Pay Attention, Little Known VGK Has Nearly Doubled VOO and SPYs Returns This Year

"ETFs that track the S&P 500 have posted double-digit returns yet again for the year, with Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: VOO) coming in year-to-date at 18.43% and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY) right behind at 18.34% at the time of this writing. Much of these gains can be credited to the multi-trillion net capital valuations that have swelled with Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, and other Magnificent 7 AI stocks that festoon the S&P 500's top 10."

"A good number of them aren't even American. For example - Nestle (chocolate), AstroZeneca (pharma), and LVMH (luxury goods) are all European companies whose products have garnered widespread use, and their respective stock prices have risen accordingly. A notable point is that none of these companies' gains are contingent upon any in-house AI development, but rather on intrinsic value of their respective products and sales."

"Issued by Vanguard, the second largest asset manager in the world after BlackRock, the Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF tracks the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index, which covers stocks from the Eurozone and Scandinavia. Passively managed, its inception dates back to 3-4-2005. An overview of VGK appears below: The top 10 holdings of VGK are: As one can see, unlike with VOO or SPY, in which 7 out of the top 10 are AI tech companies,"

S&P 500 ETFs Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) posted year-to-date returns of 18.43% and 18.34% respectively. Much of the S&P 500's gains came from multi‑trillion market‑cap AI leaders such as Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft concentrated among the top holdings. Many popular global companies, including Nestle, AstroZeneca, and LVMH, are outside the S&P 500 top 10 and saw stock appreciation driven by product demand rather than in‑house AI. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) returned about 32.97% year-to-date, tracked the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index, and showed broader sector diversification.

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