IUSA.L vs. UC99.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

IUSA.L (iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist) and UC99.L (UBS ETF (IE) Factor MSCI USA Quality UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis) are both exchange-traded funds - IUSA.L is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index, while UC99.L is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Russell 1000 TR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IUSA.L returned 16.52%/yr vs 16.19%/yr for UC99.L. Their correlation of 0.94 suggests significant overlap in exposure. IUSA.L charges 0.07%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for UC99.L.

Performance

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist (IUSA.L) and UBS ETF (IE) Factor MSCI USA Quality UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis (UC99.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with IUSA.L having a 10.67% return and UC99.L slightly lower at 10.42%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IUSA.L having a 16.52% annualized return and UC99.L not far behind at 16.19%.

IUSA.L

• 1D: 0.04%
• 1M: 4.50%
• YTD: 10.67%
• 6M: 10.05%
• 1Y: 29.42%
• 3Y*: 19.42%
• 5Y*: 15.33%
• 10Y*: 16.52%

UC99.L

• 1D: 0.63%
• 1M: 5.54%
• YTD: 10.42%
• 6M: 10.00%
• 1Y: 29.38%
• 3Y*: 17.61%
• 5Y*: 13.98%
• 10Y*: 16.19%

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

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IUSA.L iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist	10.67%	9.70%	27.73%	20.24%	-8.72%	31.54%	14.15%	27.06%	0.51%	11.19%
UC99.L UBS ETF (IE) Factor MSCI USA Quality UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis	10.42%	8.68%	22.60%	27.58%	-15.03%	28.64%	16.43%	32.55%	0.49%	12.84%

Correlation

The correlation between IUSA.L and UC99.L is 0.90, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.90
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.92
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.93
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.94
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 24, 2015	0.94

The correlation between IUSA.L and UC99.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.90 to 0.94 - a consistent structural relationship.

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	IUSA.L	UC99.L
Technology	38.2%	54.7%
Financial Services	11.1%	7.3%
Communication Services	10.9%	7.9%
Consumer Cyclical	10.0%	2.9%
Healthcare	8.3%	10.9%
Industrials	7.9%	13.3%
Consumer Defensive	4.7%	2.8%
Energy	3.2%	-
Utilities	2.2%	0.1%
Real Estate	1.9%	-
Basic Materials	1.7%	0.0%

Return for Risk

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

IUSA.L

IUSA.L Risk / Return Rank: 84
IUSA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
IUSA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
IUSA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 86
IUSA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
IUSA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 80

UC99.L

UC99.L Risk / Return Rank: 70
UC99.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
UC99.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
UC99.L Omega Ratio Rank: 74
UC99.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
UC99.L Martin Ratio Rank: 62

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.

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist (IUSA.L) and UBS ETF (IE) Factor MSCI USA Quality UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis (UC99.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.

	IUSA.L	UC99.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.82	2.41	+0.41
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.78	3.35	+0.43
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.53	1.43	+0.09
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.20	3.10	+1.10
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	15.53	11.14	+4.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IUSA.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.82, which is comparable to the UC99.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IUSA.L and UC99.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

	IUSA.L	UC99.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.82	2.41	+0.41
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.07	0.87	+0.20
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.06	0.98	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.58	1.00	-0.41

Drawdowns

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IUSA.L drawdown since its inception was -38.58%, which is greater than UC99.L's maximum drawdown of -23.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IUSA.L and UC99.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	IUSA.L	UC99.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.58%	-23.20%	-15.38%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.01%	-9.47%	+2.46%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.08%	-23.20%	+2.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.08%	-23.20%	+2.12%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-25.42%	-23.20%	-2.22%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.22%	0.00%	-0.22%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.29%	-4.24%	-3.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.90%	2.64%	-0.74%

Volatility

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist (IUSA.L) is 2.62%, while UBS ETF (IE) Factor MSCI USA Quality UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis (UC99.L) has a volatility of 3.33%. This indicates that IUSA.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than UC99.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IUSA.L	UC99.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.62%	3.33%	-0.71%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.13%	8.62%	-1.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.44%	12.19%	-1.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.33%	16.02%	-1.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.60%	16.54%	-0.94%

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

IUSA.L has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is lower than UC99.L's 0.25% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

IUSA.L vs. UC99.L - Dividend Comparison

IUSA.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.15%, while UC99.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IUSA.L iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist	1.15%	1.24%	1.28%	1.55%	1.74%	1.39%	1.80%	1.96%	2.22%	1.95%	1.75%	2.29%
UC99.L UBS ETF (IE) Factor MSCI USA Quality UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis	0.00%	0.00%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IUSA.L and UC99.L in my portfolio?

IUSA.L and UC99.L have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, IUSA.L or UC99.L?

On fees, IUSA.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, IUSA.L or UC99.L?

IUSA.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for UC99.L.

What is the main difference between IUSA.L and UC99.L?

IUSA.L is categorized as S&P 500, while UC99.L is Large Cap Blend Equities. IUSA.L tracks S&P 500 Index, while UC99.L tracks Russell 1000 TR USD. They also come from different issuers: iShares and UBS. Their fees differ too: 0.07% for IUSA.L and 0.25% for UC99.L.