VUS.TO vs. COW.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged) (VUS.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO).

VUS.TO and COW.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VUS.TO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Total Market Index. It was launched on Nov 30, 2011. COW.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Manulife Investment Management Global Agriculture Index. It was launched on Dec 19, 2007. Both VUS.TO and COW.TO 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

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged) (VUS.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VUS.TO Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged)	-4.65%	13.31%	22.11%	24.21%	-20.86%	24.87%	17.67%	29.30%	-7.35%	20.26%
COW.TO iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF	20.39%	-0.67%	5.62%	-8.61%	12.64%	19.02%	11.66%	25.91%	-14.26%	14.84%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VUS.TO achieves a -4.65% return, which is significantly lower than COW.TO's 20.39% return. Over the past 10 years, VUS.TO has outperformed COW.TO with an annualized return of 11.71%, while COW.TO has yielded a comparatively lower 9.69% annualized return.

VUS.TO

• 1D: 2.87%
• 1M: -5.36%
• YTD: -4.65%
• 6M: -4.03%
• 1Y: 14.10%
• 3Y*: 15.39%
• 5Y*: 8.54%
• 10Y*: 11.71%

COW.TO

• 1D: 0.28%
• 1M: 0.73%
• YTD: 20.39%
• 6M: 14.92%
• 1Y: 15.42%
• 3Y*: 5.98%
• 5Y*: 4.97%
• 10Y*: 9.69%

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

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

VUS.TO has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is lower than COW.TO's 0.72% expense ratio.

COW.TO

iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF

VUS.TO

Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged)

Return for Risk

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

VUS.TO

VUS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 46
VUS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
VUS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
VUS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 46
VUS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
VUS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 55

COW.TO

COW.TO Risk / Return Rank: 46
COW.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
COW.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
COW.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 41
COW.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
COW.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 36

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.

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged) (VUS.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO). 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.

	VUS.TO	COW.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.78	0.85	-0.07
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.22	1.35	-0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.16	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.20	1.46	-0.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.37	3.31	+2.06
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VUS.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.78, which is comparable to the COW.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.85. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VUS.TO and COW.TO, 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

	VUS.TO	COW.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.78	0.85	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.50	0.26	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	0.51	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.75	0.37	+0.37

Correlation

The correlation between VUS.TO and COW.TO is 0.54, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Dividend Comparison

VUS.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.87%, less than COW.TO's 2.00% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VUS.TO Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged)	0.87%	0.84%	0.97%	1.07%	1.23%	0.95%	1.11%	1.39%	1.60%	1.32%	1.49%	1.59%
COW.TO iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF	2.00%	2.40%	1.43%	1.62%	2.03%	0.69%	1.02%	1.02%	1.07%	0.58%	1.10%	1.78%

Drawdowns

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VUS.TO drawdown since its inception was -36.70%, smaller than the maximum COW.TO drawdown of -55.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VUS.TO and COW.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	VUS.TO	COW.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.70%	-55.00%	+18.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.06%	-11.56%	-0.50%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.25%	-29.82%	+3.57%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.70%	-36.62%	-0.08%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.08%	-3.53%	-3.55%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.37%	-14.01%	+9.64%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.70%	5.11%	-2.41%

Volatility

VUS.TO vs. COW.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF (CAD-hedged) (VUS.TO) is 5.55%, while iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO) has a volatility of 6.61%. This indicates that VUS.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than COW.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VUS.TO	COW.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.55%	6.61%	-1.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.88%	12.33%	-2.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.23%	18.30%	-0.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.21%	18.95%	-1.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.06%	19.28%	-1.22%