VGK vs. VGEU.DE

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEU.DE).

VGK and VGEU.DE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VGK is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed Europe Index. It was launched on Mar 4, 2005. VGEU.DE is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed Europe. It was launched on May 21, 2013. Both VGK and VGEU.DE are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEU.DE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VGK Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF	0.48%	35.83%	1.88%	20.19%	-15.98%	16.89%	5.43%	24.85%	-14.89%	26.98%
VGEU.DE Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing	0.10%	36.06%	2.71%	19.67%	-14.83%	15.04%	6.75%	25.19%	-15.33%	28.06%

Different Trading Currencies

VGK is traded in USD, while VGEU.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the VGEU.DE values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VGK achieves a 0.48% return, which is significantly higher than VGEU.DE's 0.10% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VGK having a 9.12% annualized return and VGEU.DE not far ahead at 9.29%.

VGK

• 1D: 1.44%
• 1M: -4.82%
• YTD: 0.48%
• 6M: 5.06%
• 1Y: 22.57%
• 3Y*: 14.84%
• 5Y*: 8.99%
• 10Y*: 9.12%

VGEU.DE

• 1D: 2.82%
• 1M: -4.59%
• YTD: 0.10%
• 6M: 5.53%
• 1Y: 22.34%
• 3Y*: 15.16%
• 5Y*: 9.54%
• 10Y*: 9.29%

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

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison

VGK has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than VGEU.DE's 0.10% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VGEU.DE

Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing

VGK

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF

Return for Risk

VGK vs. VGEU.DE — Risk / Return Rank

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

VGK

VGK Risk / Return Rank: 70
VGK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
VGK Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
VGK Omega Ratio Rank: 68
VGK Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
VGK Martin Ratio Rank: 69

VGEU.DE

VGEU.DE Risk / Return Rank: 48
VGEU.DE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
VGEU.DE Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
VGEU.DE Omega Ratio Rank: 48
VGEU.DE Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
VGEU.DE Martin Ratio Rank: 53

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.

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEU.DE). 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.

	VGK	VGEU.DE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.29	1.27	+0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.83	1.73	+0.10
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.26	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.89	1.95	-0.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.22	7.10	+0.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGK Sharpe Ratio is 1.29, which is comparable to the VGEU.DE Sharpe Ratio of 1.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGK and VGEU.DE, 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

	VGK	VGEU.DE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.29	1.27	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.51	0.54	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.58	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.49	-0.23

Correlation

The correlation between VGK and VGEU.DE is 0.70, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Dividend Comparison

VGK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.96%, more than VGEU.DE's 2.75% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VGK Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF	2.96%	2.86%	3.61%	3.15%	3.25%	3.05%	2.11%	3.27%	3.95%	2.70%	3.52%	3.25%
VGEU.DE Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing	2.75%	2.79%	3.07%	2.99%	3.31%	2.65%	2.23%	3.22%	3.65%	3.04%	3.20%	3.11%

Drawdowns

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGK drawdown since its inception was -63.61%, which is greater than VGEU.DE's maximum drawdown of -35.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGK and VGEU.DE.

Drawdown Indicators

	VGK	VGEU.DE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.61%	-35.59%	-28.02%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.09%	-12.60%	+0.51%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.74%	-20.11%	-12.63%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.24%	-35.59%	-1.65%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.16%	-5.43%	-1.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.43%	-5.08%	-8.35%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.17%	2.66%	+0.51%

Volatility

VGK vs. VGEU.DE - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) has a higher volatility of 7.33% compared to Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEU.DE) at 6.32%. This indicates that VGK's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGEU.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VGK	VGEU.DE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.33%	6.32%	+1.01%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.03%	10.57%	+0.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.63%	17.57%	+0.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.72%	17.41%	+0.31%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.88%	18.56%	+0.32%