VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE
VFEA.DE (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc) and VGEM.DE (Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing) are both exchange-traded funds - VFEA.DE is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the FTSE Emerging, while VGEM.DE is a Emerging Markets Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg EM USD Sovereign + Quasi-Sov. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VFEA.DE returned 5.59%/yr vs 3.39%/yr for VGEM.DE. At a 0.29 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VFEA.DE charges 0.22%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for VGEM.DE.
Performance
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VFEA.DE achieves a 12.53% return, which is significantly higher than VGEM.DE's 5.57% return.
VFEA.DE
- 1D
- -0.52%
- 1M
- 0.50%
- YTD
- 12.53%
- 6M
- 13.30%
- 1Y
- 25.70%
- 3Y*
- 15.53%
- 5Y*
- 5.59%
- 10Y*
- —
VGEM.DE
- 1D
- -0.21%
- 1M
- 3.66%
- YTD
- 5.57%
- 6M
- 5.82%
- 1Y
- 11.69%
- 3Y*
- 7.09%
- 5Y*
- 3.39%
- 10Y*
- —
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VFEA.DE Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc | 12.53% | 11.25% | 19.29% | 3.32% | -10.71% | 6.34% | 3.46% | 0.02% |
VGEM.DE Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing | 5.57% | -0.84% | 12.54% | 5.71% | -10.03% | 6.47% | -3.40% | -0.02% |
Correlation
The correlation between VFEA.DE and VGEM.DE is 0.33, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.33 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.28 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 24, 2019 | 0.29 |
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Return for Risk
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE — Risk / Return Rank
VFEA.DE
VGEM.DE
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.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 Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEM.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.
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.
| VFEA.DE | VGEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.23 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.35 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.30 | 1.35 | -0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.03 | 3.92 | -0.89 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.05 | 11.15 | -1.09 |
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Drawdowns
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VFEA.DE drawdown since its inception was -30.51%, which is greater than VGEM.DE's maximum drawdown of -19.64%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFEA.DE and VGEM.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VFEA.DE | VGEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.51% | -19.64% | -10.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.44% | -2.97% | -5.47% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.97% | -11.92% | -7.05% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.98% | -12.13% | -7.85% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.54% | -0.21% | -3.33% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -8.70% | -5.91% | -2.79% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.55% | 1.05% | +1.50% |
Volatility
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.DE) has a higher volatility of 5.96% compared to Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEM.DE) at 1.63%. This indicates that VFEA.DE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGEM.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 | VGEM.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.96% | 1.63% | +4.33% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.77% | 4.17% | +8.60% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.38% | 6.16% | +9.22% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.86% | 7.91% | +7.95% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.53% | 8.77% | +9.76% |
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
VFEA.DE has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is lower than VGEM.DE's 0.25% 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
VFEA.DE vs. VGEM.DE - Dividend Comparison
VFEA.DE has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VGEM.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.74%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
VGEM.DE Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing | 5.74% | 6.30% | 5.65% | 5.56% | 5.08% | 3.73% | 4.53% | 4.32% | 4.51% | 0.80% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VFEA.DE and VGEM.DE have a correlation of 0.33, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, VFEA.DE is cheaper at 0.22% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
VFEA.DE is cheaper with a 0.22% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for VGEM.DE.
VFEA.DE is categorized as Emerging Markets Equities, while VGEM.DE is Emerging Markets Bonds. VFEA.DE tracks FTSE Emerging, while VGEM.DE tracks Bloomberg EM USD Sovereign + Quasi-Sov. Their fees differ too: 0.22% for VFEA.DE and 0.25% for VGEM.DE.
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