GFA.L vs. ICBU.L
GFA.L (VanEck Global Fallen Angel High Yield Bond UCITS ETF USD (Acc)) and ICBU.L (iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GFA.L is a Global High Yield Bonds fund tracking the ICE Global Fallen Angel High Yield 10% Constrained Index, while ICBU.L is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg US Corp Bond TR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, GFA.L returned 2.98%/yr vs 1.61%/yr for ICBU.L. At a 0.38 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GFA.L charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for ICBU.L.
Performance
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GFA.L achieves a 3.55% return, which is significantly higher than ICBU.L's 0.34% return.
GFA.L
- 1D
- -0.14%
- 1M
- -0.18%
- 6M
- 3.30%
- YTD
- 3.55%
- 1Y
- 6.91%
- 3Y*
- 8.15%
- 5Y*
- 2.98%
- 10Y*
- —
ICBU.L
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -0.12%
- 6M
- 0.53%
- YTD
- 0.34%
- 1Y
- 4.08%
- 3Y*
- 5.32%
- 5Y*
- 1.61%
- 10Y*
- —
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GFA.L VanEck Global Fallen Angel High Yield Bond UCITS ETF USD (Acc) | 3.55% | 9.97% | 6.02% | 10.29% | -12.56% | 1.93% | 16.95% | 13.34% | -3.62% |
ICBU.L iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF | 0.34% | 7.68% | 4.11% | 6.64% | -9.03% | -1.29% | 6.43% | 10.05% | 1.19% |
Correlation
The correlation between GFA.L and ICBU.L is 0.46, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.46 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.46 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.46 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 19, 2018 | 0.38 |
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Return for Risk
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L — Risk / Return Rank
GFA.L
ICBU.L
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Global Fallen Angel High Yield Bond UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (GFA.L) and iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF (ICBU.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.
| GFA.L | ICBU.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.15 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.26 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.21 | 1.25 | -0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.76 | 1.83 | -0.07 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.76 | 6.50 | -1.74 |
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Drawdowns
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GFA.L drawdown since its inception was -22.98%, which is greater than ICBU.L's maximum drawdown of -14.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GFA.L and ICBU.L.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GFA.L | ICBU.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -22.98% | -14.04% | -8.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.90% | -2.22% | -1.68% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.03% | -3.42% | -1.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.54% | -14.04% | -8.50% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.80% | -0.69% | -0.11% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.38% | -2.75% | -1.63% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.45% | 0.63% | +0.82% |
Volatility
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Global Fallen Angel High Yield Bond UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (GFA.L) has a higher volatility of 1.33% compared to iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF (ICBU.L) at 0.87%. This indicates that GFA.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ICBU.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GFA.L | ICBU.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.33% | 0.87% | +0.46% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.65% | 2.71% | +2.94% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.49% | 3.36% | +3.13% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 8.25% | 4.57% | +3.68% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 8.42% | 4.61% | +3.81% |
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Expense Ratio Comparison
GFA.L has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than ICBU.L's 0.15% expense ratio.
Dividends
GFA.L vs. ICBU.L - Dividend Comparison
GFA.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while ICBU.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.51%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GFA.L VanEck Global Fallen Angel High Yield Bond UCITS ETF USD (Acc) | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
ICBU.L iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF | 4.51% | 4.21% | 3.78% | 2.78% | 1.93% | 1.93% | 2.78% | 2.93% | 2.65% | 0.44% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GFA.L and ICBU.L have a correlation of 0.46, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, ICBU.L is cheaper at 0.15% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
ICBU.L is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.40% for GFA.L.
GFA.L is categorized as Global High Yield Bonds, while ICBU.L is Corporate Bonds. GFA.L tracks ICE Global Fallen Angel High Yield 10% Constrained Index, while ICBU.L tracks Bloomberg US Corp Bond TR USD. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.40% for GFA.L and 0.15% for ICBU.L.
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