UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L

Last updated Jul 18, 2026

UNCU.L (First Trust US Equity Income UCITS ETF USD (Acc)) and VHYA.L (Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Accumulation) are both Dividend funds - UNCU.L tracks the Nasdaq US High Equity Income NTR Index while VHYA.L tracks the FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, UNCU.L returned 10.32%/yr vs 11.56%/yr for VHYA.L. A 0.66 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. UNCU.L charges 0.55%/yr vs 0.29%/yr for VHYA.L.

Performance

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust US Equity Income UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (UNCU.L) and Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VHYA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UNCU.L achieves a 19.69% return, which is significantly higher than VHYA.L's 13.35% return.

UNCU.L

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: 5.64%
• 6M: 16.43%
• YTD: 19.69%
• 1Y: 26.45%
• 3Y*: 15.54%
• 5Y*: 10.32%
• 10Y*: —

VHYA.L

• 1D: -0.27%
• 1M: 0.04%
• 6M: 9.86%
• YTD: 13.35%
• 1Y: 26.63%
• 3Y*: 17.94%
• 5Y*: 11.56%
• 10Y*: —

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

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
UNCU.L First Trust US Equity Income UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	19.69%	7.54%	6.63%	17.16%	-6.91%	32.03%	1.33%	7.41%
VHYA.L Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Accumulation	13.35%	27.01%	9.27%	11.29%	-5.35%	17.77%	-0.22%	7.95%

Correlation

The correlation between UNCU.L and VHYA.L is 0.51, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.51
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.63
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 24, 2019	0.66

The correlation between UNCU.L and VHYA.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.51 (1 year) to 0.71 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

UNCU.L

UNCU.L Risk / Return Rank: 83
UNCU.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
UNCU.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
UNCU.L Omega Ratio Rank: 79
UNCU.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
UNCU.L Martin Ratio Rank: 76

VHYA.L

VHYA.L Risk / Return Rank: 86
VHYA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
VHYA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
VHYA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 87
VHYA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
VHYA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust US Equity Income UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (UNCU.L) and Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VHYA.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.

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.

	UNCU.L	VHYA.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.07	2.31	-0.23
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.15	3.30	-0.15
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.41	-0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.93	3.38	+0.54
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	10.37	12.13	-1.75

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UNCU.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.07, which is comparable to the VHYA.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UNCU.L and VHYA.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.

Drawdowns

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UNCU.L drawdown since its inception was -45.45%, which is greater than VHYA.L's maximum drawdown of -36.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNCU.L and VHYA.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	UNCU.L	VHYA.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-45.45%	-36.62%	-8.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.71%	-7.84%	+1.13%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.42%	-12.65%	-8.77%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.42%	-21.08%	-0.34%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-0.27%	+0.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.93%	-5.01%	-1.92%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.54%	2.19%	+0.35%

Volatility

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Volatility Comparison

First Trust US Equity Income UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (UNCU.L) has a higher volatility of 3.90% compared to Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VHYA.L) at 2.27%. This indicates that UNCU.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VHYA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UNCU.L	VHYA.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.90%	2.27%	+1.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.96%	8.70%	+0.26%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.76%	11.50%	+1.26%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.83%	13.73%	+4.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.16%	16.42%	+5.74%

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

UNCU.L has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than VHYA.L's 0.29% expense ratio.

Dividends

UNCU.L vs. VHYA.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither UNCU.L nor VHYA.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both UNCU.L and VHYA.L in my portfolio?

UNCU.L and VHYA.L have a correlation of 0.51, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, UNCU.L or VHYA.L?

On fees, VHYA.L is cheaper at 0.29% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, UNCU.L or VHYA.L?

VHYA.L is cheaper with a 0.29% expense ratio, compared with 0.55% for UNCU.L.

What is the main difference between UNCU.L and VHYA.L?

UNCU.L tracks Nasdaq US High Equity Income NTR Index, while VHYA.L tracks FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.55% for UNCU.L and 0.29% for VHYA.L.