ETF Versus

SGOV vs VWO

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF vs Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.01%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $83.3B ER: 0.09% Yield: 4.01% Since: May 26, 2020
VWO Vanguard

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (VWO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.76%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $107.3B ER: 0.06% Yield: 2.76% Since: Mar 4, 2005

Quick Verdict

VWO has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.06% vs 0.09%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VWO has significantly outperformed with a 19.4% return vs 0.0%. Income investors may prefer SGOV for its higher yield (4.0% vs 2.8%).

Key Metrics

Metric SGOV VWO
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 4.0% 2.8%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category US Short-Term Treasury Emerging Markets

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 75 85 95 105 115 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SGOV +0.4%
VWO +3.0%

Performance Comparison

Period SGOV VWO Difference
1 Month +0.01% -5.29% +5.30%
3 Months -0.02% -1.31% +1.29%
6 Months -0.03% -1.06% +1.03%
YTD -0.02% -1.31% +1.29%
1 Year +0.04% +19.38% -19.34%
3 Years +0.16% +33.62% -33.46%
5 Years +0.37% +3.00% -2.63%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SGOV Fees VWO Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $120 $60
$10.000 20 years $771 $515 $256
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $1.664 $822
$50.000 10 years $896 $598 $298
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $8.318 $4.109
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $16.637 $8.218

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SGOV VWO
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 17.3%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -35.9%
Sharpe Ratio -4.13 -0.14

Dividend Comparison

Metric SGOV VWO
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.02 $1.45
Dividend Yield 4.00% 2.68%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

VWO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233012.71%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.44%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99882.74%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.93%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.88%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.78%
MediaTek Inc.!tpe/24540.76%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.75%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VWO if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose VWO if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SGOV if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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