VDET.L vs. XUEM.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

VDET.L (Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing) and XUEM.L (Xtrackers USD Emerging Markets Bond UCITS ETF 2D) are both Emerging Markets Bonds funds - VDET.L tracks the Bloomberg EM USD Sovereign + Quasi-Sov Index while XUEM.L tracks the JPM EMBI Global Diversified TR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VDET.L returned 2.30%/yr vs 1.90%/yr for XUEM.L. Their correlation of 0.92 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VDET.L charges 0.23%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for XUEM.L.

Performance

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VDET.L) and Xtrackers USD Emerging Markets Bond UCITS ETF 2D (XUEM.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VDET.L achieves a 1.31% return, which is significantly lower than XUEM.L's 2.60% return.

VDET.L

• 1D: -0.02%
• 1M: 0.71%
• YTD: 1.31%
• 6M: 1.85%
• 1Y: 9.46%
• 3Y*: 8.79%
• 5Y*: 2.30%
• 10Y*: —

XUEM.L

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: 1.00%
• YTD: 2.60%
• 6M: 3.19%
• 1Y: 12.53%
• 3Y*: 10.25%
• 5Y*: 1.90%
• 10Y*: —

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

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VDET.L Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing	1.31%	11.70%	6.40%	9.41%	-15.27%	-1.76%	6.08%	13.11%	0.05%
XUEM.L Xtrackers USD Emerging Markets Bond UCITS ETF 2D	2.60%	13.58%	6.08%	10.88%	-19.42%	-2.38%	3.07%	15.18%	-0.93%

Correlation

The correlation between VDET.L and XUEM.L is 0.90, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.90
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.93
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.93
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 23, 2018	0.92

The correlation between VDET.L and XUEM.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.90 to 0.93 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

VDET.L

VDET.L Risk / Return Rank: 62
VDET.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
VDET.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
VDET.L Omega Ratio Rank: 64
VDET.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
VDET.L Martin Ratio Rank: 61

XUEM.L

XUEM.L Risk / Return Rank: 79
XUEM.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
XUEM.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
XUEM.L Omega Ratio Rank: 84
XUEM.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
XUEM.L Martin Ratio Rank: 74

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.

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VDET.L) and Xtrackers USD Emerging Markets Bond UCITS ETF 2D (XUEM.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.

	VDET.L	XUEM.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.00	2.52	-0.52
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.13	4.01	-0.88
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.50	-0.12
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.65	3.22	-0.57
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	10.75	13.78	-3.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VDET.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.00, which is comparable to the XUEM.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VDET.L and XUEM.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.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VDET.L	XUEM.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.00	2.52	-0.52
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32	0.21	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.45	0.28	+0.17

Drawdowns

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VDET.L drawdown since its inception was -24.09%, smaller than the maximum XUEM.L drawdown of -29.94%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VDET.L and XUEM.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	VDET.L	XUEM.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-24.09%	-29.94%	+5.85%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.56%	-3.88%	+0.32%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-6.04%	-8.08%	+2.04%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.09%	-29.94%	+5.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.22%	-0.02%	-0.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.96%	-7.83%	+2.87%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.88%	0.91%	-0.03%

Volatility

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VDET.L) has a higher volatility of 1.79% compared to Xtrackers USD Emerging Markets Bond UCITS ETF 2D (XUEM.L) at 1.66%. This indicates that VDET.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XUEM.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VDET.L	XUEM.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.79%	1.66%	+0.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.72%	3.97%	-0.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.72%	4.97%	-0.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.17%	8.90%	-1.73%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.70%	10.84%	-3.14%

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

VDET.L has a 0.23% expense ratio, which is lower than XUEM.L's 0.25% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

VDET.L vs. XUEM.L - Dividend Comparison

VDET.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.91%, more than XUEM.L's 5.21% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VDET.L Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing	5.91%	6.03%	5.84%	5.44%	5.01%	3.89%	4.19%	4.32%	4.61%	4.59%
XUEM.L Xtrackers USD Emerging Markets Bond UCITS ETF 2D	5.21%	5.30%	6.79%	5.27%	5.92%	8.49%	4.18%	0.61%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VDET.L and XUEM.L in my portfolio?

VDET.L and XUEM.L have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, VDET.L or XUEM.L?

On fees, VDET.L is cheaper at 0.23% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, VDET.L or XUEM.L?

VDET.L is cheaper with a 0.23% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for XUEM.L.

What is the main difference between VDET.L and XUEM.L?

VDET.L tracks Bloomberg EM USD Sovereign + Quasi-Sov Index, while XUEM.L tracks JPM EMBI Global Diversified TR USD. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and Xtrackers. Their fees differ too: 0.23% for VDET.L and 0.25% for XUEM.L.