FEMB vs. VCIT
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF (FEMB) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT).
FEMB and VCIT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FEMB is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Nov 4, 2014. VCIT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Barclays U.S. 5-10 Year Corp Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009.
Performance
FEMB vs. VCIT - Performance Comparison
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FEMB vs. VCIT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEMB First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF | -2.12% | 21.77% | -5.61% | 17.12% | -10.50% | -13.40% | 3.16% | 11.52% | -7.19% | 11.92% |
VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF | -0.45% | 9.34% | 3.20% | 8.98% | -13.98% | -1.77% | 9.46% | 14.10% | -1.74% | 5.31% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FEMB achieves a -2.12% return, which is significantly lower than VCIT's -0.45% return. Over the past 10 years, FEMB has underperformed VCIT with an annualized return of 1.94%, while VCIT has yielded a comparatively higher 3.06% annualized return.
FEMB
- 1D
- 1.15%
- 1M
- -6.18%
- YTD
- -2.12%
- 6M
- 0.86%
- 1Y
- 13.41%
- 3Y*
- 7.19%
- 5Y*
- 2.14%
- 10Y*
- 1.94%
VCIT
- 1D
- 0.55%
- 1M
- -1.98%
- YTD
- -0.45%
- 6M
- 0.69%
- 1Y
- 6.08%
- 3Y*
- 5.56%
- 5Y*
- 1.42%
- 10Y*
- 3.06%
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FEMB vs. VCIT - Expense Ratio Comparison
FEMB has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than VCIT's 0.04% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FEMB vs. VCIT — Risk / Return Rank
FEMB
VCIT
FEMB vs. VCIT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF (FEMB) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT). 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.
| FEMB | VCIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.51 | 1.26 | +0.25 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.07 | 1.76 | +0.32 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.24 | +0.06 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.83 | 2.07 | -0.24 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.66 | 7.31 | +0.35 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FEMB | VCIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.51 | 1.26 | +0.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.21 | 0.22 | -0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.17 | 0.49 | -0.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.07 | 0.75 | -0.69 |
Correlation
The correlation between FEMB and VCIT is 0.28, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
FEMB vs. VCIT - Dividend Comparison
FEMB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.00%, more than VCIT's 4.72% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEMB First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF | 6.00% | 5.67% | 6.09% | 5.15% | 6.35% | 6.12% | 5.29% | 5.40% | 5.86% | 6.38% | 5.83% | 4.89% |
VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 4.72% | 4.62% | 4.43% | 3.72% | 3.03% | 2.87% | 2.78% | 3.37% | 3.61% | 3.21% | 3.29% | 3.34% |
Drawdowns
FEMB vs. VCIT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FEMB drawdown since its inception was -30.44%, which is greater than VCIT's maximum drawdown of -20.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEMB and VCIT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FEMB | VCIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.44% | -20.56% | -9.88% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.58% | -2.99% | -4.59% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -27.85% | -20.56% | -7.29% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -30.44% | -20.56% | -9.88% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.52% | -1.98% | -4.54% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.03% | -3.18% | -6.85% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.81% | 0.85% | +0.96% |
Volatility
FEMB vs. VCIT - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF (FEMB) has a higher volatility of 3.81% compared to Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT) at 2.07%. This indicates that FEMB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VCIT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FEMB | VCIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.81% | 2.07% | +1.74% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.46% | 2.84% | +2.62% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.94% | 4.85% | +4.09% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.21% | 6.60% | +3.61% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 11.22% | 6.27% | +4.95% |