ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ICSU.L (iShares S&P 500 Consumer Staples Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)) and VUAG.L (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating) are both exchange-traded funds - ICSU.L is a Consumer Staples Equities fund tracking the S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Consumer Staples Index, while VUAG.L is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ICSU.L returned 7.91%/yr vs 14.93%/yr for VUAG.L. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ICSU.L charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VUAG.L.

Performance

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares S&P 500 Consumer Staples Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (ICSU.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating (VUAG.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

ICSU.L is traded in GBp, while VUAG.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the VUAG.L values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ICSU.L achieves a 6.60% return, which is significantly lower than VUAG.L's 10.56% return.

ICSU.L

• 1D: 0.03%
• 1M: -1.75%
• YTD: 6.60%
• 6M: 5.01%
• 1Y: 4.82%
• 3Y*: 5.52%
• 5Y*: 7.91%
• 10Y*: —

VUAG.L

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: 4.52%
• YTD: 10.56%
• 6M: 9.91%
• 1Y: 29.04%
• 3Y*: 19.03%
• 5Y*: 14.93%
• 10Y*: —

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

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
ICSU.L iShares S&P 500 Consumer Staples Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	6.60%	-3.20%	16.26%	-5.83%	11.78%	19.63%	5.64%	6.54%
VUAG.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating	10.56%	9.36%	27.33%	19.67%	-8.88%	30.97%	201.05%	9.30%

Correlation

The correlation between ICSU.L and VUAG.L is -0.02, 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	-0.02
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.23
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 17, 2019	0.47

The correlation between ICSU.L and VUAG.L shifts across timeframes, from -0.02 (1 year) to 0.47 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	ICSU.L	VUAG.L
Consumer Defensive	99.0%	4.9%
Consumer Cyclical	1.0%	10.2%
Basic Materials	-	1.8%
Communication Services	-	11.3%
Energy	-	3.5%
Financial Services	-	11.6%
Healthcare	-	8.5%
Industrials	-	8.3%
Real Estate	-	1.9%
Technology	-	35.7%
Utilities	-	2.4%

Return for Risk

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

ICSU.L

ICSU.L Risk / Return Rank: 13
ICSU.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
ICSU.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
ICSU.L Omega Ratio Rank: 12
ICSU.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
ICSU.L Martin Ratio Rank: 13

VUAG.L

VUAG.L Risk / Return Rank: 82
VUAG.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
VUAG.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
VUAG.L Omega Ratio Rank: 85
VUAG.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
VUAG.L Martin Ratio Rank: 78

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.

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P 500 Consumer Staples Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (ICSU.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating (VUAG.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.

	ICSU.L	VUAG.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.22	2.73	-2.51
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.43	3.66	-3.23
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	1.51	-0.46
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.34	4.08	-3.73
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.82	14.96	-14.14
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ICSU.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.22, which is lower than the VUAG.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.73. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ICSU.L and VUAG.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ICSU.L	VUAG.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.22	2.73	-2.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	1.04	-0.45
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.90	-0.42

Drawdowns

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ICSU.L drawdown since its inception was -18.54%, smaller than the maximum VUAG.L drawdown of -25.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ICSU.L and VUAG.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	ICSU.L	VUAG.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.54%	-25.61%	+7.07%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.24%	-7.11%	-2.13%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-11.59%	-20.88%	+9.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-13.70%	-20.88%	+7.18%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.40%	-0.22%	-7.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.93%	-3.51%	-1.42%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.87%	1.94%	+1.93%

Volatility

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Volatility Comparison

iShares S&P 500 Consumer Staples Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (ICSU.L) has a higher volatility of 6.57% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating (VUAG.L) at 2.62%. This indicates that ICSU.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VUAG.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ICSU.L	VUAG.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.57%	2.62%	+3.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.97%	7.17%	+4.80%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.37%	10.62%	+3.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.45%	14.32%	-0.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.31%	36.09%	-21.78%

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

ICSU.L has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than VUAG.L's 0.07% 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

ICSU.L vs. VUAG.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither ICSU.L nor VUAG.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
ICSU.L iShares S&P 500 Consumer Staples Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VUAG.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	71.39%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ICSU.L and VUAG.L in my portfolio?

ICSU.L and VUAG.L have a correlation of -0.02, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, ICSU.L or VUAG.L?

On fees, VUAG.L is cheaper at 0.07% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ICSU.L or VUAG.L?

VUAG.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for ICSU.L.

What is the main difference between ICSU.L and VUAG.L?

ICSU.L is categorized as Consumer Staples Equities, while VUAG.L is S&P 500. ICSU.L tracks S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Consumer Staples Index, while VUAG.L tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for ICSU.L and 0.07% for VUAG.L.