VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

VGGS.L (Vanguard Global Government Bond UCITS ETF GBP Hedged Accumulating) and VUAA.L (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation) are both exchange-traded funds - VGGS.L is a International Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Global Treasury Developed Countries Float Adjusted (GBP Hedged) Index, while VUAA.L is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Net Total Return. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, VGGS.L returned 2.21% vs 29.00% for VUAA.L. At a 0.14 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VGGS.L charges 0.10%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VUAA.L.

Performance

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in Vanguard Global Government Bond UCITS ETF GBP Hedged Accumulating (VGGS.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

VGGS.L is traded in GBP, while VUAA.L is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the VUAA.L values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VGGS.L achieves a -0.06% return, which is significantly lower than VUAA.L's 10.72% return.

VGGS.L

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: 0.40%
• YTD: -0.06%
• 6M: 0.05%
• 1Y: 2.21%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

VUAA.L

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 5.41%
• YTD: 10.72%
• 6M: 10.33%
• 1Y: 29.00%
• 3Y*: 19.08%
• 5Y*: 14.93%
• 10Y*: —

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

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
VGGS.L Vanguard Global Government Bond UCITS ETF GBP Hedged Accumulating	-0.06%	2.38%
VUAA.L Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation	10.76%	26.39%

Correlation

The correlation between VGGS.L and VUAA.L is 0.16, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.16
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 24, 2025	0.14

Return for Risk

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

VGGS.L

VGGS.L Risk / Return Rank: 19
VGGS.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
VGGS.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
VGGS.L Omega Ratio Rank: 19
VGGS.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
VGGS.L Martin Ratio Rank: 19

VUAA.L

VUAA.L Risk / Return Rank: 74
VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
VUAA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
VUAA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 73
VUAA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
VUAA.L 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.

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Global Government Bond UCITS ETF GBP Hedged Accumulating (VGGS.L) and Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L). 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.

	VGGS.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.66	2.42	-1.76
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.98	3.29	-2.31
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.45	-0.33
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.72	3.99	-3.27
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.07	13.50	-11.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VGGS.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.66, which is lower than the VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VGGS.L and VUAA.L, 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

	VGGS.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.66	2.42	-1.76
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.97	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.65	0.89	-0.24

Drawdowns

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VGGS.L drawdown since its inception was -3.11%, smaller than the maximum VUAA.L drawdown of -26.15%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGGS.L and VUAA.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	VGGS.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.11%	-26.15%	+23.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.11%	-7.23%	+4.12%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-21.12%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-21.12%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.78%	-0.28%	-1.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.78%	-3.69%	+2.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.08%	2.14%	-1.06%

Volatility

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Global Government Bond UCITS ETF GBP Hedged Accumulating (VGGS.L) is 1.49%, while Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L) has a volatility of 3.52%. This indicates that VGGS.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VUAA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VGGS.L	VUAA.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.49%	3.52%	-2.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.70%	8.64%	-5.94%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.41%	11.95%	-8.54%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.54%	15.41%	-11.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.54%	17.14%	-13.60%

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

VGGS.L has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is higher than VUAA.L's 0.07% 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

VGGS.L vs. VUAA.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither VGGS.L nor VUAA.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VGGS.L and VUAA.L in my portfolio?

VGGS.L and VUAA.L have a correlation of 0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, VGGS.L or VUAA.L?

On fees, VUAA.L is cheaper at 0.07% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, VGGS.L or VUAA.L?

VUAA.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.10% for VGGS.L.

What is the main difference between VGGS.L and VUAA.L?

VGGS.L is categorized as International Government Bonds, while VUAA.L is S&P 500. VGGS.L tracks Bloomberg Global Treasury Developed Countries Float Adjusted (GBP Hedged) Index, while VUAA.L tracks S&P 500 Net Total Return. Their fees differ too: 0.10% for VGGS.L and 0.07% for VUAA.L.