AIA vs. VAPX.AS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF (VAPX.AS).

AIA and VAPX.AS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AIA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Asia 50. It was launched on Nov 13, 2007. VAPX.AS is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI AC Asia Pac Ex JPN NR USD. It was launched on May 21, 2013. Both AIA and VAPX.AS are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF (VAPX.AS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AIA iShares Asia 50 ETF	8.86%	47.79%	20.26%	4.32%	-24.08%	-10.91%	33.73%	22.21%	-14.22%	45.00%
VAPX.AS Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF	9.49%	40.96%	-5.63%	9.36%	-12.77%	1.32%	18.39%	16.06%	-14.57%	31.80%

Different Trading Currencies

AIA is traded in USD, while VAPX.AS is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the VAPX.AS values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AIA achieves a 8.86% return, which is significantly lower than VAPX.AS's 9.49% return. Over the past 10 years, AIA has outperformed VAPX.AS with an annualized return of 11.82%, while VAPX.AS has yielded a comparatively lower 8.77% annualized return.

AIA

• 1D: 3.98%
• 1M: -10.06%
• YTD: 8.86%
• 6M: 14.17%
• 1Y: 50.84%
• 3Y*: 22.77%
• 5Y*: 4.92%
• 10Y*: 11.82%

VAPX.AS

• 1D: -0.30%
• 1M: -14.76%
• YTD: 9.49%
• 6M: 20.10%
• 1Y: 52.08%
• 3Y*: 15.73%
• 5Y*: 6.00%
• 10Y*: 8.77%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Expense Ratio Comparison

AIA has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than VAPX.AS's 0.15% expense ratio.

AIA

iShares Asia 50 ETF

VAPX.AS

Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF

Return for Risk

AIA vs. VAPX.AS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AIA

AIA Risk / Return Rank: 90
AIA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
AIA Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
AIA Omega Ratio Rank: 89
AIA Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
AIA Martin Ratio Rank: 91

VAPX.AS

VAPX.AS Risk / Return Rank: 93
VAPX.AS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
VAPX.AS Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
VAPX.AS Omega Ratio Rank: 93
VAPX.AS Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
VAPX.AS Martin Ratio Rank: 94

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF (VAPX.AS). 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.

	AIA	VAPX.AS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.94	2.41	-0.48
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.53	2.97	-0.45
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.46	-0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.03	3.49	-0.47
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.92	14.94	-3.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AIA Sharpe Ratio is 1.94, which is comparable to the VAPX.AS Sharpe Ratio of 2.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AIA and VAPX.AS, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AIA	VAPX.AS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.94	2.41	-0.48
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.20	0.33	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.46	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.34	-0.09

Correlation

The correlation between AIA and VAPX.AS is 0.70, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Dividend Comparison

AIA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.30%, more than VAPX.AS's 2.09% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AIA iShares Asia 50 ETF	2.30%	2.50%	2.78%	2.07%	2.59%	1.54%	1.11%	2.24%	2.49%	1.45%	2.29%	2.88%
VAPX.AS Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF	2.09%	2.41%	3.16%	3.28%	4.23%	2.95%	1.80%	2.96%	3.03%	2.78%	2.57%	3.20%

Drawdowns

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AIA drawdown since its inception was -60.89%, which is greater than VAPX.AS's maximum drawdown of -39.88%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AIA and VAPX.AS.

Drawdown Indicators

	AIA	VAPX.AS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-60.89%	-36.99%	-23.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.68%	-13.55%	-3.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-51.12%	-19.68%	-31.44%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.64%	-36.99%	-17.65%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.73%	-12.96%	+2.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.82%	-6.64%	-10.18%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.24%	3.08%	+1.16%

Volatility

AIA vs. VAPX.AS - Volatility Comparison

iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) has a higher volatility of 12.54% compared to Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF (VAPX.AS) at 10.42%. This indicates that AIA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VAPX.AS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AIA	VAPX.AS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.54%	10.42%	+2.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.46%	15.71%	+3.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.39%	21.34%	+5.05%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.87%	17.95%	+6.92%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.19%	18.68%	+4.51%