Which returned more over the last year, GLD or VGK?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VGK returned +16.5%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GLD or VGK?

GLD charges 0.40% a year and VGK charges 0.06%, so VGK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GLD vs VGK: how they differ

GLD is a commodity fund and VGK an equity index fund, and over the year GLD returned more, +19.1% against +16.5%.

SPDR Gold Shares and Vanguard European Stock Index Fund.

GLD and VGK on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GLD SPDR Gold Shares	VGK Vanguard European Stock Index Fund
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	State Street	Vanguard
What it is	Gold	European Stock
Total return, 1 year	+19.1%	+16.5%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+1.6 pts	−1.0 pts
Expense ratio	0.40%	0.06%
Holdings	not filed	1228

GLD in plain words

GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 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, GLD or VGK?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VGK returned +16.5%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GLD or VGK?: GLD charges 0.40% a year and VGK charges 0.06%, so VGK is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

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.

GLD against VGK, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against VGK, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-VGK Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources