WU vs. VOO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about The Western Union Company (WU) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO).

VOO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Sep 7, 2010.

Performance

WU vs. VOO - Performance Comparison

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

WU vs. VOO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WU The Western Union Company	-3.85%	-2.63%	-3.79%	-6.19%	-17.92%	-15.11%	-14.72%	62.85%	-6.73%	-9.27%
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF	-4.42%	17.82%	24.98%	26.32%	-18.17%	28.79%	18.32%	31.37%	-4.50%	21.77%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WU achieves a -3.85% return, which is significantly higher than VOO's -4.42% return. Over the past 10 years, WU has underperformed VOO with an annualized return of -2.33%, while VOO has yielded a comparatively higher 14.05% annualized return.

WU

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: -7.04%
• YTD: -3.85%
• 6M: 14.86%
• 1Y: -8.26%
• 3Y*: 0.69%
• 5Y*: -12.64%
• 10Y*: -2.33%

VOO

• 1D: 2.86%
• 1M: -5.01%
• YTD: -4.42%
• 6M: -1.84%
• 1Y: 17.67%
• 3Y*: 18.27%
• 5Y*: 11.75%
• 10Y*: 14.05%

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

Return for Risk

WU vs. VOO — Risk / Return Rank

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

WU

WU Risk / Return Rank: 30
WU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 30
WU Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
WU Omega Ratio Rank: 27
WU Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
WU Martin Ratio Rank: 34

VOO

VOO Risk / Return Rank: 65
VOO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
VOO Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
VOO Omega Ratio Rank: 66
VOO Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
VOO Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

WU vs. VOO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for The Western Union Company (WU) 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.

	WU	VOO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.26	0.98	-1.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.17	1.50	-1.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.98	1.23	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.32	1.53	-1.85
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.56	7.29	-7.85
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WU vs. VOO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WU Sharpe Ratio is -0.26, which is lower than the VOO Sharpe Ratio of 0.98. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WU and VOO, 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

	WU	VOO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.26	0.98	-1.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.45	0.70	-1.15
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.09	0.78	-0.87
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.01	0.83	-0.84

Correlation

The correlation between WU and VOO is 0.53, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

WU vs. VOO - Dividend Comparison

WU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.77%, more than VOO's 1.19% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
WU The Western Union Company	10.77%	10.10%	8.87%	7.89%	6.83%	5.27%	4.10%	2.99%	4.45%	3.68%	2.95%	3.46%
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF	1.19%	1.13%	1.24%	1.46%	1.69%	1.25%	1.54%	1.88%	2.06%	1.78%	2.02%	2.10%

Drawdowns

WU vs. VOO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WU drawdown since its inception was -63.10%, which is greater than VOO's maximum drawdown of -33.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WU and VOO.

Drawdown Indicators

	WU	VOO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.10%	-33.99%	-29.11%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.41%	-11.98%	-11.43%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-59.32%	-24.52%	-34.80%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-60.15%	-33.99%	-26.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-52.49%	-6.29%	-46.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-28.50%	-3.72%	-24.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.28%	2.52%	+10.76%

Volatility

WU vs. VOO - Volatility Comparison

The Western Union Company (WU) has a higher volatility of 6.11% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) at 5.29%. This indicates that WU'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.

Volatility by Period

	WU	VOO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.11%	5.29%	+0.82%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	22.23%	9.44%	+12.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	32.01%	18.10%	+13.91%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.26%	16.82%	+11.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.19%	17.99%	+9.20%