VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE
VFEA.DE (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc) and IS3M.DE (iShares € Ultrashort Bond UCITS ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VFEA.DE is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the FTSE Emerging, while IS3M.DE is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Markit iBoxx EUR Liquid Investment Grade Ultrashort Index (EUR). Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VFEA.DE returned 5.93%/yr vs 2.10%/yr for IS3M.DE. At a 0.02 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VFEA.DE charges 0.22%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for IS3M.DE.
Performance
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VFEA.DE achieves a 12.59% return, which is significantly higher than IS3M.DE's 0.92% return.
VFEA.DE
- 1D
- -0.47%
- 1M
- 2.09%
- YTD
- 12.59%
- 6M
- 13.26%
- 1Y
- 26.84%
- 3Y*
- 15.02%
- 5Y*
- 5.93%
- 10Y*
- —
IS3M.DE
- 1D
- 0.04%
- 1M
- 0.34%
- YTD
- 0.92%
- 6M
- 1.01%
- 1Y
- 2.26%
- 3Y*
- 3.34%
- 5Y*
- 2.10%
- 10Y*
- 1.01%
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VFEA.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc | 12.59% | 11.25% | 19.29% | 3.31% | -10.70% | 6.34% | 3.46% | 9.82% |
IS3M.DE iShares € Ultrashort Bond UCITS ETF | 0.92% | 2.61% | 4.12% | 3.42% | -0.29% | -0.36% | 0.09% | 0.04% |
Correlation
The correlation between VFEA.DE and IS3M.DE is 0.03, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.03 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.05 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.04 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 27, 2019 | 0.02 |
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Return for Risk
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE — Risk / Return Rank
VFEA.DE
IS3M.DE
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.DE) and iShares € Ultrashort Bond UCITS ETF (IS3M.DE). 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.
| VFEA.DE | IS3M.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.14 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.07 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.64 | -0.31 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.17 | 7.59 | -4.42 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.71 | 49.96 | -39.25 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| VFEA.DE | IS3M.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.82 | 2.95 | -1.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.37 | 2.74 | -2.37 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.91 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.43 | 0.86 | -0.43 |
Drawdowns
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VFEA.DE drawdown since its inception was -30.51%, which is greater than IS3M.DE's maximum drawdown of -3.80%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFEA.DE and IS3M.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VFEA.DE | IS3M.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.51% | -3.80% | -26.71% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.44% | -0.30% | -8.14% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.97% | -0.47% | -18.50% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.99% | -1.21% | -18.78% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -3.80% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.85% | -0.01% | -1.84% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -8.59% | -0.29% | -8.30% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.50% | 0.05% | +2.45% |
Volatility
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.DE) has a higher volatility of 5.45% compared to iShares € Ultrashort Bond UCITS ETF (IS3M.DE) at 0.29%. This indicates that VFEA.DE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IS3M.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VFEA.DE | IS3M.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.45% | 0.29% | +5.16% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.82% | 0.59% | +11.23% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 14.70% | 0.76% | +13.94% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.69% | 0.76% | +14.93% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.20% | 1.11% | +17.09% |
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
VFEA.DE has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is higher than IS3M.DE's 0.09% 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
VFEA.DE vs. IS3M.DE - Dividend Comparison
VFEA.DE has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IS3M.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.29%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IS3M.DE iShares € Ultrashort Bond UCITS ETF | 3.29% | 2.74% | 3.80% | 2.17% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.13% |
VFEA.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VFEA.DE and IS3M.DE have a correlation of 0.03, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IS3M.DE is cheaper at 0.09% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IS3M.DE is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.22% for VFEA.DE.
VFEA.DE is categorized as Emerging Markets Equities, while IS3M.DE is Ultrashort Bond. VFEA.DE tracks FTSE Emerging, while IS3M.DE tracks Markit iBoxx EUR Liquid Investment Grade Ultrashort Index (EUR). They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.22% for VFEA.DE and 0.09% for IS3M.DE.
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