IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

IUHC.L (iShares S&P 500 Health Care Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)) and VUAA.L (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation) are both exchange-traded funds - IUHC.L is a Health & Biotech Equities fund tracking the S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Health Care Index, while VUAA.L is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Net Total Return. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IUHC.L returned 5.75%/yr vs 13.71%/yr for VUAA.L. A 0.63 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. IUHC.L charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VUAA.L.

Performance

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares S&P 500 Health Care Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IUHC.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IUHC.L achieves a -2.09% return, which is significantly lower than VUAA.L's 10.32% return.

IUHC.L

• 1D: 3.00%
• 1M: 4.72%
• YTD: -2.09%
• 6M: -0.45%
• 1Y: 15.03%
• 3Y*: 6.58%
• 5Y*: 5.75%
• 10Y*: 9.20%

VUAA.L

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 4.49%
• YTD: 10.32%
• 6M: 11.14%
• 1Y: 27.80%
• 3Y*: 22.16%
• 5Y*: 13.71%
• 10Y*: —

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

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
IUHC.L iShares S&P 500 Health Care Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	-2.09%	14.67%	2.16%	1.72%	-2.63%	27.58%	11.93%	16.04%
VUAA.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation	10.32%	17.37%	25.27%	26.68%	-18.63%	29.34%	17.66%	12.72%

Correlation

The correlation between IUHC.L and VUAA.L is 0.27, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.27
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.42
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 17, 2019	0.63

Over the past year, the correlation between IUHC.L and VUAA.L has dropped to 0.27 - well below their long-term average of 0.63, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	IUHC.L	VUAA.L
Healthcare	100.0%	8.5%
Basic Materials	-	1.8%
Communication Services	-	11.3%
Consumer Cyclical	-	10.2%
Consumer Defensive	-	4.9%
Energy	-	3.5%
Financial Services	-	11.6%
Industrials	-	8.3%
Real Estate	-	1.9%
Technology	-	35.7%
Utilities	-	2.4%

Return for Risk

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

IUHC.L

IUHC.L Risk / Return Rank: 29
IUHC.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
IUHC.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
IUHC.L Omega Ratio Rank: 27
IUHC.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
IUHC.L Martin Ratio Rank: 27

VUAA.L

VUAA.L Risk / Return Rank: 74
VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
VUAA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
VUAA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 73
VUAA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
VUAA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P 500 Health Care Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IUHC.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.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.

	IUHC.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.00	2.37	-1.37
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.60	3.47	-1.87
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.43	-0.25
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.43	3.39	-1.95
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.57	14.52	-10.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IUHC.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.00, which is lower than the VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.37. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IUHC.L and VUAA.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

	IUHC.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.00	2.37	-1.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39	0.86	-0.47
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.91	-0.34

Drawdowns

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IUHC.L drawdown since its inception was -27.44%, smaller than the maximum VUAA.L drawdown of -34.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IUHC.L and VUAA.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	IUHC.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.44%	-34.05%	+6.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.44%	-8.18%	-2.26%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-17.63%	-18.39%	+0.76%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.63%	-24.36%	+6.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-27.44%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.57%	-0.54%	-4.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.90%	-5.09%	+0.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.20%	1.91%	+2.29%

Volatility

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Volatility Comparison

iShares S&P 500 Health Care Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IUHC.L) has a higher volatility of 4.89% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L) at 3.18%. This indicates that IUHC.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VUAA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IUHC.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.89%	3.18%	+1.71%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.81%	8.57%	+2.24%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.00%	11.69%	+3.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.82%	16.00%	-1.18%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.71%	17.78%	-2.07%

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

IUHC.L has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than VUAA.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

IUHC.L vs. VUAA.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither IUHC.L nor VUAA.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IUHC.L and VUAA.L in my portfolio?

IUHC.L and VUAA.L have a correlation of 0.27, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, IUHC.L or VUAA.L?

On fees, VUAA.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, IUHC.L or VUAA.L?

VUAA.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for IUHC.L.

What is the main difference between IUHC.L and VUAA.L?

IUHC.L is categorized as Health & Biotech Equities, while VUAA.L is S&P 500. IUHC.L tracks S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Health Care Index, while VUAA.L tracks S&P 500 Net Total Return. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for IUHC.L and 0.07% for VUAA.L.