VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE
VGEM.DE (Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing) and VFEA.DE (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc) are both exchange-traded funds - VGEM.DE is a Emerging Markets Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg EM USD Sovereign + Quasi-Sov, while VFEA.DE is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the FTSE Emerging. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VGEM.DE returned 2.73%/yr vs 5.93%/yr for VFEA.DE. At a 0.30 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VGEM.DE charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.22%/yr for VFEA.DE.
Performance
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VGEM.DE achieves a 2.34% return, which is significantly lower than VFEA.DE's 12.59% return.
VGEM.DE
- 1D
- 0.20%
- 1M
- 1.24%
- YTD
- 2.34%
- 6M
- 1.63%
- 1Y
- 6.72%
- 3Y*
- 5.24%
- 5Y*
- 2.73%
- 10Y*
- —
VFEA.DE
- 1D
- -0.47%
- 1M
- 2.09%
- YTD
- 12.59%
- 6M
- 13.26%
- 1Y
- 26.84%
- 3Y*
- 15.02%
- 5Y*
- 5.93%
- 10Y*
- —
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGEM.DE Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing | 2.34% | -1.55% | 12.06% | 5.25% | -10.22% | 5.82% | -3.91% | -0.22% |
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% |
Correlation
The correlation between VGEM.DE and VFEA.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 27, 2019 | 0.30 |
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Return for Risk
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE — Risk / Return Rank
VGEM.DE
VFEA.DE
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEM.DE) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.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.
| VGEM.DE | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.69 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.21 | 1.33 | -0.12 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.16 | 3.17 | -1.01 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.71 | 10.71 | -5.01 |
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
| VGEM.DE | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.13 | 1.82 | -0.69 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.34 | 0.37 | -0.03 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.29 | 0.43 | -0.14 |
Drawdowns
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VGEM.DE drawdown since its inception was -19.64%, smaller than the maximum VFEA.DE drawdown of -30.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGEM.DE and VFEA.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VGEM.DE | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.64% | -30.51% | +10.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.10% | -8.44% | +5.34% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -11.98% | -18.97% | +6.99% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -12.46% | -19.99% | +7.53% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.18% | -1.85% | -0.33% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.63% | -8.59% | +1.96% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.17% | 2.50% | -1.33% |
Volatility
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard USD Emerging Markets Government Bond UCITS ETF Distributing (VGEM.DE) is 1.18%, while Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets UCITS ETF Acc (VFEA.DE) has a volatility of 5.45%. This indicates that VGEM.DE experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VFEA.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VGEM.DE | VFEA.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.18% | 5.45% | -4.27% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.96% | 11.82% | -7.86% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.93% | 14.70% | -8.77% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.89% | 15.69% | -7.80% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 8.77% | 18.20% | -9.43% |
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
VGEM.DE has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than VFEA.DE's 0.22% 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
VGEM.DE vs. VFEA.DE - Dividend Comparison
VGEM.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.06%, while VFEA.DE has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| 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 | 5.06% | 5.60% | 5.23% | 5.14% | 4.84% | 3.16% | 3.99% | 3.87% | 3.84% | 0.68% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VGEM.DE and VFEA.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.
VGEM.DE is categorized as Emerging Markets Bonds, while VFEA.DE is Emerging Markets Equities. VGEM.DE tracks Bloomberg EM USD Sovereign + Quasi-Sov, while VFEA.DE tracks FTSE Emerging. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for VGEM.DE and 0.22% for VFEA.DE.
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