JELMX vs. VFAIX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) and Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX).

JELMX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Jan 6, 1997. VFAIX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Feb 4, 2004.

Performance

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) and Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
JELMX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio	-1.24%	9.26%	8.15%	10.70%	-14.86%	7.89%	3.27%	16.71%	-3.99%	5.84%
VFAIX Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares	-9.18%	14.90%	30.46%	14.07%	-12.26%	36.27%	-2.15%	31.63%	-13.47%	20.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, JELMX achieves a -1.24% return, which is significantly higher than VFAIX's -9.18% return. Over the past 10 years, JELMX has underperformed VFAIX with an annualized return of 3.62%, while VFAIX has yielded a comparatively higher 12.36% annualized return.

JELMX

• 1D: 1.47%
• 1M: -3.53%
• YTD: -1.24%
• 6M: 0.19%
• 1Y: 7.06%
• 3Y*: 7.66%
• 5Y*: 3.09%
• 10Y*: 3.62%

VFAIX

• 1D: 2.18%
• 1M: -3.59%
• YTD: -9.18%
• 6M: -6.35%
• 1Y: 2.77%
• 3Y*: 17.93%
• 5Y*: 9.49%
• 10Y*: 12.36%

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

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

JELMX has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is higher than VFAIX's 0.10% 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%.

JELMX

John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio

VFAIX

Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares

Return for Risk

JELMX vs. VFAIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

JELMX

JELMX Risk / Return Rank: 32
JELMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 42
JELMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
JELMX Omega Ratio Rank: 39
JELMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
JELMX Martin Ratio Rank: 20

VFAIX

VFAIX Risk / Return Rank: 8
VFAIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
VFAIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
VFAIX Omega Ratio Rank: 7
VFAIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
VFAIX Martin Ratio Rank: 10

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.

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) and Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX). 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.

	JELMX	VFAIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.14	+0.83
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.42	0.32	+1.10
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.05	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.76	0.26	+0.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.71	0.78	+1.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current JELMX Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is higher than the VFAIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of JELMX and VFAIX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	JELMX	VFAIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.14	+0.83
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.42	0.49	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	0.55	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.12	0.23	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between JELMX and VFAIX is 0.69, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Dividend Comparison

JELMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.36%, more than VFAIX's 1.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
JELMX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio	5.36%	5.30%	2.83%	9.63%	6.29%	2.77%	7.50%	5.78%	9.60%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VFAIX Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares	1.61%	1.56%	1.75%	2.08%	2.31%	2.62%	2.21%	2.17%	2.30%	1.54%	1.64%	2.00%

Drawdowns

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum JELMX drawdown since its inception was -44.89%, smaller than the maximum VFAIX drawdown of -78.64%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for JELMX and VFAIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	JELMX	VFAIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-44.89%	-78.64%	+33.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.35%	-14.72%	+8.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.32%	-25.71%	+7.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-18.32%	-44.37%	+26.05%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.07%	-11.94%	+7.87%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.67%	-18.69%	+7.02%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.30%	4.92%	-2.62%

Volatility

JELMX vs. VFAIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Managed Volatility Moderate Portfolio (JELMX) is 3.49%, while Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX) has a volatility of 4.84%. This indicates that JELMX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VFAIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	JELMX	VFAIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.49%	4.84%	-1.35%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.16%	11.74%	-6.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.91%	19.94%	-11.03%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.53%	19.42%	-11.89%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.36%	22.63%	-15.27%