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VBK vs. BKSE
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

VBK vs. BKSE

Last updated Aug 4, 2026
Documentation

VBK (Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF) and BKSE (BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF) are both Small Cap Growth Equities funds - VBK tracks the CRSP US Small Cap Growth Index while BKSE tracks the Morningstar US Small Cap Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VBK returned 4.55%/yr vs 9.11%/yr for BKSE. Their correlation of 0.91 means they have usually moved in the same direction. VBK charges 0.05%/yr vs 0.04%/yr for BKSE.

Performance

VBK vs. BKSE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) and BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF (BKSE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VBK achieves a 14.98% return, which is significantly lower than BKSE's 20.27% return.

VBK

1D
1.81%
1M
-3.14%
6M
10.32%
YTD
14.98%
1Y
25.41%
3Y*
15.04%
5Y*
4.55%
10Y*
10.92%
ALL TIME*
9.83%

BKSE

1D
1.78%
1M
1.08%
6M
13.72%
YTD
20.27%
1Y
37.25%
3Y*
16.98%
5Y*
9.11%
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
16.75%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

BKSE

BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF
$343.03K$235.90K$242.30K

VBK

Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF
$70.46M$72.06M$83.50M

VBK vs. BKSE - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020
VBK
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF		14.98%8.50%16.50%21.45%-28.44%5.66%70.34%
BKSE
BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF		20.27%13.09%9.56%22.37%-18.44%16.18%53.89%

Correlation

The correlation between VBK and BKSE is 0.88, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.88

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.92

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.94

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 9, 2020

0.91

The correlation between VBK and BKSE has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.88 to 0.94 - a consistent structural relationship.

VBK vs. BKSE - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
VBK
BKSE

Technology

27.1%
16.0%

Industrials

23.4%
14.9%

Healthcare

17.9%
14.2%

Consumer Cyclical

8.9%
13.5%

Financial Services

5.7%
16.4%

Real Estate

3.7%
7.2%

Communication Services

3.6%
2.0%

Energy

3.4%
5.9%

Basic Materials

3.1%
4.3%

Consumer Defensive

2.0%
2.6%

Utilities

1.1%
3.1%

Technology

VBK
27.1%
BKSE
16.0%

Industrials

VBK
23.4%
BKSE
14.9%

Healthcare

VBK
17.9%
BKSE
14.2%

Consumer Cyclical

VBK
8.9%
BKSE
13.5%

Financial Services

VBK
5.7%
BKSE
16.4%

Real Estate

VBK
3.7%
BKSE
7.2%

Communication Services

VBK
3.6%
BKSE
2.0%

Energy

VBK
3.4%
BKSE
5.9%

Basic Materials

VBK
3.1%
BKSE
4.3%

Consumer Defensive

VBK
2.0%
BKSE
2.6%

Utilities

VBK
1.1%
BKSE
3.1%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF

BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF

Often compared with VBK:
VBK vs. VBVBK vs. VBRVBK vs. AVUVVBK vs. VOOVBK vs. IJRVBK vs. SCHAVBK vs. VIOG
Often compared with BKSE:
BKSE vs. VBBKSE vs. ISCBBKSE vs. IJRBKSE vs. VIOGBKSE vs. SCHABKSE vs. FESMBKSE vs. PSCD

Return for Risk

VBK vs. BKSE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
VBK
VBK Risk / Return Rank: 5454
Overall Rank
VBK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5050
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VBK Sortino Ratio Rank: 5050
Sortino Ratio Rank
VBK Omega Ratio Rank: 4646
Omega Ratio Rank
VBK Calmar Ratio Rank: 6262
Calmar Ratio Rank
VBK Martin Ratio Rank: 6161
Martin Ratio Rank
BKSE
BKSE Risk / Return Rank: 8787
Overall Rank
BKSE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8686
Sharpe Ratio Rank
BKSE Sortino Ratio Rank: 8888
Sortino Ratio Rank
BKSE Omega Ratio Rank: 8282
Omega Ratio Rank
BKSE Calmar Ratio Rank: 9090
Calmar Ratio Rank
BKSE Martin Ratio Rank: 8989
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

VBK vs. BKSE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) and BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF (BKSE). 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.

VBKBKSEDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.25
2.16

-0.90

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.81
3.11

-1.30

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.22

1.37

-0.15

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.23

3.98

-1.75

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

7.52

14.29

-6.77

VBK vs. BKSE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VBK Sharpe Ratio is 1.25, which is lower than the BKSE Sharpe Ratio of 2.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VBK and BKSE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

VBK vs. BKSE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VBK drawdown since its inception was -58.68%, which is greater than BKSE's maximum drawdown of -29.08%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VBK and BKSE.

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Drawdown Indicators

VBKBKSEDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-58.68%

-29.08%

-29.60%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-11.44%

-9.40%

-2.04%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-27.54%

-26.76%

-0.78%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-38.39%

-29.08%

-9.31%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-38.70%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-5.22%

0.00%

-5.22%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-10.10%

-8.85%

-1.25%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.39%

2.61%

+0.78%

Volatility

VBK vs. BKSE - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (VBK) has a higher volatility of 5.46% compared to BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF (BKSE) at 3.80%. This indicates that VBK's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BKSE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

VBKBKSEDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.46%

3.80%

+1.66%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

15.90%

11.99%

+3.91%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

20.39%

17.39%

+3.00%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

23.67%

21.36%

+2.31%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

22.92%

22.13%

+0.79%

VBK vs. BKSE - Expense Ratio Comparison

VBK has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is higher than BKSE's 0.04% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

VBK vs. BKSE - Dividend Comparison

VBK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.44%, less than BKSE's 1.19% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
BKSE
BNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF		1.19%1.26%1.55%1.38%1.50%1.17%0.82%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
VBK
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF		0.44%0.54%0.54%0.68%0.55%0.36%0.44%0.57%0.79%0.82%1.08%0.98%

Frequently Asked Questions

VBK and BKSE have a correlation of 0.88, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

VBK has higher volatility (5.46%) compared to BKSE (3.80%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VBK dropped -58.68% vs BKSE's -29.08%.

On 5-year performance, BKSE leads with 9.11% vs 4.55% for VBK. On fees, BKSE is cheaper at 0.04% per year. On volatility, BKSE has been the lower-risk option at 3.80%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 5-year period, BKSE has performed better with a 9.11% return vs 4.55%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

BKSE is cheaper with a 0.04% expense ratio, compared with 0.05% for VBK.

BKSE has the higher dividend yield at 1.19%, compared with 0.44% for VBK.

VBK tracks CRSP US Small Cap Growth Index, while BKSE tracks Morningstar US Small Cap Index. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and BNY Mellon. Their fees differ too: 0.05% for VBK and 0.04% for BKSE.

BKSE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.16 vs 1.25), 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.

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