VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF (VDHG.AX) and iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF (XUSE.AS).

VDHG.AX and XUSE.AS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VDHG.AX is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Nov 20, 2017. XUSE.AS is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI World ex USA Index. It was launched on Jan 24, 2025.

Performance

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a A$10,000 investment in Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF (VDHG.AX) and iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF (XUSE.AS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
VDHG.AX Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF	-2.79%	9.57%
XUSE.AS iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF	-0.85%	16.96%

Different Trading Currencies

VDHG.AX is traded in AUD, while XUSE.AS is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the XUSE.AS values have been converted to AUD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VDHG.AX achieves a -2.79% return, which is significantly lower than XUSE.AS's -0.85% return.

VDHG.AX

• 1D: 1.97%
• 1M: -3.85%
• YTD: -2.79%
• 6M: -1.04%
• 1Y: 12.17%
• 3Y*: 12.53%
• 5Y*: 8.24%
• 10Y*: —

XUSE.AS

• 1D: 3.92%
• 1M: -1.01%
• YTD: -0.85%
• 6M: 3.37%
• 1Y: 15.10%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Expense Ratio Comparison

VDHG.AX has a 0.27% expense ratio, which is higher than XUSE.AS's 0.25% 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%.

VDHG.AX

Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF

XUSE.AS

iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF

Return for Risk

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS — Risk / Return Rank

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

VDHG.AX

VDHG.AX Risk / Return Rank: 54
VDHG.AX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
VDHG.AX Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
VDHG.AX Omega Ratio Rank: 54
VDHG.AX Calmar Ratio Rank: 59
VDHG.AX Martin Ratio Rank: 56

XUSE.AS

XUSE.AS Risk / Return Rank: 85
XUSE.AS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
XUSE.AS Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
XUSE.AS Omega Ratio Rank: 80
XUSE.AS Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
XUSE.AS Martin Ratio Rank: 92

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.

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF (VDHG.AX) and iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF (XUSE.AS). 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.

	VDHG.AX	XUSE.AS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	1.02	-0.06
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.40	1.45	-0.06
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.21	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.62	1.97	-0.35
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.93	7.88	-1.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VDHG.AX Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the XUSE.AS Sharpe Ratio of 1.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VDHG.AX and XUSE.AS, 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

	VDHG.AX	XUSE.AS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	1.02	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.76	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.74	0.91	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between VDHG.AX and XUSE.AS is 0.31, 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

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Dividend Comparison

VDHG.AX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.47%, while XUSE.AS has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VDHG.AX Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF	3.47%	3.94%	3.15%	2.68%	4.94%	5.52%	5.09%	3.87%	2.48%
XUSE.AS iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VDHG.AX drawdown since its inception was -28.34%, which is greater than XUSE.AS's maximum drawdown of -10.88%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VDHG.AX and XUSE.AS.

Drawdown Indicators

	VDHG.AX	XUSE.AS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.34%	-12.97%	-15.37%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.64%	-10.54%	+2.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.16%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.60%	-6.24%	+1.64%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.71%	-1.59%	-2.12%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.01%	2.62%	-0.61%

Volatility

VDHG.AX vs. XUSE.AS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Diversified High Growth INDEX ETF (VDHG.AX) is 5.45%, while iShares MSCI World ex-USA UCITS ETF (XUSE.AS) has a volatility of 6.56%. This indicates that VDHG.AX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XUSE.AS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VDHG.AX	XUSE.AS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.45%	6.56%	-1.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.82%	9.82%	-2.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.61%	14.61%	-2.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.78%	14.65%	-3.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.88%	14.65%	-2.77%