VWRL.L vs. SMT.L

Last updated Apr 10, 2026

VWRL.L (Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing) and SMT.L (Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc) are both Global Equities funds. VWRL.L is passively managed, while SMT.L is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, VWRL.L returned 12.61%/yr vs 18.52%/yr for SMT.L. A 0.73 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. VWRL.L charges 0.22%/yr vs 0.31%/yr for SMT.L.

Performance

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing (VWRL.L) and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc (SMT.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VWRL.L achieves a 1.85% return, which is significantly lower than SMT.L's 15.05% return. Over the past 10 years, VWRL.L has underperformed SMT.L with an annualized return of 12.61%, while SMT.L has yielded a comparatively higher 18.52% annualized return.

VWRL.L

• 1D: 0.23%
• 1M: 0.41%
• YTD: 1.85%
• 6M: 3.78%
• 1Y: 34.53%
• 3Y*: 15.70%
• 5Y*: 10.47%
• 10Y*: 12.61%

SMT.L

• 1D: -0.58%
• 1M: 14.86%
• YTD: 15.05%
• 6M: 19.46%
• 1Y: 64.51%
• 3Y*: 28.55%
• 5Y*: 3.19%
• 10Y*: 18.52%

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

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

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VWRL.L Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing	1.85%	13.99%	19.59%	15.61%	-8.44%	20.04%	12.13%	22.03%	-4.70%	13.22%
SMT.L Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc	15.05%	24.72%	18.75%	12.46%	-45.71%	10.46%	110.49%	24.76%	4.64%	41.09%

Correlation

The correlation between VWRL.L and SMT.L is 0.68, 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	0.68
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.69
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 24, 2012	0.73

The correlation between VWRL.L and SMT.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.68 to 0.73 — a consistent structural relationship.

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

VWRL.L has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is lower than SMT.L's 0.31% expense ratio.

Return for Risk

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

VWRL.L

VWRL.L Risk / Return Rank: 80
VWRL.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
VWRL.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
VWRL.L Omega Ratio Rank: 84
VWRL.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
VWRL.L Martin Ratio Rank: 76

SMT.L

SMT.L Risk / Return Rank: 82
SMT.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
SMT.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
SMT.L Omega Ratio Rank: 80
SMT.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
SMT.L Martin Ratio Rank: 72

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.

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing (VWRL.L) and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc (SMT.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.

	VWRL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.95	3.08	-0.13
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.38	4.39	-0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.59	1.54	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.27	4.89	-0.62
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	17.16	16.56	+0.60
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VWRL.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.95, which is comparable to the SMT.L Sharpe Ratio of 3.08. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VWRL.L and SMT.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

	VWRL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.95	3.08	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.81	0.11	+0.70
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.88	0.64	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.90	0.55	+0.36

Drawdowns

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VWRL.L drawdown since its inception was -24.98%, smaller than the maximum SMT.L drawdown of -62.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VWRL.L and SMT.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	VWRL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-24.98%	-62.61%	+37.63%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.08%	-12.26%	+5.18%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.48%	-60.11%	+42.63%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-24.98%	-60.11%	+35.13%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.94%	-9.75%	+7.81%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.33%	-16.08%	+12.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.76%	3.62%	-1.86%

Volatility

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing (VWRL.L) is 4.72%, while Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc (SMT.L) has a volatility of 10.36%. This indicates that VWRL.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SMT.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VWRL.L	SMT.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.72%	10.36%	-5.64%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.50%	17.23%	-8.73%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.21%	21.27%	-9.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.91%	30.10%	-17.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.27%	28.76%	-14.49%

Dividends

VWRL.L vs. SMT.L - Dividend Comparison

VWRL.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.36%, more than SMT.L's 0.32% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VWRL.L Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Distributing	1.36%	1.39%	1.49%	1.72%	2.03%	1.45%	1.58%	1.95%	2.22%	1.90%	1.85%	2.00%
SMT.L Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc	0.32%	0.37%	0.44%	0.51%	0.51%	0.26%	0.27%	0.54%	0.66%	0.67%	0.93%	1.05%