Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CTA vs VGK: how they differ
CTA and VGK hold 0% of their weight in the same names.
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and Vanguard European Stock Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CTA and VGK hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CTA | Only in VGK |
|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69% | ASML Holding NV 3.63% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72% | HSBC Holdings PLC 2.05% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44% | AstraZeneca PLC 1.84% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76% | Novartis AG 1.84% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75% | Nestle SA 1.69% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20% | Siemens AG 1.41% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37% | Banco Santander SA 1.16% |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07% | Allianz SE 1.13% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| CTA Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | VGK Vanguard European Stock Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Simplify | Vanguard |
| What it is | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy | European Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.0% | +16.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.5 pts | −1.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.06% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 10 | 1228 |
CTA in plain words
CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
VGK in plain words
VGK is an index equity fund tracking the European Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1228 positions, with the top ten at 18.1%. It sat 3.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, CTA or VGK?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and VGK returned +16.5%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, CTA or VGK?
- CTA charges 0.75% a year and VGK charges 0.06%, so VGK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do CTA and VGK overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of CTA and 0% of VGK by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, CTA against VGK, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-VGK Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources