Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
HDEF vs VGK: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, HDEF returned +17.8% to VGK's +10.4%; 22% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $2.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF, and $29.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGK costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.4 points.
| Measure | HDEF | VGK |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.8% | +10.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 6.1%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Index | FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.06% |
| Net assets, HDEF as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGK as of Sep 30, 2026 | $2.3bn | $29.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 22% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 41.1% | 19.0% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, HDEF and VGK hold 22% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 29, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026.
half
22% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
HDEF and VGK on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
HDEF
HDEF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.8% with distributions reinvested, against +12.1% for its benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 29, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 114 positions, with the top ten at 41.1%.
VGK
VGK tracks an index of European Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,245 positions, with the top ten at 19.0%. It sat 6.1% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HDEF or VGK?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HDEF returned +17.8% and VGK +10.4%.
- Which is cheaper, HDEF or VGK?
- VGK is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, HDEF against VGK, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hdef-vs-vgk
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). HDEF against VGK. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hdef-vs-vgk
[HDEF against VGK (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hdef-vs-vgk)
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