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VDU.TO vs. IEFA
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

VDU.TO vs. IEFA

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

VDU.TO (Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF) and IEFA (iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VDU.TO is a Global Equities fund tracking the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index, while IEFA is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VDU.TO returned 10.28%/yr vs 10.01%/yr for IEFA. Their correlation of 0.87 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VDU.TO charges 0.22%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for IEFA.

Performance

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF (VDU.TO) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Different Trading Currencies

VDU.TO is traded in CAD, while IEFA is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the IEFA values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VDU.TO achieves a 16.22% return, which is significantly higher than IEFA's 10.24% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VDU.TO having a 10.28% annualized return and IEFA not far behind at 10.01%.

VDU.TO

1D
-0.45%
1M
7.62%
YTD
16.22%
6M
17.26%
1Y
33.30%
3Y*
20.33%
5Y*
11.99%
10Y*
10.28%

IEFA

1D
-0.38%
1M
5.50%
YTD
10.24%
6M
11.02%
1Y
23.58%
3Y*
18.08%
5Y*
11.16%
10Y*
10.01%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
VDU.TO
Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF		16.22%27.97%11.37%14.56%-9.89%10.23%7.06%15.90%-8.11%17.64%
IEFA
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF		10.24%26.02%12.13%15.35%-9.20%10.63%6.35%16.62%-6.86%18.51%

Correlation

The correlation between VDU.TO and IEFA is 0.92, 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

0.92

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.94

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.94

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.93

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 13, 2013

0.87

The correlation between VDU.TO and IEFA has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.87 to 0.94 - a consistent structural relationship.

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
VDU.TO
IEFA

Financial Services

23.3%
22.5%

Industrials

19.2%
20.1%

Technology

13.8%
10.8%

Healthcare

8.2%
9.5%

Basic Materials

7.5%
7.0%

Consumer Cyclical

7.5%
8.0%

Consumer Defensive

5.6%
6.6%

Energy

5.4%
3.8%

Communication Services

3.4%
4.4%

Utilities

3.3%
3.6%

Real Estate

2.7%
3.0%

Financial Services

VDU.TO
23.3%
IEFA
22.5%

Industrials

VDU.TO
19.2%
IEFA
20.1%

Technology

VDU.TO
13.8%
IEFA
10.8%

Healthcare

VDU.TO
8.2%
IEFA
9.5%

Basic Materials

VDU.TO
7.5%
IEFA
7.0%

Consumer Cyclical

VDU.TO
7.5%
IEFA
8.0%

Consumer Defensive

VDU.TO
5.6%
IEFA
6.6%

Energy

VDU.TO
5.4%
IEFA
3.8%

Communication Services

VDU.TO
3.4%
IEFA
4.4%

Utilities

VDU.TO
3.3%
IEFA
3.6%

Real Estate

VDU.TO
2.7%
IEFA
3.0%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

Often compared with VDU.TO:
VDU.TO vs. VIU.TOVDU.TO vs. VEF.TOVDU.TO vs. ZEA.TOVDU.TO vs. XEF.TOVDU.TO vs. VIDY.TOVDU.TO vs. VFV.TOVDU.TO vs. BANK.TO
Often compared with IEFA:
IEFA vs. VEAIEFA vs. VXUSIEFA vs. EFAIEFA vs. FSPSXIEFA vs. IEMGIEFA vs. XEF.TOIEFA vs. IXUS

Return for Risk

VDU.TO vs. IEFA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
VDU.TO
VDU.TO Risk / Return Rank: 6565
Overall Rank
VDU.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6868
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VDU.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 6767
Sortino Ratio Rank
VDU.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 6868
Omega Ratio Rank
VDU.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 5858
Calmar Ratio Rank
VDU.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 6565
Martin Ratio Rank
IEFA
IEFA Risk / Return Rank: 4141
Overall Rank
IEFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4141
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IEFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 4141
Sortino Ratio Rank
IEFA Omega Ratio Rank: 4141
Omega Ratio Rank
IEFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 3838
Calmar Ratio Rank
IEFA Martin Ratio Rank: 4444
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF (VDU.TO) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). 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.

VDU.TOIEFADifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.28
1.69

+0.59

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.13
2.42

+0.72

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.42

1.31

+0.11

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.92

2.11

+0.80

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

12.06

8.50

+3.56

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VDU.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.28, which is higher than the IEFA Sharpe Ratio of 1.69. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VDU.TO and IEFA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

VDU.TOIEFADifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.28

1.69

+0.59

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.89

0.82

+0.07

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.70

0.69

+0.02

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.70

0.78

-0.09

Drawdowns

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VDU.TO drawdown since its inception was -29.19%, roughly equal to the maximum IEFA drawdown of -28.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VDU.TO and IEFA.

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Drawdown Indicators

VDU.TOIEFADifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-29.19%

-28.60%

-0.59%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-11.47%

-11.20%

-0.27%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-14.02%

-14.12%

+0.10%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-24.10%

-24.47%

+0.37%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-29.19%

-28.60%

-0.59%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.45%

-0.38%

-0.07%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-4.66%

-4.37%

-0.29%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.77%

2.78%

-0.01%

Volatility

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF (VDU.TO) has a higher volatility of 5.23% compared to iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) at 4.71%. This indicates that VDU.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

VDU.TOIEFADifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.23%

4.71%

+0.52%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

12.47%

11.78%

+0.69%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

14.68%

14.02%

+0.66%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

13.50%

13.66%

-0.16%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

14.75%

14.66%

+0.09%

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Expense Ratio Comparison

VDU.TO has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is higher than IEFA'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%.

Dividends

VDU.TO vs. IEFA - Dividend Comparison

VDU.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.09%, less than IEFA's 3.26% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
IEFA
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF		3.26%3.55%3.47%3.20%2.70%3.32%1.90%3.18%3.46%2.57%2.96%2.63%
VDU.TO
Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex U.S. Index ETF		2.09%2.61%2.55%2.54%2.14%2.67%1.64%2.48%2.61%2.26%2.41%2.25%

Frequently Asked Questions

With a correlation of 0.92, VDU.TO and IEFA move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

On fees, IEFA is cheaper at 0.07% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

IEFA is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.22% for VDU.TO.

VDU.TO is categorized as Global Equities, while IEFA is Foreign Large Cap Equities. VDU.TO tracks FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index, while IEFA tracks MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net). They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.22% for VDU.TO and 0.07% for IEFA.

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