XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (XEMC.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO).

XEMC.TO and VDY.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XEMC.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index (Net). It was launched on Feb 7, 2023. VDY.TO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada High Dividend Yield Index. It was launched on Nov 2, 2012. Both XEMC.TO and VDY.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

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (XEMC.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
XEMC.TO iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF	9.76%	28.28%	10.87%	12.07%
VDY.TO Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF	9.07%	29.20%	20.71%	1.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XEMC.TO achieves a 9.76% return, which is significantly higher than VDY.TO's 9.07% return.

XEMC.TO

• 1D: 4.21%
• 1M: -8.58%
• YTD: 9.76%
• 6M: 18.13%
• 1Y: 41.69%
• 3Y*: 20.37%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

VDY.TO

• 1D: 1.12%
• 1M: 0.19%
• YTD: 9.07%
• 6M: 16.25%
• 1Y: 39.26%
• 3Y*: 22.01%
• 5Y*: 16.73%
• 10Y*: 13.53%

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

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XEMC.TO has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than VDY.TO's 0.22% 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%.

XEMC.TO

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF

VDY.TO

Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF

Return for Risk

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XEMC.TO

XEMC.TO Risk / Return Rank: 91
XEMC.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
XEMC.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
XEMC.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 91
XEMC.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
XEMC.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 90

VDY.TO

VDY.TO Risk / Return Rank: 97
VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
VDY.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (XEMC.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.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.

	XEMC.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.11	3.58	-1.48
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.75	4.31	-1.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.77	-0.38
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.20	4.00	-0.80
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.76	22.92	-11.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XEMC.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.11, which is lower than the VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio of 3.58. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XEMC.TO and VDY.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

	XEMC.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.11	3.58	-1.48
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.47	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.85	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.35	0.80	+0.55

Correlation

The correlation between XEMC.TO and VDY.TO is 0.38, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Dividend Comparison

XEMC.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.26%, less than VDY.TO's 3.51% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XEMC.TO iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF	2.26%	2.48%	2.28%	1.67%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VDY.TO Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF	3.51%	3.59%	4.40%	4.64%	4.42%	3.58%	4.59%	4.25%	4.43%	3.82%	3.25%	4.11%

Drawdowns

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XEMC.TO drawdown since its inception was -14.55%, smaller than the maximum VDY.TO drawdown of -39.21%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XEMC.TO and VDY.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XEMC.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.55%	-39.21%	+24.66%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.12%	-10.07%	-3.05%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-16.18%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-39.21%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.46%	-0.55%	-8.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.22%	-4.67%	+2.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.56%	1.76%	+1.80%

Volatility

XEMC.TO vs. VDY.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (XEMC.TO) has a higher volatility of 11.60% compared to Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) at 3.37%. This indicates that XEMC.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VDY.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XEMC.TO	VDY.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.60%	3.37%	+8.23%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.49%	6.43%	+9.06%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.90%	11.03%	+8.87%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.61%	11.49%	+3.12%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.61%	15.96%	-1.35%