DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L
DFEN.DE (VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A) and ESIH.L (iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - DFEN.DE is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index, while ESIH.L is a Health & Biotech Equities fund tracking the MSCI World/Health Care NR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, DFEN.DE returned 37.43%/yr vs 3.74%/yr for ESIH.L. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. DFEN.DE charges 0.55%/yr vs 0.18%/yr for ESIH.L.
Performance
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
DFEN.DE is traded in EUR, while ESIH.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the ESIH.L values have been converted to EUR using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFEN.DE achieves a 3.04% return, which is significantly higher than ESIH.L's 0.10% return.
DFEN.DE
- 1D
- 0.60%
- 1M
- 0.90%
- YTD
- 3.04%
- 6M
- 4.46%
- 1Y
- 11.89%
- 3Y*
- 37.43%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
ESIH.L
- 1D
- 0.74%
- 1M
- 2.34%
- YTD
- 0.10%
- 6M
- 1.71%
- 1Y
- 6.65%
- 3Y*
- 3.74%
- 5Y*
- 5.21%
- 10Y*
- —
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DFEN.DE VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A | 3.04% | 50.76% | 51.97% | 22.65% |
ESIH.L iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF | 0.10% | 6.89% | 4.25% | 3.91% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFEN.DE and ESIH.L is 0.07, 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 | 0.07 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 5, 2023 | 0.21 |
The correlation between DFEN.DE and ESIH.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.07 (1 year) to 0.21 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L — Risk / Return Rank
DFEN.DE
ESIH.L
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) and iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| DFEN.DE | ESIH.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.24 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.38 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.11 | 1.07 | +0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.74 | 0.42 | +0.32 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.72 | 0.95 | +0.77 |
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Drawdowns
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFEN.DE drawdown since its inception was -18.88%, smaller than the maximum ESIH.L drawdown of -25.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFEN.DE and ESIH.L.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFEN.DE | ESIH.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.88% | -25.57% | +6.69% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -18.88% | -12.83% | -6.05% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.88% | -25.57% | +6.69% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -25.57% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -16.01% | -9.32% | -6.69% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.25% | -8.20% | +4.95% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.15% | 5.51% | +2.64% |
Volatility
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) has a higher volatility of 7.34% compared to iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.L) at 5.06%. This indicates that DFEN.DE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ESIH.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFEN.DE | ESIH.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.34% | 5.06% | +2.28% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 19.34% | 11.96% | +7.38% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.01% | 16.91% | +8.10% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.22% | 17.75% | +3.47% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.22% | 18.00% | +3.22% |
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFEN.DE has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than ESIH.L's 0.18% expense ratio.
Dividends
DFEN.DE vs. ESIH.L - Dividend Comparison
Neither DFEN.DE nor ESIH.L has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
DFEN.DE and ESIH.L have a correlation of 0.07, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, ESIH.L is cheaper at 0.18% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
ESIH.L is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.55% for DFEN.DE.
DFEN.DE is categorized as Aerospace & Defense, while ESIH.L is Health & Biotech Equities. DFEN.DE tracks MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index, while ESIH.L tracks MSCI World/Health Care NR USD. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.55% for DFEN.DE and 0.18% for ESIH.L.
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