VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.DE) and Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF (SMLN.DE).

VJPN.DE and SMLN.DE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VJPN.DE is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the TOPIX TR JPY. It was launched on Jun 27, 2018. SMLN.DE is a passively managed fund by Invesco that tracks the performance of the JPX-Nikkei 400. It was launched on Sep 10, 2014. Both VJPN.DE and SMLN.DE are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a €10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.DE) and Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF (SMLN.DE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VJPN.DE Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing	8.84%	13.28%	13.05%	15.88%	-11.76%	9.73%	4.96%	21.66%	-10.15%	8.00%
SMLN.DE Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF	9.46%	12.69%	12.93%	16.15%	-11.17%	8.51%	4.78%	22.29%	-10.60%	9.59%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VJPN.DE achieves a 8.84% return, which is significantly lower than SMLN.DE's 9.46% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VJPN.DE having a 9.19% annualized return and SMLN.DE not far behind at 8.97%.

VJPN.DE

• 1D: 4.84%
• 1M: -2.49%
• YTD: 8.84%
• 6M: 14.07%
• 1Y: 25.26%
• 3Y*: 15.21%
• 5Y*: 7.93%
• 10Y*: 9.19%

SMLN.DE

• 1D: 4.57%
• 1M: -2.37%
• YTD: 9.46%
• 6M: 14.53%
• 1Y: 24.66%
• 3Y*: 15.24%
• 5Y*: 7.99%
• 10Y*: 8.97%

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

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison

VJPN.DE has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than SMLN.DE's 0.19% 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%.

SMLN.DE

Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF

VJPN.DE

Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing

Return for Risk

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE — Risk / Return Rank

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

VJPN.DE

VJPN.DE Risk / Return Rank: 73
VJPN.DE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
VJPN.DE Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
VJPN.DE Omega Ratio Rank: 66
VJPN.DE Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
VJPN.DE Martin Ratio Rank: 78

SMLN.DE

SMLN.DE Risk / Return Rank: 72
SMLN.DE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
SMLN.DE Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
SMLN.DE Omega Ratio Rank: 64
SMLN.DE Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
SMLN.DE 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.

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.DE) and Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF (SMLN.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.

	VJPN.DE	SMLN.DE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.27	1.25	+0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.83	1.81	+0.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.25	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.74	2.75	-0.02
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.19	9.23	-0.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VJPN.DE Sharpe Ratio is 1.27, which is comparable to the SMLN.DE Sharpe Ratio of 1.25. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VJPN.DE and SMLN.DE, 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

	VJPN.DE	SMLN.DE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.27	1.25	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49	0.49	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.61	0.55	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.49	0.49	0.00

Correlation

The correlation between VJPN.DE and SMLN.DE is 0.87, 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

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Dividend Comparison

VJPN.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.78%, while SMLN.DE has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VJPN.DE Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing	1.78%	1.91%	1.93%	1.91%	2.22%	1.65%	1.62%	1.80%	1.94%	1.49%	1.55%	1.29%
SMLN.DE Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VJPN.DE drawdown since its inception was -28.32%, roughly equal to the maximum SMLN.DE drawdown of -28.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VJPN.DE and SMLN.DE.

Drawdown Indicators

	VJPN.DE	SMLN.DE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.32%	-28.42%	+0.10%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.40%	-9.91%	-0.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.86%	-19.85%	+0.99%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-28.32%	-28.42%	+0.10%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.42%	-4.28%	-0.14%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.94%	-6.08%	+0.14%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.89%	2.81%	+0.08%

Volatility

VJPN.DE vs. SMLN.DE - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Japan UCITS ETF Distributing (VJPN.DE) and Invesco JPX-Nikkei 400 UCITS ETF (SMLN.DE) have volatilities of 8.66% and 8.70%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VJPN.DE	SMLN.DE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.66%	8.70%	-0.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.12%	14.19%	-0.07%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.78%	19.65%	+0.13%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.04%	15.97%	+0.07%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.59%	16.26%	+1.33%