VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.L).

VDEM.L and VUSA.L are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VDEM.L is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Emerging Index. It was launched on Sep 24, 2019. VUSA.L is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on May 14, 2019. Both VDEM.L and VUSA.L are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VDEM.L Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS	-1.92%	25.92%	12.28%	7.28%	-17.20%	-0.89%	14.86%	18.83%	-12.55%	31.59%
VUSA.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF	-6.16%	17.65%	25.21%	26.13%	-18.75%	29.80%	17.14%	31.62%	-5.77%	21.25%

Different Trading Currencies

VDEM.L is traded in USD, while VUSA.L is traded in GBP. To make them comparable, the VUSA.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VDEM.L achieves a -1.92% return, which is significantly higher than VUSA.L's -6.83% return. Over the past 10 years, VDEM.L has underperformed VUSA.L with an annualized return of 7.50%, while VUSA.L has yielded a comparatively higher 13.54% annualized return.

VDEM.L

• 1D: 0.63%
• 1M: -8.85%
• YTD: -1.92%
• 6M: -0.17%
• 1Y: 20.67%
• 3Y*: 12.92%
• 5Y*: 3.22%
• 10Y*: 7.50%

VUSA.L

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -6.91%
• YTD: -6.83%
• 6M: -3.24%
• 1Y: 16.59%
• 3Y*: 17.66%
• 5Y*: 11.15%
• 10Y*: 13.54%

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

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

VDEM.L has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is higher than VUSA.L's 0.07% 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%.

VDEM.L

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS

VUSA.L

Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF

Return for Risk

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

VDEM.L

VDEM.L Risk / Return Rank: 64
VDEM.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
VDEM.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
VDEM.L Omega Ratio Rank: 62
VDEM.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
VDEM.L Martin Ratio Rank: 61

VUSA.L

VUSA.L Risk / Return Rank: 56
VUSA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
VUSA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
VUSA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 58
VUSA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
VUSA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 53

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.

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.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.

	VDEM.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.19	1.04	+0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.63	1.52	+0.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.22	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.69	1.25	+0.44
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.08	5.76	+0.32
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VDEM.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.19, which is comparable to the VUSA.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VDEM.L and VUSA.L, 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

	VDEM.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.19	1.04	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.18	0.71	-0.53
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.83	-0.43
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.30	0.88	-0.58

Correlation

The correlation between VDEM.L and VUSA.L is 0.58, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Dividend Comparison

VDEM.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.32%, more than VUSA.L's 1.00% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VDEM.L Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS	2.32%	2.34%	2.38%	2.58%	3.27%	2.30%	1.81%	2.33%	2.82%	2.16%	2.40%	2.94%
VUSA.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF	1.00%	0.95%	1.00%	1.24%	1.41%	1.04%	1.44%	1.50%	1.72%	1.61%	1.58%	1.73%

Drawdowns

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VDEM.L drawdown since its inception was -36.63%, which is greater than VUSA.L's maximum drawdown of -33.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VDEM.L and VUSA.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	VDEM.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.63%	-25.47%	-11.16%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.70%	-10.49%	-1.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.40%	-20.94%	-12.46%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.35%	-25.47%	-10.88%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.96%	-6.19%	-3.77%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.81%	-3.22%	-9.59%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.24%	2.73%	+0.51%

Volatility

VDEM.L vs. VUSA.L - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS (VDEM.L) has a higher volatility of 7.19% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF (VUSA.L) at 3.73%. This indicates that VDEM.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VUSA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VDEM.L	VUSA.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.19%	3.73%	+3.46%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.37%	8.36%	+3.01%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.27%	15.93%	+1.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.52%	15.67%	+1.85%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.65%	16.18%	+2.47%