VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

VSCA.L (Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating) and VDPA.L (Vanguard USD Corporate Bond UCITS ETF USD Accumulation) are both Corporate Bonds funds from Vanguard - VSCA.L tracks the Bloomberg US Corp 1-3 Yr TR USD while VDPA.L tracks the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Corporate - United States Dollar Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VSCA.L returned 3.53%/yr vs 1.75%/yr for VDPA.L. A 0.58 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. VSCA.L charges 0.09%/yr vs 0.07%/yr for VDPA.L.

Performance

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating (VSCA.L) and Vanguard USD Corporate Bond UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VDPA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VSCA.L achieves a 0.73% return, which is significantly higher than VDPA.L's 0.48% return.

VSCA.L

• 1D: -0.14%
• 1M: 1.34%
• YTD: 0.73%
• 6M: 0.30%
• 1Y: 4.77%
• 3Y*: 2.64%
• 5Y*: 3.53%
• 10Y*: —

VDPA.L

• 1D: -0.09%
• 1M: 1.41%
• YTD: 0.48%
• 6M: -0.11%
• 1Y: 6.60%
• 3Y*: 2.71%
• 5Y*: 1.75%
• 10Y*: —

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

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
VSCA.L Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating	0.73%	-1.28%	7.12%	-0.30%	7.72%	0.72%	0.35%	3.18%
VDPA.L Vanguard USD Corporate Bond UCITS ETF USD Accumulation	0.48%	0.10%	4.62%	2.65%	-4.76%	-0.27%	5.94%	9.90%

Correlation

The correlation between VSCA.L and VDPA.L is 0.56, 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	0.56
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.54
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 22, 2019	0.58

The correlation between VSCA.L and VDPA.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.54 to 0.58 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

VSCA.L

VSCA.L Risk / Return Rank: 24
VSCA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 24
VSCA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 23
VSCA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 22
VSCA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
VSCA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 24

VDPA.L

VDPA.L Risk / Return Rank: 39
VDPA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 36
VDPA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
VDPA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 35
VDPA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
VDPA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 42

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.

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating (VSCA.L) and Vanguard USD Corporate Bond UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VDPA.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.

	VSCA.L	VDPA.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	0.95	-0.12
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.25	1.38	-0.13
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.17	-0.02
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.19	1.26	-0.08
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.11	3.23	-0.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VSCA.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is comparable to the VDPA.L Sharpe Ratio of 0.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VSCA.L and VDPA.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

	VSCA.L	VDPA.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	0.95	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45	0.19	+0.26
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.23	+0.04

Drawdowns

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VSCA.L drawdown since its inception was -15.11%, roughly equal to the maximum VDPA.L drawdown of -14.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VSCA.L and VDPA.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	VSCA.L	VDPA.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-15.11%	-14.91%	-0.20%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.25%	-5.21%	+0.96%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-8.78%	-9.13%	+0.35%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.11%	-13.60%	-1.51%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.82%	-3.48%	-0.34%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.76%	-6.70%	-0.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.62%	2.04%	-0.42%

Volatility

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard USD Corporate 1-3 Year Bond UCITS ETF Accumulating (VSCA.L) is 1.79%, while Vanguard USD Corporate Bond UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VDPA.L) has a volatility of 1.90%. This indicates that VSCA.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VDPA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VSCA.L	VDPA.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.79%	1.90%	-0.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.39%	5.52%	-1.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.08%	6.94%	-0.86%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.88%	9.16%	-1.28%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.99%	10.60%	-1.61%

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

VSCA.L has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is higher than VDPA.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

VSCA.L vs. VDPA.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither VSCA.L nor VDPA.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VSCA.L and VDPA.L in my portfolio?

VSCA.L and VDPA.L have a correlation of 0.56, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, VSCA.L or VDPA.L?

On fees, VDPA.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, VSCA.L or VDPA.L?

VDPA.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.09% for VSCA.L.

What is the main difference between VSCA.L and VDPA.L?

VSCA.L tracks Bloomberg US Corp 1-3 Yr TR USD, while VDPA.L tracks Bloomberg Global Aggregate Corporate - United States Dollar Index. Their fees differ too: 0.09% for VSCA.L and 0.07% for VDPA.L.