VAS.AX vs. IDEV
VAS.AX (Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF) and IDEV (iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VAS.AX is a Australia Equities fund tracking the S&P/ASX 300 Index, while IDEV is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI World ex USA Investable Market Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VAS.AX returned 6.75%/yr vs 10.76%/yr for IDEV. At a 0.14 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VAS.AX charges 0.07%/yr vs 0.05%/yr for IDEV.
Performance
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
VAS.AX is traded in AUD, while IDEV is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the IDEV values have been converted to AUD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VAS.AX achieves a 1.86% return, which is significantly lower than IDEV's 5.70% return.
VAS.AX
- 1D
- 0.13%
- 1M
- -0.77%
- 6M
- 1.35%
- YTD
- 1.86%
- 1Y
- 4.90%
- 3Y*
- 9.38%
- 5Y*
- 6.75%
- 10Y*
- 8.30%
IDEV
- 1D
- 0.33%
- 1M
- 1.59%
- 6M
- 2.41%
- YTD
- 5.70%
- 1Y
- 15.47%
- 3Y*
- 15.78%
- 5Y*
- 10.76%
- 10Y*
- —
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VAS.AX Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF | 1.86% | 10.66% | 9.60% | 11.05% | -2.40% | 17.39% | 1.90% | 23.77% | -3.99% | 10.13% |
IDEV iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF | 5.70% | 22.94% | 15.06% | 17.45% | -9.37% | 19.62% | -1.19% | 23.70% | -4.89% | 14.72% |
Correlation
The correlation between VAS.AX and IDEV is 0.06, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.06 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.09 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.09 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 23, 2017 | 0.14 |
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Return for Risk
VAS.AX vs. IDEV — Risk / Return Rank
VAS.AX
IDEV
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS.AX) and iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF (IDEV). 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.
| VAS.AX | IDEV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.94 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.37 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.09 | 1.26 | -0.17 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.65 | 1.51 | -0.86 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.54 | 5.83 | -4.29 |
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Drawdowns
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VAS.AX drawdown since its inception was -35.75%, which is greater than IDEV's maximum drawdown of -25.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VAS.AX and IDEV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VAS.AX | IDEV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -35.75% | -25.74% | -10.01% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.56% | -10.27% | +1.71% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -13.23% | -10.27% | -2.96% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -15.18% | -19.57% | +4.39% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.75% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.89% | -1.04% | -1.85% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.80% | -4.06% | -0.74% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.68% | 2.66% | +1.02% |
Volatility
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS.AX) has a higher volatility of 2.37% compared to iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF (IDEV) at 2.13%. This indicates that VAS.AX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IDEV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VAS.AX | IDEV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.37% | 2.13% | +0.24% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.05% | 9.39% | +0.66% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 12.14% | 11.08% | +1.06% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 12.76% | 11.70% | +1.06% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 14.39% | 13.68% | +0.71% |
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Expense Ratio Comparison
VAS.AX has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is higher than IDEV's 0.05% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
VAS.AX vs. IDEV - Dividend Comparison
VAS.AX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.22%, less than IDEV's 3.19% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IDEV iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF | 3.19% | 3.40% | 3.30% | 3.07% | 2.69% | 3.05% | 2.00% | 3.18% | 3.16% | 1.54% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VAS.AX Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF | 2.22% | 3.17% | 1.68% | 2.92% | 6.39% | 3.30% | 2.56% | 4.12% | 3.90% | 2.57% | 2.82% | 3.19% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VAS.AX and IDEV have a correlation of 0.06, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IDEV is cheaper at 0.05% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IDEV is cheaper with a 0.05% expense ratio, compared with 0.07% for VAS.AX.
VAS.AX is categorized as Australia Equities, while IDEV is Foreign Large Cap Equities. VAS.AX tracks S&P/ASX 300 Index, while IDEV tracks MSCI World ex USA Investable Market Index. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.07% for VAS.AX and 0.05% for IDEV.
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