UG vs. VBK

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about United-Guardian, Inc. (UG) and Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK).

VBK is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Small Cap Growth Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2004.

Performance

UG vs. VBK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in United-Guardian, Inc. (UG) and Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

UG vs. VBK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
UG United-Guardian, Inc.	12.71%	-31.67%	40.56%	-30.22%	-33.44%	22.24%	-23.31%	13.20%	4.98%	25.28%
VBK Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF	0.16%	8.50%	16.50%	21.45%	-28.44%	5.66%	35.44%	32.75%	-5.70%	21.87%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UG achieves a 12.71% return, which is significantly higher than VBK's 0.16% return. Over the past 10 years, UG has underperformed VBK with an annualized return of -5.79%, while VBK has yielded a comparatively higher 10.46% annualized return.

UG

• 1D: 0.90%
• 1M: -0.30%
• YTD: 12.71%
• 6M: -11.66%
• 1Y: -20.66%
• 3Y*: -5.68%
• 5Y*: -9.81%
• 10Y*: -5.79%

VBK

• 1D: 4.37%
• 1M: -5.52%
• YTD: 0.16%
• 6M: 1.80%
• 1Y: 20.70%
• 3Y*: 12.47%
• 5Y*: 2.16%
• 10Y*: 10.46%

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

Return for Risk

UG vs. VBK — Risk / Return Rank

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

UG

UG Risk / Return Rank: 20
UG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
UG Sortino Ratio Rank: 17
UG Omega Ratio Rank: 18
UG Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
UG Martin Ratio Rank: 24

VBK

VBK Risk / Return Rank: 55
VBK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
VBK Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
VBK Omega Ratio Rank: 49
VBK Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
VBK Martin Ratio Rank: 61

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.

UG vs. VBK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United-Guardian, Inc. (UG) and Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK). 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.

	UG	VBK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.55	0.85	-1.40
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.62	1.34	-1.96
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.93	1.18	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.55	1.38	-1.94
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.00	5.52	-6.52
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UG vs. VBK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UG Sharpe Ratio is -0.55, which is lower than the VBK Sharpe Ratio of 0.85. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UG and VBK, 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

	UG	VBK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.55	0.85	-1.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.21	0.09	-0.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.14	0.46	-0.60
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.07	0.40	-0.33

Correlation

The correlation between UG and VBK is 0.09, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

UG vs. VBK - Dividend Comparison

UG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.46%, more than VBK's 0.52% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
UG United-Guardian, Inc.	7.46%	9.74%	6.28%	1.39%	6.51%	6.87%	5.42%	5.60%	5.73%	4.97%	4.84%	5.22%
VBK Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF	0.52%	0.54%	0.54%	0.68%	0.55%	0.36%	0.44%	0.57%	0.79%	0.82%	1.08%	0.98%

Drawdowns

UG vs. VBK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UG drawdown since its inception was -83.33%, which is greater than VBK's maximum drawdown of -58.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UG and VBK.

Drawdown Indicators

	UG	VBK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-83.33%	-58.68%	-24.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-39.73%	-14.56%	-25.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-76.06%	-38.39%	-37.67%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-76.06%	-38.70%	-37.36%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-67.77%	-7.57%	-60.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-36.39%	-10.22%	-26.17%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	21.99%	3.65%	+18.34%

Volatility

UG vs. VBK - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for United-Guardian, Inc. (UG) is 8.17%, while Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) has a volatility of 8.73%. This indicates that UG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VBK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UG	VBK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.17%	8.73%	-0.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.56%	15.41%	+9.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	37.64%	24.44%	+13.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	46.36%	23.49%	+22.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	41.58%	22.80%	+18.78%