VENAX vs. VWELX
VENAX (Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares) and VWELX (Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares) are both mutual funds - VENAX is a Energy Equities fund tracking the MSCI US Investable Market Energy 25/50 Index, while VWELX is a Diversified Portfolio fund actively managed by Vanguard. VENAX is passively managed, while VWELX is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, VENAX returned 9.52%/yr vs 9.94%/yr for VWELX. Their 0.59 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. VENAX charges 0.09%/yr vs 0.24%/yr for VWELX.
Performance
VENAX vs. VWELX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VENAX achieves a 32.83% return, which is significantly higher than VWELX's 7.63% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VENAX having a 9.52% annualized return and VWELX not far ahead at 9.94%.
VENAX
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- 10.04%
- 6M
- 12.72%
- YTD
- 32.83%
- 1Y
- 41.37%
- 3Y*
- 14.17%
- 5Y*
- 23.36%
- 10Y*
- 9.52%
- ALL TIME*
- 8.22%
VWELX
- 1D
- 1.13%
- 1M
- 0.87%
- 6M
- 7.49%
- YTD
- 7.63%
- 1Y
- 15.80%
- 3Y*
- 15.12%
- 5Y*
- 8.19%
- 10Y*
- 9.94%
- ALL TIME*
- 9.43%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
VENAX vs. VWELX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VENAX Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares | 32.83% | 7.29% | 6.57% | 0.05% | 62.94% | 55.57% | -33.27% | 9.36% | -19.90% | -2.39% |
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 7.63% | 16.54% | 14.73% | 14.29% | -14.36% | 18.99% | 10.57% | 22.51% | -3.43% | 13.98% |
Correlation
The correlation between VENAX and VWELX is -0.17, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | -0.17 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.12 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.26 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.40 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 29, 2004 | 0.59 |
The correlation between VENAX and VWELX shifts across timeframes, from -0.17 (1 year) to 0.59 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
VENAX vs. VWELX — Risk / Return Rank
VENAX
VWELX
VENAX vs. VWELX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (VENAX) and Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| VENAX | VWELX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.35 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.23 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.32 | 1.30 | +0.02 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.79 | 2.29 | +0.50 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.49 | 9.67 | -2.18 |
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Drawdowns
VENAX vs. VWELX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VENAX drawdown since its inception was -74.42%, which is greater than VWELX's maximum drawdown of -36.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VENAX and VWELX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VENAX | VWELX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -74.42% | -36.12% | -38.30% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.05% | -6.78% | -8.27% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -21.44% | -11.98% | -9.46% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.59% | -20.88% | -5.71% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -69.58% | -25.33% | -44.25% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.02% | 0.00% | -6.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -19.90% | -3.91% | -15.99% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.59% | 1.60% | +3.99% |
Volatility
VENAX vs. VWELX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (VENAX) has a higher volatility of 6.31% compared to Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares (VWELX) at 3.16%. This indicates that VENAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VWELX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VENAX | VWELX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.31% | 3.16% | +3.15% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.60% | 7.74% | +8.86% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 20.90% | 9.39% | +11.51% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 26.13% | 11.28% | +14.85% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 30.21% | 11.56% | +18.65% |
VENAX vs. VWELX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VENAX has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than VWELX's 0.24% 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
VENAX vs. VWELX - Dividend Comparison
VENAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.44%, less than VWELX's 10.75% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VENAX Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares | 2.44% | 3.10% | 3.24% | 3.34% | 3.65% | 3.80% | 4.76% | 3.41% | 3.35% | 2.90% | 2.31% | 3.17% |
VWELX Vanguard Wellington Fund Investor Shares | 10.75% | 11.46% | 10.76% | 6.01% | 8.19% | 8.64% | 7.77% | 4.67% | 9.49% | 5.82% | 4.44% | 7.03% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VENAX and VWELX have a correlation of -0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VENAX has higher volatility (6.31%) compared to VWELX (3.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VENAX dropped -74.42% vs VWELX's -36.12%.
VENAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.01 vs 1.66), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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