SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE
SEMA.L (iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc)) and VFEM.DE (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Distributing) are both Emerging Markets Equities funds tracking the MSCI EM NR USD, from iShares and Vanguard respectively. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SEMA.L returned 8.58%/yr vs 6.16%/yr for VFEM.DE. Their correlation of 0.93 suggests significant overlap in exposure. SEMA.L charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.22%/yr for VFEM.DE.
Performance
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
SEMA.L is traded in GBp, while VFEM.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the VFEM.DE values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SEMA.L achieves a 26.04% return, which is significantly higher than VFEM.DE's 11.77% return.
SEMA.L
- 1D
- -1.41%
- 1M
- 6.37%
- YTD
- 26.04%
- 6M
- 28.18%
- 1Y
- 53.95%
- 3Y*
- 20.93%
- 5Y*
- 8.58%
- 10Y*
- 10.90%
VFEM.DE
- 1D
- -0.41%
- 1M
- 2.46%
- YTD
- 11.77%
- 6M
- 11.97%
- 1Y
- 29.94%
- 3Y*
- 15.22%
- 5Y*
- 6.16%
- 10Y*
- —
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEMA.L iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc) | 26.04% | 25.09% | 9.38% | 3.47% | -10.74% | -1.60% | 14.69% | 12.62% | -9.25% | 2.20% |
VFEM.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Distributing | 11.77% | 17.20% | 14.60% | 1.22% | -6.15% | -1.16% | 9.40% | 17.14% | -8.05% | 2.16% |
Correlation
The correlation between SEMA.L and VFEM.DE is 0.91, 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 | 0.91 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.93 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.93 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 27, 2017 | 0.93 |
The correlation between SEMA.L and VFEM.DE has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.91 to 0.93 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE — Risk / Return Rank
SEMA.L
VFEM.DE
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc) (SEMA.L) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Distributing (VFEM.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.
| SEMA.L | VFEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.04 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.16 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.59 | 1.38 | +0.21 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.90 | 3.37 | +1.54 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 17.45 | 11.24 | +6.21 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SEMA.L | VFEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.16 | 2.13 | +1.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.53 | 0.39 | +0.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.61 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.40 | 0.35 | +0.04 |
Drawdowns
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SEMA.L drawdown since its inception was -31.75%, which is greater than VFEM.DE's maximum drawdown of -25.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SEMA.L and VFEM.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SEMA.L | VFEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -31.75% | -25.58% | -6.17% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -10.95% | -8.85% | -2.10% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.23% | -16.05% | +0.82% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -23.52% | -19.68% | -3.84% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -27.06% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.37% | -1.53% | -0.84% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.72% | -8.39% | -2.33% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.08% | 2.66% | +0.42% |
Volatility
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Volatility Comparison
iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc) (SEMA.L) has a higher volatility of 7.29% compared to Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Distributing (VFEM.DE) at 5.20%. This indicates that SEMA.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VFEM.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SEMA.L | VFEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.29% | 5.20% | +2.09% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.56% | 11.39% | +3.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.00% | 14.06% | +2.94% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.21% | 15.67% | +0.54% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.05% | 17.95% | +0.10% |
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
SEMA.L has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than VFEM.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
SEMA.L vs. VFEM.DE - Dividend Comparison
SEMA.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VFEM.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.04%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEMA.L iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc) | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VFEM.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Distributing | 2.04% | 2.39% | 2.28% | 2.66% | 3.38% | 2.26% | 1.93% | 2.32% | 2.79% | 0.20% |
Frequently Asked Questions
With a correlation of 0.91, SEMA.L and VFEM.DE move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.
On fees, SEMA.L is cheaper at 0.18% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
SEMA.L is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.22% for VFEM.DE.
Both ETFs track MSCI EM NR USD. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for SEMA.L and 0.22% for VFEM.DE.
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