AFSC vs. VXF
AFSC (abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF) and VXF (Vanguard Extended Market ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - AFSC is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund actively managed by Aberdeen, while VXF is a Mid Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the S&P Completion Index. AFSC is actively managed, while VXF is passively managed. Over the past year, AFSC returned 27.01% vs 28.88% for VXF. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. AFSC charges 0.65%/yr vs 0.05%/yr for VXF.
Performance
AFSC vs. VXF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AFSC achieves a 16.58% return, which is significantly higher than VXF's 13.78% return.
AFSC
- 1D
- -0.69%
- 1M
- 1.96%
- YTD
- 16.58%
- 6M
- 13.48%
- 1Y
- 27.01%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
VXF
- 1D
- -1.02%
- 1M
- 4.75%
- YTD
- 13.78%
- 6M
- 12.61%
- 1Y
- 28.88%
- 3Y*
- 19.75%
- 5Y*
- 6.53%
- 10Y*
- 12.08%
AFSC vs. VXF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
AFSC abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF | 16.58% | 2.67% |
VXF Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 13.78% | 5.58% |
Correlation
The correlation between AFSC and VXF is 0.87, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.87 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 19, 2025 | 0.89 |
The correlation between AFSC and VXF has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.87 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
AFSC vs. VXF — Risk / Return Rank
AFSC
VXF
AFSC vs. VXF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) and Vanguard Extended Market ETF (VXF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| AFSC | VXF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.23 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.27 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.29 | -0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.64 | 2.84 | -0.20 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.96 | 10.07 | -0.11 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| AFSC | VXF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.46 | 1.69 | -0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.29 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.54 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.67 | 0.46 | +0.21 |
Drawdowns
AFSC vs. VXF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AFSC drawdown since its inception was -21.68%, smaller than the maximum VXF drawdown of -58.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFSC and VXF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AFSC | VXF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -21.68% | -58.03% | +36.35% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -10.29% | -10.21% | -0.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -26.92% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -36.39% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -41.72% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.79% | -1.02% | -0.77% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.15% | -9.55% | +5.40% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.72% | 2.87% | -0.15% |
Volatility
AFSC vs. VXF - Volatility Comparison
abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) has a higher volatility of 5.49% compared to Vanguard Extended Market ETF (VXF) at 4.87%. This indicates that AFSC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VXF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AFSC | VXF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.49% | 4.87% | +0.62% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.99% | 12.44% | +1.55% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 18.59% | 17.22% | +1.37% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 22.57% | 22.33% | +0.24% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 22.57% | 22.29% | +0.28% |
AFSC vs. VXF - Expense Ratio Comparison
AFSC has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than VXF's 0.05% expense ratio.
Dividends
AFSC vs. VXF - Dividend Comparison
AFSC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.07%, less than VXF's 1.02% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFSC abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VXF Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 1.02% | 1.14% | 1.09% | 1.27% | 1.15% | 1.13% | 1.07% | 1.30% | 1.66% | 1.25% | 1.43% | 1.35% |
Frequently Asked Questions
AFSC and VXF have a correlation of 0.87, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AFSC has higher volatility (5.49%) compared to VXF (4.87%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AFSC dropped -21.68% vs VXF's -58.03%.
On 1-year performance, VXF leads with 28.88% vs 27.01% for AFSC. On fees, VXF is cheaper at 0.05% per year. On volatility, VXF has been the lower-risk option at 4.87%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, VXF has performed better with a 28.88% return vs 27.01%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VXF is cheaper with a 0.05% expense ratio, compared with 0.65% for AFSC.
VXF has the higher dividend yield at 1.02%, compared with 0.07% for AFSC.
AFSC is categorized as Small Cap Blend Equities, while VXF is Mid Cap Blend Equities. They also come from different issuers: Aberdeen and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.65% for AFSC and 0.05% for VXF.
VXF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.69 vs 1.46), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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