BATS.L vs. VPU

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

BATS.L (British American Tobacco plc) is a stock, while VPU (Vanguard Utilities ETF) is Utilities Equities fund tracking the MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index. Over the past 10 years, BATS.L returned 7.31%/yr vs 9.58%/yr for VPU. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

BATS.L vs. VPU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in British American Tobacco plc (BATS.L) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

BATS.L is traded in GBp, while VPU is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the VPU values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BATS.L achieves a 7.56% return, which is significantly higher than VPU's 3.68% return. Over the past 10 years, BATS.L has underperformed VPU with an annualized return of 7.31%, while VPU has yielded a comparatively higher 9.58% annualized return.

BATS.L

• 1D: 1.48%
• 1M: 4.73%
• YTD: 7.56%
• 6M: 6.51%
• 1Y: 34.97%
• 3Y*: 29.92%
• 5Y*: 18.46%
• 10Y*: 7.31%

VPU

• 1D: -1.90%
• 1M: -0.55%
• YTD: 3.68%
• 6M: 2.94%
• 1Y: 12.19%
• 3Y*: 10.53%
• 5Y*: 10.14%
• 10Y*: 9.58%

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

BATS.L vs. VPU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BATS.L British American Tobacco plc	7.56%	56.35%	37.24%	-23.51%	28.17%	9.10%	-9.61%	38.29%	-47.15%	13.39%
VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF	3.68%	8.16%	25.19%	-12.07%	13.08%	18.51%	-3.65%	20.14%	10.57%	2.72%

Correlation

The correlation between BATS.L and VPU is 0.20, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.20
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.19
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.17
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.21
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 6, 2007	0.23

Return for Risk

BATS.L vs. VPU — Risk / Return Rank

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

BATS.L

BATS.L Risk / Return Rank: 79
BATS.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
BATS.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
BATS.L Omega Ratio Rank: 75
BATS.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
BATS.L Martin Ratio Rank: 80

VPU

VPU Risk / Return Rank: 23
VPU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
VPU Sortino Ratio Rank: 22
VPU Omega Ratio Rank: 22
VPU Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
VPU Martin Ratio Rank: 22

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.

BATS.L vs. VPU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for British American Tobacco plc (BATS.L) and Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU). 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.

	BATS.L	VPU	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.53	0.83	+0.70
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.20	1.22	+0.98
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.15	+0.11
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.54	1.31	+1.23
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.13	2.83	+3.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BATS.L vs. VPU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BATS.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.53, which is higher than the VPU Sharpe Ratio of 0.83. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BATS.L and VPU, 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

	BATS.L	VPU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.53	0.83	+0.70
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.90	0.60	+0.30
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.31	0.48	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	0.53	-0.12

Drawdowns

BATS.L vs. VPU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BATS.L drawdown since its inception was -54.44%, which is greater than VPU's maximum drawdown of -30.24%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BATS.L and VPU.

Drawdown Indicators

	BATS.L	VPU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.44%	-30.24%	-24.20%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.70%	-9.34%	-4.36%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-14.78%	-12.37%	-2.41%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.68%	-28.02%	-1.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.44%	-28.55%	-25.89%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.94%	-7.21%	-2.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.17%	-7.20%	-7.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.69%	4.32%	+1.37%

Volatility

BATS.L vs. VPU - Volatility Comparison

British American Tobacco plc (BATS.L) has a higher volatility of 10.04% compared to Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) at 5.90%. This indicates that BATS.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VPU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BATS.L	VPU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.04%	5.90%	+4.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.26%	11.89%	+6.37%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.75%	14.80%	+7.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.57%	17.07%	+3.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.92%	20.00%	+3.92%

Dividends

BATS.L vs. VPU - Dividend Comparison

BATS.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.40%, more than VPU's 2.70% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BATS.L British American Tobacco plc	5.40%	5.70%	8.18%	10.06%	6.64%	7.89%	7.77%	6.28%	7.81%	4.35%	0.00%	0.00%
VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF	2.70%	2.73%	3.02%	3.49%	2.98%	2.70%	3.17%	2.83%	3.23%	3.18%	3.19%	3.63%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BATS.L and VPU in my portfolio?

BATS.L and VPU have a correlation of 0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.