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VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

VUAA.L (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation) and IUSA.L (iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist) are both S&P 500 funds - VUAA.L tracks the S&P 500 Net Total Return while IUSA.L tracks the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VUAA.L returned 13.71%/yr vs 14.11%/yr for IUSA.L. Their correlation of 0.93 suggests significant overlap in exposure. Both charge a 0.07% expense ratio.

Performance

VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L) and iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist (IUSA.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with VUAA.L having a 10.32% return and IUSA.L slightly higher at 10.40%.

VUAA.L

1D
0.00%
1M
4.49%
YTD
10.32%
6M
11.14%
1Y
27.80%
3Y*
22.16%
5Y*
13.71%
10Y*
—

IUSA.L

1D
0.08%
1M
4.65%
YTD
10.40%
6M
11.47%
1Y
28.32%
3Y*
22.50%
5Y*
14.11%
10Y*
15.68%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

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

2026 (YTD)2025202420232022202120202019
VUAA.L
Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation		10.32%17.37%25.27%26.68%-18.63%29.34%17.66%12.72%
IUSA.L
iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist		10.40%17.97%25.60%26.58%-18.47%30.35%17.64%13.63%

Correlation

The correlation between VUAA.L and IUSA.L is 0.92, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.92

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.93

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.93

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since May 17, 2019

0.93

The correlation between VUAA.L and IUSA.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.92 to 0.93 - a consistent structural relationship.

VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
VUAA.L
IUSA.L

Technology

35.7%
38.2%

Financial Services

11.6%
11.1%

Communication Services

11.3%
10.9%

Consumer Cyclical

10.2%
10.0%

Healthcare

8.5%
8.3%

Industrials

8.3%
7.9%

Consumer Defensive

4.9%
4.7%

Energy

3.5%
3.2%

Utilities

2.4%
2.2%

Real Estate

1.9%
1.9%

Basic Materials

1.8%
1.7%

Technology

VUAA.L
35.7%
IUSA.L
38.2%

Financial Services

VUAA.L
11.6%
IUSA.L
11.1%

Communication Services

VUAA.L
11.3%
IUSA.L
10.9%

Consumer Cyclical

VUAA.L
10.2%
IUSA.L
10.0%

Healthcare

VUAA.L
8.5%
IUSA.L
8.3%

Industrials

VUAA.L
8.3%
IUSA.L
7.9%

Consumer Defensive

VUAA.L
4.9%
IUSA.L
4.7%

Energy

VUAA.L
3.5%
IUSA.L
3.2%

Utilities

VUAA.L
2.4%
IUSA.L
2.2%

Real Estate

VUAA.L
1.9%
IUSA.L
1.9%

Basic Materials

VUAA.L
1.8%
IUSA.L
1.7%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation

iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist

Often compared with VUAA.L:
VUAA.L vs. VOOVUAA.L vs. CSPX.LVUAA.L vs. VWCE.DEVUAA.L vs. VUSA.ASVUAA.L vs. SXR8.DEVUAA.L vs. VUAG.LVUAA.L vs. SPY
Often compared with IUSA.L:
IUSA.L vs. CSP1.LIUSA.L vs. IAPD.ASIUSA.L vs. SPX5.LIUSA.L vs. SPXP.LIUSA.L vs. VOOIUSA.L vs. IVVIUSA.L vs. I500.DE

Return for Risk

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

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
VUAA.L
VUAA.L Risk / Return Rank: 7474
Overall Rank
VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7474
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VUAA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 7878
Sortino Ratio Rank
VUAA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 7373
Omega Ratio Rank
VUAA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 6969
Calmar Ratio Rank
VUAA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 7777
Martin Ratio Rank
IUSA.L
IUSA.L Risk / Return Rank: 8484
Overall Rank
IUSA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8686
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IUSA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 8585
Sortino Ratio Rank
IUSA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 8686
Omega Ratio Rank
IUSA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 8181
Calmar Ratio Rank
IUSA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 8080
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

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

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L) and iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist (IUSA.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.

VUAA.LIUSA.LDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.37
2.55

-0.19

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.47
3.68

-0.21

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.43

1.46

-0.03

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.39

3.28

+0.11

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

14.52

14.20

+0.32

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

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

The current VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.37, which is comparable to the IUSA.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VUAA.L and IUSA.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.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

VUAA.LIUSA.LDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.37

2.55

-0.19

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.86

0.90

-0.04

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

—

0.97

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.91

0.61

+0.29

Drawdowns

VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VUAA.L drawdown since its inception was -34.05%, smaller than the maximum IUSA.L drawdown of -54.80%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VUAA.L and IUSA.L.

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Drawdown Indicators

VUAA.LIUSA.LDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-34.05%

-54.80%

+20.75%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-8.18%

-8.60%

+0.42%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-18.39%

-19.12%

+0.73%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-24.36%

-25.00%

+0.64%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-33.42%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.54%

-0.53%

-0.01%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-5.09%

-7.66%

+2.57%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.91%

1.99%

-0.08%

Volatility

VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L) has a higher volatility of 3.18% compared to iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist (IUSA.L) at 2.57%. This indicates that VUAA.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IUSA.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

VUAA.LIUSA.LDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

3.18%

2.57%

+0.61%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

8.57%

7.97%

+0.60%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

11.69%

11.04%

+0.65%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

16.00%

15.67%

+0.33%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

17.78%

16.16%

+1.62%

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

Both VUAA.L and IUSA.L have an expense ratio of 0.07%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

VUAA.L vs. IUSA.L - Dividend Comparison

VUAA.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IUSA.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.15%.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
IUSA.L
iShares S&P 500 UCITS Dist		1.15%1.24%1.28%1.55%1.74%1.39%1.80%1.96%2.22%1.95%1.75%2.29%
VUAA.L
Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

With a correlation of 0.92, VUAA.L and IUSA.L move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

Both ETFs have the same 0.07% expense ratio. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

VUAA.L and IUSA.L have the same expense ratio: 0.07% per year.

VUAA.L tracks S&P 500 Net Total Return, while IUSA.L tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares.

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