R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

R2SC.L (SPDR Russell 2000 US Small Cap UCITS ETF) and DFEN.DE (VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A) are both exchange-traded funds - R2SC.L is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Russell 2000 TR USD, while DFEN.DE is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, R2SC.L returned 40.29% vs 16.62% for DFEN.DE. At a 0.45 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. R2SC.L charges 0.30%/yr vs 0.55%/yr for DFEN.DE.

Performance

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in SPDR Russell 2000 US Small Cap UCITS ETF (R2SC.L) and VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

R2SC.L is traded in GBP, while DFEN.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the DFEN.DE values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, R2SC.L achieves a 16.67% return, which is significantly higher than DFEN.DE's 2.80% return.

R2SC.L

• 1D: -0.62%
• 1M: 4.94%
• YTD: 16.67%
• 6M: 16.08%
• 1Y: 40.29%
• 3Y*: 15.25%
• 5Y*: 7.03%
• 10Y*: 11.53%

DFEN.DE

• 1D: -1.41%
• 1M: -4.41%
• YTD: 2.80%
• 6M: 8.08%
• 1Y: 16.62%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
R2SC.L SPDR Russell 2000 US Small Cap UCITS ETF	16.67%	4.66%	11.86%	11.19%
DFEN.DE VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A	2.80%	58.61%	45.35%	10.39%

Correlation

The correlation between R2SC.L and DFEN.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 (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 20, 2023	0.45

The correlation between R2SC.L and DFEN.DE shifts across timeframes, from 0.33 (1 year) to 0.45 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE — Risk / Return Rank

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

R2SC.L

R2SC.L Risk / Return Rank: 72
R2SC.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
R2SC.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
R2SC.L Omega Ratio Rank: 64
R2SC.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
R2SC.L Martin Ratio Rank: 73

DFEN.DE

DFEN.DE Risk / Return Rank: 17
DFEN.DE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
DFEN.DE Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
DFEN.DE Omega Ratio Rank: 17
DFEN.DE Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
DFEN.DE Martin Ratio Rank: 17

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.

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Russell 2000 US Small Cap UCITS ETF (R2SC.L) and VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.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.

	R2SC.L	DFEN.DE	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.34	0.68	+1.66
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.19	1.11	+2.08
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.13	+0.26
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.65	0.89	+3.75
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	13.68	2.22	+11.46
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current R2SC.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.34, which is higher than the DFEN.DE Sharpe Ratio of 0.68. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of R2SC.L and DFEN.DE, 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

	R2SC.L	DFEN.DE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.34	0.68	+1.66
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	1.81	-1.27

Drawdowns

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum R2SC.L drawdown since its inception was -35.03%, which is greater than DFEN.DE's maximum drawdown of -18.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for R2SC.L and DFEN.DE.

Drawdown Indicators

	R2SC.L	DFEN.DE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.03%	-18.56%	-16.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.63%	-18.56%	+9.93%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-30.00%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-30.00%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.03%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.21%	-15.75%	+14.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.52%	-3.19%	-5.33%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.94%	7.47%	-4.53%

Volatility

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR Russell 2000 US Small Cap UCITS ETF (R2SC.L) is 5.26%, while VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) has a volatility of 7.48%. This indicates that R2SC.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFEN.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	R2SC.L	DFEN.DE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.26%	7.48%	-2.22%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.75%	18.62%	-6.87%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.24%	24.37%	-7.13%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.06%	21.09%	-1.03%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.78%	21.09%	-0.31%

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison

R2SC.L has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than DFEN.DE's 0.55% expense ratio.

Dividends

R2SC.L vs. DFEN.DE - Dividend Comparison

Neither R2SC.L nor DFEN.DE has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both R2SC.L and DFEN.DE in my portfolio?

R2SC.L and DFEN.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.

Which ETF is better, R2SC.L or DFEN.DE?

On fees, R2SC.L is cheaper at 0.30% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, R2SC.L or DFEN.DE?

R2SC.L is cheaper with a 0.30% expense ratio, compared with 0.55% for DFEN.DE.

What is the main difference between R2SC.L and DFEN.DE?

R2SC.L is categorized as Small Cap Blend Equities, while DFEN.DE is Aerospace & Defense. R2SC.L tracks Russell 2000 TR USD, while DFEN.DE tracks MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index. They also come from different issuers: State Street and VanEck. Their fees differ too: 0.30% for R2SC.L and 0.55% for DFEN.DE.