ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L
ICBU.L (iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF) and VSCA.L (Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating) are both Corporate Bonds funds - ICBU.L tracks the Bloomberg US Corp Bond TR USD while VSCA.L tracks the Bloomberg US Corp 1-3 Yr TR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ICBU.L returned 1.73%/yr vs 2.56%/yr for VSCA.L. At a 0.16 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ICBU.L charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for VSCA.L.
Performance
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
ICBU.L is traded in USD, while VSCA.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the VSCA.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ICBU.L achieves a 0.45% return, which is significantly lower than VSCA.L's 0.65% return.
ICBU.L
- 1D
- 0.20%
- 1M
- 0.20%
- YTD
- 0.45%
- 6M
- 0.86%
- 1Y
- 4.93%
- 3Y*
- 5.47%
- 5Y*
- 1.73%
- 10Y*
- —
VSCA.L
- 1D
- -0.15%
- 1M
- 0.22%
- YTD
- 0.65%
- 6M
- 1.27%
- 1Y
- 4.20%
- 3Y*
- 5.32%
- 5Y*
- 2.56%
- 10Y*
- —
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ICBU.L iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF | 0.45% | 7.60% | 4.08% | 6.74% | -9.04% | -1.35% | 6.50% | 7.71% |
VSCA.L Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating | 0.65% | 6.17% | 5.34% | 4.96% | -3.79% | -0.20% | 3.42% | 4.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between ICBU.L and VSCA.L is -0.01, 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 | -0.01 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 22, 2019 | 0.16 |
The correlation between ICBU.L and VSCA.L shifts across timeframes, from -0.01 (1 year) to 0.17 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L — Risk / Return Rank
ICBU.L
VSCA.L
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF (ICBU.L) and Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating (VSCA.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.
| ICBU.L | VSCA.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.60 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.87 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.18 | +0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.29 | 3.32 | -1.03 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.55 | 12.20 | -3.64 |
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
| ICBU.L | VSCA.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.62 | 1.02 | +0.60 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.40 | 0.52 | -0.12 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.61 | 0.48 | +0.13 |
Drawdowns
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ICBU.L drawdown since its inception was -13.92%, which is greater than VSCA.L's maximum drawdown of -11.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ICBU.L and VSCA.L.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ICBU.L | VSCA.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -13.92% | -11.09% | -2.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.14% | -1.27% | -0.87% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -3.24% | -1.27% | -1.97% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -13.92% | -7.42% | -6.50% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.67% | -0.29% | -0.38% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.78% | -1.37% | -1.41% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.57% | 0.35% | +0.22% |
Volatility
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF (ICBU.L) is 1.35%, while Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating (VSCA.L) has a volatility of 1.43%. This indicates that ICBU.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VSCA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ICBU.L | VSCA.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.35% | 1.43% | -0.08% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.46% | 3.37% | -0.91% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.03% | 4.13% | -1.10% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 4.31% | 4.89% | -0.58% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 4.42% | 6.06% | -1.64% |
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison
ICBU.L has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than VSCA.L's 0.09% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
ICBU.L vs. VSCA.L - Dividend Comparison
ICBU.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.54%, while VSCA.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ICBU.L iShares USD Intermediate Credit Bond UCITS ETF | 5.54% | 4.21% | 3.78% | 2.77% | 1.93% | 1.93% | 2.78% | 2.93% | 2.65% | 0.44% |
VSCA.L Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
ICBU.L and VSCA.L have a correlation of -0.01, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, VSCA.L is cheaper at 0.09% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
VSCA.L is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for ICBU.L.
ICBU.L tracks Bloomberg US Corp Bond TR USD, while VSCA.L tracks Bloomberg US Corp 1-3 Yr TR USD. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for ICBU.L and 0.09% for VSCA.L.
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