BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP (BRIC.L) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L).

BRIC.L and VDEM.L are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BRIC.L is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the FTSE BIC 50 Net of Tax Index. It was launched on Apr 20, 2007. VDEM.L is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Emerging Index. It was launched on Sep 24, 2019. Both BRIC.L and VDEM.L 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

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP (BRIC.L) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BRIC.L iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP	-5.61%	20.81%	15.70%	-12.64%	-20.29%	-23.12%	15.97%	17.93%	-3.04%	24.05%
VDEM.L Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS	2.46%	16.95%	14.24%	1.92%	-7.35%	0.05%	11.48%	14.31%	-7.37%	20.21%

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BRIC.L achieves a -5.61% return, which is significantly lower than VDEM.L's 2.46% return. Over the past 10 years, BRIC.L has underperformed VDEM.L with an annualized return of 4.35%, while VDEM.L has yielded a comparatively higher 8.56% annualized return.

BRIC.L

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: -2.27%
• YTD: -5.61%
• 6M: -12.93%
• 1Y: -2.87%
• 3Y*: 4.47%
• 5Y*: -6.45%
• 10Y*: 4.35%

VDEM.L

• 1D: 2.54%
• 1M: -3.36%
• YTD: 2.46%
• 6M: 3.46%
• 1Y: 19.95%
• 3Y*: 11.25%
• 5Y*: 4.67%
• 10Y*: 8.56%

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

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

BRIC.L has a 0.74% expense ratio, which is higher than VDEM.L's 0.22% expense ratio.

BRIC.L

iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP

VDEM.L

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS

Return for Risk

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

BRIC.L

BRIC.L Risk / Return Rank: 9
BRIC.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9
BRIC.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 9
BRIC.L Omega Ratio Rank: 9
BRIC.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 10
BRIC.L Martin Ratio Rank: 10

VDEM.L

VDEM.L Risk / Return Rank: 69
VDEM.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
VDEM.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
VDEM.L Omega Ratio Rank: 65
VDEM.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
VDEM.L Martin Ratio Rank: 67

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.

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP (BRIC.L) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.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.

	BRIC.L	VDEM.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.14	1.23	-1.37
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.05	1.71	-1.76
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	1.23	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.10	2.29	-2.39
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.24	7.07	-7.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BRIC.L Sharpe Ratio is -0.14, which is lower than the VDEM.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BRIC.L and VDEM.L, 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

	BRIC.L	VDEM.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.14	1.23	-1.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.22	0.29	-0.51
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.17	0.47	-0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.39	-0.26

Correlation

The correlation between BRIC.L and VDEM.L is 0.83, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Dividend Comparison

BRIC.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.87%, less than VDEM.L's 2.25% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BRIC.L iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP	1.87%	1.76%	2.77%	2.67%	3.63%	1.60%	1.49%	2.07%	2.95%	1.99%	1.86%	2.62%
VDEM.L Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS	2.25%	2.34%	2.38%	2.58%	3.27%	2.30%	1.81%	2.33%	2.82%	2.16%	2.40%	2.94%

Drawdowns

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BRIC.L drawdown since its inception was -63.54%, which is greater than VDEM.L's maximum drawdown of -32.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BRIC.L and VDEM.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	BRIC.L	VDEM.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.54%	-36.63%	-26.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.43%	-11.70%	-4.73%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-52.50%	-33.40%	-19.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-59.20%	-36.35%	-22.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-39.21%	-7.47%	-31.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.76%	-12.81%	-8.95%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.71%	3.13%	+3.58%

Volatility

BRIC.L vs. VDEM.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares BIC 50 UCITS ETF (Dist) GBP (BRIC.L) is 5.96%, while Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L) has a volatility of 6.45%. This indicates that BRIC.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VDEM.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BRIC.L	VDEM.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.96%	6.45%	-0.49%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.18%	11.49%	+1.69%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.70%	16.16%	+4.54%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.89%	16.10%	+12.79%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.55%	18.05%	+7.50%