ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE
ESIH.L (iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF) and DFEN.DE (VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A) are both exchange-traded funds - ESIH.L is a Health & Biotech Equities fund tracking the MSCI World/Health Care NR USD, while DFEN.DE is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, ESIH.L returned 4.07%/yr vs 37.80%/yr for DFEN.DE. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ESIH.L charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.55%/yr for DFEN.DE.
Performance
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
ESIH.L is traded in GBP, while DFEN.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the DFEN.DE values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ESIH.L achieves a -0.97% return, which is significantly lower than DFEN.DE's 1.94% return.
ESIH.L
- 1D
- 0.82%
- 1M
- 1.49%
- YTD
- -0.97%
- 6M
- 0.00%
- 1Y
- 8.13%
- 3Y*
- 4.07%
- 5Y*
- 5.35%
- 10Y*
- —
DFEN.DE
- 1D
- 0.58%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 1.94%
- 6M
- 2.67%
- 1Y
- 13.44%
- 3Y*
- 37.80%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ESIH.L iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF | -0.97% | 12.77% | -0.54% | 2.84% |
DFEN.DE VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A | 1.94% | 58.61% | 45.35% | 21.53% |
Correlation
The correlation between ESIH.L and DFEN.DE is 0.05, 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 | 0.05 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 5, 2023 | 0.20 |
The correlation between ESIH.L and DFEN.DE shifts across timeframes, from 0.05 (1 year) to 0.20 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE — Risk / Return Rank
ESIH.L
DFEN.DE
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.L) and VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE). 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.
| ESIH.L | DFEN.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.23 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.34 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.08 | 1.12 | -0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.51 | 0.81 | -0.31 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.20 | 1.96 | -0.77 |
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Drawdowns
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ESIH.L drawdown since its inception was -24.47%, which is greater than DFEN.DE's maximum drawdown of -19.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESIH.L and DFEN.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ESIH.L | DFEN.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -24.47% | -19.25% | -5.22% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.78% | -19.25% | +5.47% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.47% | -19.25% | -5.22% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.47% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.33% | -16.45% | +7.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.90% | -3.22% | -4.68% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.75% | 8.00% | -2.25% |
Volatility
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.L) is 5.29%, while VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) has a volatility of 7.38%. This indicates that ESIH.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFEN.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ESIH.L | DFEN.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.29% | 7.38% | -2.09% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.33% | 18.74% | -6.41% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.83% | 24.49% | -7.66% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.54% | 20.81% | -3.27% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.91% | 20.81% | -2.90% |
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
ESIH.L has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than DFEN.DE's 0.55% expense ratio.
Dividends
ESIH.L vs. DFEN.DE - Dividend Comparison
Neither ESIH.L nor DFEN.DE has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
ESIH.L and DFEN.DE have a correlation of 0.05, 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.
ESIH.L is categorized as Health & Biotech Equities, while DFEN.DE is Aerospace & Defense. ESIH.L tracks MSCI World/Health Care NR USD, while DFEN.DE tracks MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and VanEck. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for ESIH.L and 0.55% for DFEN.DE.
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