VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

VFV.TO (Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF) and XUU-U.TO (iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - VFV.TO is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index, while XUU-U.TO is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the S&P Total Market Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VFV.TO returned 16.84%/yr vs 15.74%/yr for XUU-U.TO. At a 0.36 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VFV.TO charges 0.09%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for XUU-U.TO.

Performance

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (VFV.TO) and iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF (XUU-U.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with VFV.TO having a 12.30% return and XUU-U.TO slightly higher at 12.58%.

VFV.TO

• 1D: -0.18%
• 1M: 7.30%
• YTD: 12.30%
• 6M: 10.47%
• 1Y: 29.48%
• 3Y*: 23.57%
• 5Y*: 16.84%
• 10Y*: 16.04%

XUU-U.TO

• 1D: 0.03%
• 1M: 7.44%
• YTD: 12.58%
• 6M: 10.92%
• 1Y: 29.83%
• 3Y*: 22.81%
• 5Y*: 15.74%
• 10Y*: —

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

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
VFV.TO Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF	12.30%	12.18%	35.23%	23.23%	-12.58%	27.51%	15.62%	7.25%
XUU-U.TO iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF	12.58%	11.00%	33.03%	23.73%	-14.72%	26.98%	16.71%	6.48%

Correlation

The correlation between VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO is 0.71, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.71
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.61
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 23, 2019	0.36

Over the past year, VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO have become more correlated (0.71) than their long-term average of 0.36, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

VFV.TO

VFV.TO Risk / Return Rank: 74
VFV.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
VFV.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
VFV.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 78
VFV.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
VFV.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 69

XUU-U.TO

XUU-U.TO Risk / Return Rank: 72
XUU-U.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
XUU-U.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
XUU-U.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 81
XUU-U.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
XUU-U.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (VFV.TO) and iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF (XUU-U.TO). 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.

	VFV.TO	XUU-U.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.59	2.51	+0.08
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.53	3.34	+0.19
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.48	1.49	-0.01
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.44	3.49	-0.06
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	13.10	13.31	-0.21
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VFV.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.59, which is comparable to the XUU-U.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VFV.TO	XUU-U.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.59	2.51	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.14	0.97	+0.16
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.97	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.14	0.96	+0.18

Drawdowns

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VFV.TO drawdown since its inception was -27.43%, which is greater than XUU-U.TO's maximum drawdown of -24.77%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	VFV.TO	XUU-U.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.43%	-24.77%	-2.66%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.62%	-8.58%	-0.04%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-19.05%	-20.06%	+1.01%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.19%	-22.68%	+0.49%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-27.43%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.18%	0.00%	-0.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.35%	-4.88%	+1.53%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.26%	2.25%	+0.01%

Volatility

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (VFV.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.05% compared to iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF (XUU-U.TO) at 2.86%. This indicates that VFV.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XUU-U.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VFV.TO	XUU-U.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.05%	2.86%	+0.19%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.55%	9.19%	-0.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.46%	11.93%	-0.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.91%	16.25%	-1.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.57%	17.36%	-0.79%

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

VFV.TO has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is higher than XUU-U.TO's 0.08% 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

VFV.TO vs. XUU-U.TO - Dividend Comparison

VFV.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.83%, more than XUU-U.TO's 0.74% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VFV.TO Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF	0.83%	0.92%	0.99%	1.20%	1.31%	1.06%	1.33%	1.55%	1.68%	1.50%	1.66%	1.63%
XUU-U.TO iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF	0.74%	0.83%	0.76%	0.85%	1.01%	0.77%	0.90%	0.38%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO in my portfolio?

VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO have a correlation of 0.71, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, VFV.TO or XUU-U.TO?

On fees, XUU-U.TO is cheaper at 0.08% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, VFV.TO or XUU-U.TO?

XUU-U.TO is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.09% for VFV.TO.

What is the main difference between VFV.TO and XUU-U.TO?

VFV.TO is categorized as S&P 500, while XUU-U.TO is Large Cap Blend Equities. VFV.TO tracks S&P 500 Index, while XUU-U.TO tracks S&P Total Market Index. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.09% for VFV.TO and 0.08% for XUU-U.TO.