NATO.L vs. VUSA.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

NATO.L (HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF - Accumulating) and VUSA.L (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - NATO.L is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the EQM Future of Defence Index, while VUSA.L is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, NATO.L returned 18.84% vs 27.87% for VUSA.L. A 0.60 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. NATO.L charges 0.49%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VUSA.L.

Performance

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF - Accumulating (NATO.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

NATO.L is traded in USD, while VUSA.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the VUSA.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NATO.L achieves a 12.00% return, which is significantly higher than VUSA.L's 10.25% return.

NATO.L

• 1D: -0.93%
• 1M: 7.14%
• YTD: 12.00%
• 6M: 14.29%
• 1Y: 18.84%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

VUSA.L

• 1D: 0.08%
• 1M: 4.62%
• YTD: 10.25%
• 6M: 11.29%
• 1Y: 27.87%
• 3Y*: 22.08%
• 5Y*: 13.73%
• 10Y*: 15.22%

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

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
NATO.L HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF - Accumulating	12.00%	54.83%	31.99%	16.64%
VUSA.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF	10.25%	17.65%	25.21%	7.95%

Correlation

The correlation between NATO.L and VUSA.L is 0.47, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.47
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 4, 2023	0.60

The correlation between NATO.L and VUSA.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.47 (1 year) to 0.60 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

NATO.L

NATO.L Risk / Return Rank: 27
NATO.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 27
NATO.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
NATO.L Omega Ratio Rank: 25
NATO.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
NATO.L Martin Ratio Rank: 27

VUSA.L

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

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF - Accumulating (NATO.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.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.

	NATO.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.94	2.48	-1.55
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.42	3.58	-2.15
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.45	-0.28
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.47	3.19	-1.73
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.58	13.78	-10.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NATO.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.94, which is lower than the VUSA.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.48. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NATO.L and VUSA.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

	NATO.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.94	2.48	-1.55
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.88	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.94	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.44	0.96	+0.48

Drawdowns

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NATO.L drawdown since its inception was -21.84%, smaller than the maximum VUSA.L drawdown of -33.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NATO.L and VUSA.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	NATO.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-21.84%	-33.50%	+11.66%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.79%	-8.69%	-4.10%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-18.45%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-25.32%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.50%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.05%	-0.54%	-2.51%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.63%	-3.71%	+1.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.25%	2.02%	+3.23%

Volatility

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Volatility Comparison

HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF - Accumulating (NATO.L) has a higher volatility of 6.32% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.L) at 2.60%. This indicates that NATO.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VUSA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NATO.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.32%	2.60%	+3.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.95%	7.99%	+7.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.06%	11.18%	+8.88%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.56%	15.63%	+11.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.56%	16.21%	+11.35%

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

NATO.L has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is higher than VUSA.L's 0.07% expense ratio.

Dividends

NATO.L vs. VUSA.L - Dividend Comparison

NATO.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VUSA.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.87%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NATO.L HANetf Future of Defence UCITS ETF - Accumulating	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VUSA.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF	0.87%	0.95%	1.00%	1.24%	1.41%	1.04%	1.44%	1.50%	1.72%	1.61%	1.58%	1.73%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NATO.L and VUSA.L in my portfolio?

NATO.L and VUSA.L have a correlation of 0.47, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, NATO.L or VUSA.L?

On fees, VUSA.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, NATO.L or VUSA.L?

VUSA.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.49% for NATO.L.

What is the main difference between NATO.L and VUSA.L?

NATO.L is categorized as Aerospace & Defense, while VUSA.L is S&P 500. NATO.L tracks EQM Future of Defence Index, while VUSA.L tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: HANetf and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.49% for NATO.L and 0.07% for VUSA.L.