VFAIX vs. FFSIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX) and Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I (FFSIX).

VFAIX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Feb 4, 2004. FFSIX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Sep 3, 1996.

Performance

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX) and Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I (FFSIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VFAIX Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares	-11.11%	14.90%	30.46%	14.07%	-12.26%	36.27%	-2.15%	31.63%	-13.47%	20.05%
FFSIX Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I	-9.38%	15.23%	39.62%	14.33%	-8.71%	33.30%	0.06%	34.10%	-15.84%	20.23%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VFAIX achieves a -11.11% return, which is significantly lower than FFSIX's -9.38% return. Over the past 10 years, VFAIX has underperformed FFSIX with an annualized return of 12.12%, while FFSIX has yielded a comparatively higher 13.01% annualized return.

VFAIX

• 1D: 1.06%
• 1M: -5.57%
• YTD: -11.11%
• 6M: -9.20%
• 1Y: 0.51%
• 3Y*: 17.09%
• 5Y*: 9.31%
• 10Y*: 12.12%

FFSIX

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: -5.37%
• YTD: -9.38%
• 6M: -5.85%
• 1Y: 4.65%
• 3Y*: 20.98%
• 5Y*: 11.36%
• 10Y*: 13.01%

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

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VFAIX has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is lower than FFSIX's 0.76% expense ratio.

FFSIX

Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I

VFAIX

Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares

Return for Risk

VFAIX vs. FFSIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

VFAIX

VFAIX Risk / Return Rank: 7
VFAIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
VFAIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
VFAIX Omega Ratio Rank: 7
VFAIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 6
VFAIX Martin Ratio Rank: 6

FFSIX

FFSIX Risk / Return Rank: 11
FFSIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
FFSIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 11
FFSIX Omega Ratio Rank: 11
FFSIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 10
FFSIX Martin Ratio Rank: 10

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.

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX) and Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I (FFSIX). 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.

	VFAIX	FFSIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.08	0.27	-0.18
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.25	0.49	-0.25
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	1.07	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.02	0.24	-0.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.07	0.74	-0.81
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VFAIX Sharpe Ratio is 0.08, which is lower than the FFSIX Sharpe Ratio of 0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VFAIX and FFSIX, 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

	VFAIX	FFSIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.08	0.27	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48	0.54	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.55	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.22	0.31	-0.09

Correlation

The correlation between VFAIX and FFSIX is 0.98, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Dividend Comparison

VFAIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.64%, less than FFSIX's 7.66% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VFAIX Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares	1.64%	1.56%	1.75%	2.08%	2.31%	2.62%	2.21%	2.17%	2.30%	1.54%	1.64%	2.00%
FFSIX Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I	7.66%	6.94%	9.90%	2.45%	6.01%	4.31%	2.61%	1.43%	4.23%	0.06%	0.32%	0.63%

Drawdowns

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VFAIX drawdown since its inception was -78.64%, roughly equal to the maximum FFSIX drawdown of -75.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFAIX and FFSIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VFAIX	FFSIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-78.64%	-75.57%	-3.07%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.72%	-14.39%	-0.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.71%	-24.92%	-0.79%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.37%	-45.98%	+1.61%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.82%	-12.12%	-1.70%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-18.69%	-17.25%	-1.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.86%	4.61%	+0.25%

Volatility

VFAIX vs. FFSIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX) is 4.20%, while Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class I (FFSIX) has a volatility of 4.54%. This indicates that VFAIX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FFSIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VFAIX	FFSIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.20%	4.54%	-0.34%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.53%	12.42%	-0.89%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.86%	21.13%	-1.27%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.40%	21.15%	-1.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.62%	23.84%	-1.22%