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

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and VGK returned +16.5%, so VGK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGK?

GOVT charges 0.05% a year and VGK charges 0.06%, so GOVT 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

GOVT vs VGK: how they differ

GOVT and VGK hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and VGK returned more over the year.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and Vanguard European Stock Index Fund.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VGK hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GOVT	Only in VGK
United States of America 5.31%	ASML Holding NV 3.63%
United States of America 2.96%	HSBC Holdings PLC 2.05%
United States of America 2.63%	AstraZeneca PLC 1.84%
United States of America 2.09%	Novartis AG 1.84%
United States of America 1.61%	Nestle SA 1.69%
United States of America 1.57%	Siemens AG 1.41%
United States of America 1.53%	Banco Santander SA 1.16%
United States of America 1.51%	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.

GOVT and VGK on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF	VGK Vanguard European Stock Index Fund
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	Vanguard
What it is	U.S. Treasury Bond	European Stock
Total return, 1 year	−1.0%	+16.5%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−18.5 pts	−1.0 pts
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.06%
Holdings	223	1228

GOVT in plain words

GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 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, GOVT or VGK?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and VGK returned +16.5%, so VGK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGK?: GOVT charges 0.05% a year and VGK charges 0.06%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

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

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources