VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO) and iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO).

VCNS.TO and GCNS.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VCNS.TO is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Jan 25, 2018. GCNS.TO is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Sep 2, 2020.

Performance

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO) and iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
VCNS.TO Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio	-0.16%	8.13%	9.74%	10.32%	-11.72%	5.79%	4.91%
GCNS.TO iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio	-2.35%	7.23%	15.54%	11.66%	-10.94%	8.07%	4.37%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VCNS.TO achieves a -0.16% return, which is significantly higher than GCNS.TO's -2.35% return.

VCNS.TO

• 1D: -0.38%
• 1M: -3.12%
• YTD: -0.16%
• 6M: -0.78%
• 1Y: 7.06%
• 3Y*: 7.82%
• 5Y*: 4.07%
• 10Y*: —

GCNS.TO

• 1D: -0.27%
• 1M: -3.78%
• YTD: -2.35%
• 6M: -2.80%
• 1Y: 5.80%
• 3Y*: 9.07%
• 5Y*: 5.25%
• 10Y*: —

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

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both VCNS.TO and GCNS.TO have an expense ratio of 0.25%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VCNS.TO

Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio

GCNS.TO

iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio

Return for Risk

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

VCNS.TO

VCNS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 48
VCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
VCNS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
VCNS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 49
VCNS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
VCNS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 48

GCNS.TO

GCNS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 36
GCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
GCNS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
GCNS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 37
GCNS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 41
GCNS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 37

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.

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO) and iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO). 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.

	VCNS.TO	GCNS.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.67	+0.29
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.31	0.96	+0.35
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.16	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.35	1.16	+0.19
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.86	3.66	+1.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is higher than the GCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.67. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VCNS.TO and GCNS.TO, 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

	VCNS.TO	GCNS.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.67	+0.29
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	0.65	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.73	-0.48

Correlation

The correlation between VCNS.TO and GCNS.TO is 0.28, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Dividend Comparison

VCNS.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.92%, less than GCNS.TO's 2.17% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VCNS.TO Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio	1.92%	2.54%	2.58%	2.57%	2.28%	2.09%	1.88%	2.28%	75.90%
GCNS.TO iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio	2.17%	2.07%	2.03%	2.88%	2.09%	1.60%	2.49%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VCNS.TO drawdown since its inception was -18.04%, which is greater than GCNS.TO's maximum drawdown of -15.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VCNS.TO and GCNS.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	VCNS.TO	GCNS.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.04%	-15.37%	-2.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.38%	-5.05%	-0.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.73%	-15.37%	-0.36%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.57%	-4.69%	+1.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.09%	-3.65%	+0.56%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.49%	1.60%	-0.11%

Volatility

VCNS.TO vs. GCNS.TO - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio (VCNS.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.19% compared to iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO) at 2.25%. This indicates that VCNS.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GCNS.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VCNS.TO	GCNS.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.19%	2.25%	+0.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.92%	4.92%	0.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.42%	9.56%	-2.14%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.73%	8.07%	-1.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	92.43%	7.80%	+84.63%