BA.L vs. VJPN.L

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

BA.L (BAE Systems plc) is a stock, while VJPN.L (Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing) is Japan Equities fund tracking the TOPIX TR JPY. Over the past 10 years, BA.L returned 18.29%/yr vs 11.02%/yr for VJPN.L. At a 0.29 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in BAE Systems plc (BA.L) and Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

BA.L is traded in GBp, while VJPN.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the VJPN.L values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BA.L achieves a 10.86% return, which is significantly lower than VJPN.L's 15.52% return. Over the past 10 years, BA.L has outperformed VJPN.L with an annualized return of 18.29%, while VJPN.L has yielded a comparatively lower 11.02% annualized return.

BA.L

• 1D: -0.45%
• 1M: -6.61%
• YTD: 10.86%
• 6M: 15.62%
• 1Y: -2.20%
• 3Y*: 28.61%
• 5Y*: 32.09%
• 10Y*: 18.29%

VJPN.L

• 1D: 0.47%
• 1M: 6.83%
• YTD: 15.52%
• 6M: 16.86%
• 1Y: 33.44%
• 3Y*: 16.12%
• 5Y*: 10.72%
• 10Y*: 11.02%

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

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BA.L BAE Systems plc	10.86%	52.12%	5.88%	33.31%	60.92%	17.57%	-9.28%	28.43%	-16.75%	0.30%
VJPN.L Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing	15.52%	18.86%	9.05%	14.00%	-5.70%	2.26%	12.84%	14.56%	-8.37%	14.72%

Correlation

The correlation between BA.L and VJPN.L is 0.10, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.10
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.20
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.16
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 25, 2013	0.29

The correlation between BA.L and VJPN.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.10 (1 year) to 0.29 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

BA.L vs. VJPN.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

BA.L

BA.L Risk / Return Rank: 35
BA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
BA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 32
BA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 32
BA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
BA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 36

VJPN.L

VJPN.L Risk / Return Rank: 57
VJPN.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
VJPN.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
VJPN.L Omega Ratio Rank: 57
VJPN.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
VJPN.L Martin Ratio Rank: 57

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.

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BAE Systems plc (BA.L) and Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.L). 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.

	BA.L	VJPN.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.07	1.84	-1.91
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.11	2.67	-2.56
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.01	1.36	-0.34
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.10	3.08	-3.19
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.22	10.01	-10.23
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BA.L Sharpe Ratio is -0.07, which is lower than the VJPN.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.84. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BA.L and VJPN.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BA.L	VJPN.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.07	1.84	-1.91
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.24	0.69	+0.55
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.73	0.69	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	0.62	-0.30

Drawdowns

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BA.L drawdown since its inception was -84.46%, which is greater than VJPN.L's maximum drawdown of -25.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BA.L and VJPN.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	BA.L	VJPN.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-84.46%	-25.19%	-59.27%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.30%	-10.68%	-10.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.30%	-13.45%	-7.85%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.30%	-17.91%	-3.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.80%	-25.19%	-12.61%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-18.48%	0.00%	-18.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.36%	-5.26%	-16.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.99%	3.29%	+6.70%

Volatility

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Volatility Comparison

BAE Systems plc (BA.L) has a higher volatility of 10.09% compared to Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.L) at 3.96%. This indicates that BA.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VJPN.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BA.L	VJPN.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.09%	3.96%	+6.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	23.80%	14.61%	+9.19%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.10%	17.91%	+12.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.81%	15.50%	+10.31%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.07%	15.91%	+9.16%

Dividends

BA.L vs. VJPN.L - Dividend Comparison

BA.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.72%, less than VJPN.L's 2.25% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BA.L BAE Systems plc	0.72%	1.99%	2.69%	2.53%	2.99%	4.40%	4.75%	4.00%	4.79%	3.75%	3.57%	4.14%
VJPN.L Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing	2.25%	2.54%	2.47%	2.39%	2.64%	2.31%	2.14%	2.36%	2.55%	1.94%	2.04%	2.08%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BA.L and VJPN.L in my portfolio?

BA.L and VJPN.L have a correlation of 0.10, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.