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VGK vs. VOO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

VGK vs. VOO

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

VGK (Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF) and VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VGK is a Europe Equities fund tracking the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index, while VOO is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VGK returned 10.03%/yr vs 15.14%/yr for VOO. Their 0.78 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. VGK charges 0.06%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for VOO.

Performance

VGK vs. VOO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with VGK having a 10.34% return and VOO slightly lower at 10.16%. Over the past 10 years, VGK has underperformed VOO with an annualized return of 10.03%, while VOO has yielded a comparatively higher 15.14% annualized return.

VGK

1D
-0.44%
1M
1.39%
6M
5.43%
YTD
10.34%
1Y
24.06%
3Y*
16.62%
5Y*
9.31%
10Y*
10.03%
ALL TIME*
6.47%

VOO

1D
0.71%
1M
0.26%
6M
8.58%
YTD
10.16%
1Y
21.58%
3Y*
19.42%
5Y*
12.83%
10Y*
15.14%
ALL TIME*
14.78%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

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

VGK

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF
$214.81M$182.15M$234.17M

VOO

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
$3.82B$3.78B$5.44B

VGK vs. VOO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
VGK
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF		10.34%35.83%1.88%20.19%-15.98%16.89%5.43%24.85%-14.89%26.98%
VOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF		10.16%17.82%24.98%26.32%-18.17%28.79%18.32%31.37%-4.50%21.77%

Correlation

The correlation between VGK and VOO is 0.74, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

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

0.74

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

0.68

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

0.73

Correlation (10Y)
Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.

0.74

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 9, 2010

0.78

The correlation between VGK and VOO has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.68 to 0.78 - a consistent structural relationship.

VGK vs. VOO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
VGK
VOO

Financial Services

24.1%
11.4%

Industrials

20.0%
8.5%

Healthcare

12.6%
8.9%

Technology

9.9%
38.6%

Consumer Defensive

7.8%
4.5%

Consumer Cyclical

7.0%
9.5%

Basic Materials

5.2%
1.7%

Energy

4.5%
3.0%

Utilities

4.5%
2.2%

Communication Services

2.8%
9.9%

Real Estate

1.5%
1.8%

Financial Services

VGK
24.1%
VOO
11.4%

Industrials

VGK
20.0%
VOO
8.5%

Healthcare

VGK
12.6%
VOO
8.9%

Technology

VGK
9.9%
VOO
38.6%

Consumer Defensive

VGK
7.8%
VOO
4.5%

Consumer Cyclical

VGK
7.0%
VOO
9.5%

Basic Materials

VGK
5.2%
VOO
1.7%

Energy

VGK
4.5%
VOO
3.0%

Utilities

VGK
4.5%
VOO
2.2%

Communication Services

VGK
2.8%
VOO
9.9%

Real Estate

VGK
1.5%
VOO
1.8%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

Often compared with VGK:
VGK vs. VEAVGK vs. IEURVGK vs. VXUSVGK vs. VEUVGK vs. FEZVGK vs. SPEUVGK vs. IEV
Often compared with VOO:
VOO vs. VTIVOO vs. QQQVOO vs. SCHDVOO vs. VTVOO vs. FXAIXVOO vs. SPYVOO vs. VGT

Return for Risk

VGK vs. VOO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
VGK
VGK Risk / Return Rank: 6262
Overall Rank
VGK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6565
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VGK Sortino Ratio Rank: 6666
Sortino Ratio Rank
VGK Omega Ratio Rank: 6161
Omega Ratio Rank
VGK Calmar Ratio Rank: 5555
Calmar Ratio Rank
VGK Martin Ratio Rank: 6262
Martin Ratio Rank
VOO
VOO Risk / Return Rank: 6868
Overall Rank
VOO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6868
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VOO Sortino Ratio Rank: 6565
Sortino Ratio Rank
VOO Omega Ratio Rank: 6666
Omega Ratio Rank
VOO Calmar Ratio Rank: 6464
Calmar Ratio Rank
VOO Martin Ratio Rank: 7676
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.

VGK vs. VOO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). 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.

VGKVOODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.48
1.53

-0.05

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.16
2.13

+0.03

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.26

1.28

-0.01

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.95

2.21

-0.26

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

7.41

9.44

-2.03

VGK vs. VOO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGK Sharpe Ratio is 1.48, which is comparable to the VOO Sharpe Ratio of 1.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGK and VOO, 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

VGK vs. VOO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGK drawdown since its inception was -63.61%, which is greater than VOO's maximum drawdown of -33.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGK and VOO.

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Drawdown Indicators

VGKVOODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-63.61%

-33.99%

-29.62%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-12.09%

-8.90%

-3.19%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-14.31%

-18.69%

+4.38%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-32.74%

-24.52%

-8.22%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-37.24%

-33.99%

-3.25%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.44%

-1.38%

+0.94%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-13.25%

-3.67%

-9.58%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.17%

2.08%

+1.09%

Volatility

VGK vs. VOO - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) has a higher volatility of 4.44% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) at 3.54%. This indicates that VGK's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VOO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

VGKVOODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.44%

3.54%

+0.90%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

13.76%

10.10%

+3.66%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

15.90%

12.82%

+3.08%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

17.97%

16.93%

+1.04%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

18.49%

18.01%

+0.48%

VGK vs. VOO - Expense Ratio Comparison

VGK has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is higher than VOO's 0.03% 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

VGK vs. VOO - Dividend Comparison

VGK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.83%, more than VOO's 1.07% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
VGK
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF		2.83%2.86%3.61%3.15%3.25%3.05%2.11%3.27%3.95%2.70%3.52%3.25%
VOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF		1.07%1.13%1.24%1.46%1.69%1.25%1.54%1.88%2.06%1.78%2.02%2.10%

Frequently Asked Questions

VGK and VOO have a correlation of 0.74, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

VGK has higher volatility (4.44%) compared to VOO (3.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VGK dropped -63.61% vs VOO's -33.99%.

On 10-year performance, VOO leads with 15.14% vs 10.03% for VGK. On fees, VOO is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, VOO has been the lower-risk option at 3.54%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, VOO has performed better with a 15.14% return vs 10.03%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

VOO is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.06% for VGK.

VGK has the higher dividend yield at 2.83%, compared with 1.07% for VOO.

VGK is categorized as Europe Equities, while VOO is S&P 500. VGK tracks FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index, while VOO tracks S&P 500 Index. Their fees differ too: 0.06% for VGK and 0.03% for VOO.

VOO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.53 vs 1.48), 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.

Portfolio Optimizer

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