, 2012	0.49

Over the past year, the correlation between GWO.TO and VDY.TO has dropped to 0.15 - well below their long-term average of 0.49, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

GWO.TO

GWO.TO Risk / Return Rank: 95
GWO.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
GWO.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
GWO.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 97
GWO.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
GWO.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 95

VDY.TO

VDY.TO Risk / Return Rank: 98
VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Great-West Lifeco Inc. (GWO.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO). 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.

	GWO.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.82	5.93	-2.12
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	4.73	8.55	-3.82
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.69	2.21	-0.52
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.13	15.68	-10.56
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	19.30	64.02	-44.72
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GWO.TO Sharpe Ratio is 3.82, which is lower than the VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio of 5.93. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GWO.TO and VDY.TO, 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

	GWO.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.82	5.93	-2.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.38	1.52	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.69	0.89	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.85	-0.29

Drawdowns

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GWO.TO drawdown since its inception was -67.51%, which is greater than VDY.TO's maximum drawdown of -39.21%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GWO.TO and VDY.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	GWO.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-67.51%	-39.21%	-28.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.34%	-3.12%	-9.22%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-12.82%	-10.87%	-1.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-27.64%	-16.18%	-11.46%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.96%	-39.21%	-5.75%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.93%	-4.61%	-6.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.27%	0.76%	+2.51%

Volatility

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Volatility Comparison

Great-West Lifeco Inc. (GWO.TO) has a higher volatility of 5.84% compared to Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) at 3.42%. This indicates that GWO.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VDY.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GWO.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.84%	3.42%	+2.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.99%	6.95%	+5.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.58%	8.27%	+8.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.58%	11.57%	+5.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.73%	15.96%	+4.77%

Dividends

GWO.TO vs. VDY.TO - Dividend Comparison

GWO.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.18%, more than VDY.TO's 2.87% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GWO.TO Great-West Lifeco Inc.	3.18%	3.60%	4.66%	4.74%	6.26%	4.75%	5.77%	4.97%	5.52%	4.18%	3.94%	3.78%
VDY.TO Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF	2.87%	3.59%	4.40%	4.64%	4.42%	3.58%	4.59%	4.25%	4.43%	3.82%	3.25%	4.11%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both GWO.TO and VDY.TO in my portfolio?

GWO.TO and VDY.TO have a correlation of 0.15, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.