USA vs. VUG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (USA) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG).

VUG is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index. It was launched on Nov 13, 2000.

Performance

USA vs. VUG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (USA) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

USA vs. VUG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
USA Liberty All-Star Equity Fund	-7.72%	0.09%	20.81%	23.17%	-25.20%	33.76%	12.89%	39.70%	-5.06%	34.66%
VUG Vanguard Growth ETF	-9.39%	19.40%	32.69%	46.83%	-33.16%	27.35%	40.25%	37.03%	-3.32%	27.72%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USA achieves a -7.72% return, which is significantly higher than VUG's -9.39% return. Over the past 10 years, USA has underperformed VUG with an annualized return of 11.94%, while VUG has yielded a comparatively higher 16.16% annualized return.

USA

• 1D: 1.44%
• 1M: -5.85%
• YTD: -7.72%
• 6M: -6.62%
• 1Y: -5.00%
• 3Y*: 7.24%
• 5Y*: 3.73%
• 10Y*: 11.94%

VUG

• 1D: 1.09%
• 1M: -4.37%
• YTD: -9.39%
• 6M: -8.17%
• 1Y: 18.52%
• 3Y*: 21.59%
• 5Y*: 11.67%
• 10Y*: 16.16%

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

Return for Risk

USA vs. VUG — Risk / Return Rank

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

USA

USA Risk / Return Rank: 27
USA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 27
USA Sortino Ratio Rank: 22
USA Omega Ratio Rank: 23
USA Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
USA Martin Ratio Rank: 28

VUG

VUG Risk / Return Rank: 44
VUG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 42
VUG Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
VUG Omega Ratio Rank: 46
VUG Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
VUG Martin Ratio Rank: 43

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.

USA vs. VUG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (USA) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG). 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.

	USA	VUG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.29	0.82	-1.11
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.30	1.32	-1.62
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.96	1.19	-0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.28	1.19	-1.47
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.76	4.15	-4.91
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

USA vs. VUG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USA Sharpe Ratio is -0.29, which is lower than the VUG Sharpe Ratio of 0.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USA and VUG, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	USA	VUG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.29	0.82	-1.11
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.18	0.53	-0.35
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.76	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.57	-0.24

Correlation

The correlation between USA and VUG is 0.74, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

USA vs. VUG - Dividend Comparison

USA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 12.08%, more than VUG's 0.45% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
USA Liberty All-Star Equity Fund	12.08%	10.67%	10.22%	9.56%	12.11%	9.67%	9.13%	9.75%	12.64%	8.89%	9.30%	9.53%
VUG Vanguard Growth ETF	0.45%	0.41%	0.47%	0.58%	0.70%	0.48%	0.66%	0.95%	1.32%	1.14%	1.39%	1.30%

Drawdowns

USA vs. VUG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USA drawdown since its inception was -69.15%, which is greater than VUG's maximum drawdown of -50.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USA and VUG.

Drawdown Indicators

	USA	VUG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-69.15%	-50.68%	-18.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.28%	-16.53%	+1.25%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-34.05%	-35.61%	+1.56%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-47.07%	-35.61%	-11.46%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.67%	-12.25%	-0.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.53%	-7.13%	-4.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.64%	4.72%	+0.92%

Volatility

USA vs. VUG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (USA) is 5.71%, while Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) has a volatility of 7.12%. This indicates that USA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VUG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	USA	VUG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.71%	7.12%	-1.41%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.53%	12.70%	-2.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.40%	22.70%	-5.30%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.72%	22.22%	-1.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.54%	21.38%	+1.16%