LQD vs. VFEA.DE
LQD (iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) and VFEA.DE (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc) are both exchange-traded funds - LQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index, while VFEA.DE is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the FTSE Emerging. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, LQD returned -0.21%/yr vs 4.85%/yr for VFEA.DE. At a 0.18 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. LQD charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.22%/yr for VFEA.DE.
Performance
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
LQD is traded in USD, while VFEA.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the VFEA.DE values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LQD achieves a 0.82% return, which is significantly lower than VFEA.DE's 10.18% return.
LQD
- 1D
- -0.06%
- 1M
- 0.80%
- YTD
- 0.82%
- 6M
- 1.24%
- 1Y
- 5.80%
- 3Y*
- 5.30%
- 5Y*
- -0.21%
- 10Y*
- 2.54%
VFEA.DE
- 1D
- 2.21%
- 1M
- -0.83%
- YTD
- 10.18%
- 6M
- 12.07%
- 1Y
- 26.14%
- 3Y*
- 16.55%
- 5Y*
- 4.85%
- 10Y*
- —
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.82% | 7.90% | 0.86% | 9.40% | -17.92% | -1.84% | 10.97% | 1.77% |
VFEA.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc | 10.18% | 25.59% | 12.47% | 6.58% | -15.62% | -2.05% | 13.57% | 1.64% |
Correlation
The correlation between LQD and VFEA.DE is 0.33, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.33 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 24, 2019 | 0.18 |
The correlation between LQD and VFEA.DE shifts across timeframes, from 0.18 (all time) to 0.33 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
LQD vs. VFEA.DE — Risk / Return Rank
LQD
VFEA.DE
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.DE). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| LQD | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.54 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.75 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 1.27 | -0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.55 | 2.28 | -0.73 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.37 | 7.88 | -3.51 |
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Drawdowns
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LQD drawdown since its inception was -24.95%, smaller than the maximum VFEA.DE drawdown of -36.07%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LQD and VFEA.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LQD | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -24.95% | -36.07% | +11.12% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.34% | -10.75% | +7.41% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -8.43% | -16.73% | +8.30% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.95% | -33.07% | +8.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.95% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.37% | -2.98% | -0.39% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.99% | -13.54% | +9.55% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.19% | 3.12% | -1.93% |
Volatility
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) is 1.78%, while Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.DE) has a volatility of 6.10%. This indicates that LQD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VFEA.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LQD | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.78% | 6.10% | -4.32% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.02% | 13.67% | -9.65% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.37% | 16.26% | -10.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 8.65% | 17.55% | -8.90% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 8.69% | 19.90% | -11.21% |
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
LQD has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than VFEA.DE's 0.22% 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
LQD vs. VFEA.DE - Dividend Comparison
LQD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.55%, while VFEA.DE has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.55% | 4.48% | 4.45% | 3.99% | 3.30% | 2.30% | 2.66% | 3.29% | 3.67% | 3.10% | 3.34% | 3.47% |
VFEA.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LQD and VFEA.DE have a correlation of 0.33, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, LQD is cheaper at 0.15% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
LQD is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.22% for VFEA.DE.
LQD is categorized as Corporate Bonds, while VFEA.DE is Emerging Markets Equities. LQD tracks iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index, while VFEA.DE tracks FTSE Emerging. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for LQD and 0.22% for VFEA.DE.
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