VUAA.L vs. VWRL.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

VUAA.L (Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation) and VWRL.L (Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing) are both exchange-traded funds - VUAA.L is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Net Total Return, while VWRL.L is a Global Equities fund tracking the FTSE All-World Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VUAA.L returned 13.71%/yr vs 11.27%/yr for VWRL.L. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. VUAA.L charges 0.07%/yr vs 0.19%/yr for VWRL.L.

Performance

VUAA.L vs. VWRL.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 Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing (VWRL.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VUAA.L achieves a 10.32% return, which is significantly lower than VWRL.L's 11.60% return.

VUAA.L

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

VWRL.L

• 1D: -0.01%
• 1M: 4.43%
• YTD: 11.60%
• 6M: 13.14%
• 1Y: 28.63%
• 3Y*: 21.01%
• 5Y*: 11.27%
• 10Y*: 12.65%

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

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

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
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%
VWRL.L Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing	11.60%	22.59%	17.60%	21.71%	-18.23%	18.95%	15.57%	12.07%

Correlation

The correlation between VUAA.L and VWRL.L is 0.90, 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	0.90
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.89
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.89
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 17, 2019	0.89

The correlation between VUAA.L and VWRL.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.89 to 0.90 - a consistent structural relationship.

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

Sectors	VUAA.L	VWRL.L
Technology	35.7%	29.0%
Financial Services	11.6%	16.1%
Communication Services	11.3%	8.8%
Consumer Cyclical	10.2%	9.4%
Healthcare	8.5%	8.0%
Industrials	8.3%	11.0%
Consumer Defensive	4.9%	5.0%
Energy	3.5%	4.2%
Utilities	2.4%	2.7%
Real Estate	1.9%	1.9%
Basic Materials	1.8%	3.8%

Return for Risk

VUAA.L vs. VWRL.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: 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

VWRL.L

VWRL.L Risk / Return Rank: 86
VWRL.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
VWRL.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
VWRL.L Omega Ratio Rank: 89
VWRL.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
VWRL.L Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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. VWRL.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 Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing (VWRL.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.L	VWRL.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.37	2.43	-0.06
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.47	3.55	-0.09
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.43	1.44	-0.01
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.39	3.13	+0.26
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	14.52	13.67	+0.85
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. VWRL.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VUAA.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.37, which is comparable to the VWRL.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.43. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VUAA.L and VWRL.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

	VUAA.L	VWRL.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.37	2.43	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.86	0.75	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.81	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.91	0.81	+0.10

Drawdowns

VUAA.L vs. VWRL.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VUAA.L drawdown since its inception was -34.05%, roughly equal to the maximum VWRL.L drawdown of -33.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VUAA.L and VWRL.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	VUAA.L	VWRL.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.05%	-33.11%	-0.94%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.18%	-9.11%	+0.93%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-18.39%	-16.28%	-2.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.36%	-26.74%	+2.38%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.11%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.54%	-0.80%	+0.26%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.09%	-4.52%	-0.57%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.91%	2.09%	-0.18%

Volatility

VUAA.L vs. VWRL.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Accumulation (VUAA.L) is 3.18%, while Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing (VWRL.L) has a volatility of 3.46%. This indicates that VUAA.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VWRL.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VUAA.L	VWRL.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.18%	3.46%	-0.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.57%	9.10%	-0.53%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.69%	11.75%	-0.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.00%	15.06%	+0.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.78%	15.55%	+2.23%

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

VUAA.L has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is lower than VWRL.L'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%.

Dividends

VUAA.L vs. VWRL.L - Dividend Comparison

VUAA.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VWRL.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.24%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
VWRL.L Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing	1.24%	1.39%	1.49%	1.72%	2.03%	1.45%	1.58%	1.95%	2.22%	1.90%	1.85%	2.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

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

VUAA.L and VWRL.L have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

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

VUAA.L is cheaper with a 0.07% expense ratio, compared with 0.19% for VWRL.L.

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

VUAA.L is categorized as S&P 500, while VWRL.L is Global Equities. VUAA.L tracks S&P 500 Net Total Return, while VWRL.L tracks FTSE All-World Index. Their fees differ too: 0.07% for VUAA.L and 0.19% for VWRL.L.