Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
TLT vs VGK: how they differ
TLT is a bond index fund and VGK an equity index fund, and over the year VGK returned more, +16.5% against −6.4%.
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF and Vanguard European Stock Index Fund.
| TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | VGK Vanguard European Stock Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | 20+ year Treasuries | European Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | −6.4% | +16.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −23.9 pts | −1.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.06% |
| Holdings | not filed | 1228 |
TLT in plain words
TLT is a bond fund tracking the 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.9% 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, TLT or VGK?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, TLT returned −6.4% and VGK returned +16.5%, so VGK returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, TLT or VGK?
- TLT charges 0.15% a year and VGK charges 0.06%, so VGK 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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, TLT against VGK, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/TLT-VGK Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources