VFVA vs. AVUV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF (VFVA) and Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV).

VFVA and AVUV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VFVA is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Feb 13, 2018. AVUV is a passively managed fund by Avantis that tracks the performance of the Russell 2000 Value. It was launched on Sep 24, 2019.

Performance

VFVA vs. AVUV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF (VFVA) and Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VFVA vs. AVUV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
VFVA Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF	2.10%	14.77%	7.67%	17.37%	-3.96%	36.94%	2.28%	9.41%
AVUV Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF	8.80%	7.44%	9.28%	22.82%	-4.91%	42.20%	6.43%	8.50%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VFVA achieves a 2.10% return, which is significantly lower than AVUV's 8.80% return.

VFVA

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: -4.12%
• YTD: 2.10%
• 6M: 6.23%
• 1Y: 20.92%
• 3Y*: 14.37%
• 5Y*: 9.69%
• 10Y*: —

AVUV

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: -2.36%
• YTD: 8.80%
• 6M: 11.45%
• 1Y: 28.45%
• 3Y*: 16.26%
• 5Y*: 10.42%
• 10Y*: —

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

VFVA vs. AVUV - Expense Ratio Comparison

VFVA has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is lower than AVUV'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%.

AVUV

Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF

VFVA

Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF

Return for Risk

VFVA vs. AVUV — Risk / Return Rank

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

VFVA

VFVA Risk / Return Rank: 52
VFVA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
VFVA Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
VFVA Omega Ratio Rank: 53
VFVA Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
VFVA Martin Ratio Rank: 53

AVUV

AVUV Risk / Return Rank: 69
AVUV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
AVUV Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
AVUV Omega Ratio Rank: 66
AVUV Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
AVUV Martin Ratio Rank: 70

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.

VFVA vs. AVUV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF (VFVA) and Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV). 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.

	VFVA	AVUV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.94	1.22	-0.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.45	1.78	-0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.25	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.35	1.88	-0.53
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.36	7.40	-2.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VFVA vs. AVUV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VFVA Sharpe Ratio is 0.94, which is comparable to the AVUV Sharpe Ratio of 1.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VFVA and AVUV, 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

	VFVA	AVUV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.94	1.22	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48	0.46	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.52	-0.12

Correlation

The correlation between VFVA and AVUV is 0.97, 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

VFVA vs. AVUV - Dividend Comparison

VFVA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.09%, more than AVUV's 1.40% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VFVA Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF	2.09%	2.13%	2.40%	2.45%	2.21%	1.68%	2.04%	2.08%	1.65%
AVUV Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF	1.40%	1.58%	1.61%	1.65%	1.74%	1.28%	1.21%	0.38%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VFVA vs. AVUV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VFVA drawdown since its inception was -48.58%, roughly equal to the maximum AVUV drawdown of -49.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFVA and AVUV.

Drawdown Indicators

	VFVA	AVUV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-48.58%	-49.42%	+0.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.54%	-15.43%	-0.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.07%	-28.79%	+4.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.24%	-3.97%	-2.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.43%	-8.14%	+0.71%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.91%	3.91%	0.00%

Volatility

VFVA vs. AVUV - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard U.S. Value Factor ETF (VFVA) is 4.33%, while Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV) has a volatility of 5.41%. This indicates that VFVA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AVUV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VFVA	AVUV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.33%	5.41%	-1.08%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.07%	13.10%	-2.03%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.24%	23.46%	-1.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.25%	22.95%	-2.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.51%	28.59%	-4.08%