EWA vs. VDPG.L

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI-Australia ETF (EWA) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc (VDPG.L).

EWA and VDPG.L are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Australia Index. It was launched on Mar 18, 1996. VDPG.L is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI AC Asia Pac Ex JPN NR USD. It was launched on Sep 24, 2019. Both EWA and VDPG.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

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI-Australia ETF (EWA) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc (VDPG.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
EWA iShares MSCI-Australia ETF	7.25%	13.35%	1.60%	13.81%	-5.92%	8.93%	8.29%	3.68%
VDPG.L Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc	9.17%	40.43%	-4.66%	9.58%	-12.38%	1.02%	19.10%	8.68%

Different Trading Currencies

EWA is traded in USD, while VDPG.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the VDPG.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWA achieves a 7.25% return, which is significantly lower than VDPG.L's 9.17% return.

EWA

• 1D: 1.19%
• 1M: -6.15%
• YTD: 7.25%
• 6M: 5.23%
• 1Y: 22.34%
• 3Y*: 10.85%
• 5Y*: 6.55%
• 10Y*: 8.25%

VDPG.L

• 1D: -0.89%
• 1M: -12.91%
• YTD: 9.17%
• 6M: 18.61%
• 1Y: 49.21%
• 3Y*: 16.01%
• 5Y*: 6.26%
• 10Y*: —

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

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWA has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than VDPG.L's 0.15% expense ratio.

EWA

iShares MSCI-Australia ETF

VDPG.L

Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc

Return for Risk

EWA vs. VDPG.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWA

EWA Risk / Return Rank: 61
EWA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
EWA Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
EWA Omega Ratio Rank: 59
EWA Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
EWA Martin Ratio Rank: 64

VDPG.L

VDPG.L Risk / Return Rank: 94
VDPG.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
VDPG.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
VDPG.L Omega Ratio Rank: 96
VDPG.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
VDPG.L Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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.

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI-Australia ETF (EWA) and Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc (VDPG.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.

	EWA	VDPG.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.06	2.55	-1.49
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.54	3.07	-1.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.47	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.85	3.25	-1.40
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.79	13.03	-6.24
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWA Sharpe Ratio is 1.06, which is lower than the VDPG.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWA and VDPG.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

	EWA	VDPG.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.06	2.55	-1.49
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34	0.35	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.29	0.48	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between EWA and VDPG.L is 0.72, 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

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Dividend Comparison

EWA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.99%, while VDPG.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWA iShares MSCI-Australia ETF	2.99%	3.21%	3.71%	3.72%	5.28%	5.08%	2.02%	3.97%	6.11%	4.44%	4.03%	5.48%
VDPG.L Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWA drawdown since its inception was -66.98%, which is greater than VDPG.L's maximum drawdown of -38.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWA and VDPG.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWA	VDPG.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-66.98%	-30.11%	-36.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.85%	-13.45%	+0.60%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.87%	-17.64%	-7.23%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.54%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.86%	-13.45%	+6.59%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.38%	-5.97%	-5.41%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.50%	3.61%	-0.11%

Volatility

EWA vs. VDPG.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI-Australia ETF (EWA) is 8.40%, while Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF Acc (VDPG.L) has a volatility of 10.51%. This indicates that EWA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VDPG.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWA	VDPG.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.40%	10.51%	-2.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.99%	15.54%	-2.55%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.16%	20.44%	+0.72%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.62%	17.87%	+1.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.61%	20.45%	+2.16%