XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XUEK.L (Xtrackers S&P Europe ex UK UCITS ETF) and HMEF.L (HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD) are both exchange-traded funds - XUEK.L is a Europe Equities fund tracking the MSCI Europe Ex UK NR EUR, while HMEF.L is a Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the MSCI EM NR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XUEK.L returned 6.75%/yr vs 5.72%/yr for HMEF.L. A 0.61 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XUEK.L charges 0.09%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for HMEF.L.

Performance

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in Xtrackers S&P Europe ex UK UCITS ETF (XUEK.L) and HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD (HMEF.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XUEK.L achieves a 5.66% return, which is significantly lower than HMEF.L's 25.52% return.

XUEK.L

• 1D: 0.80%
• 1M: 3.49%
• YTD: 5.66%
• 6M: 7.69%
• 1Y: 15.69%
• 3Y*: 11.05%
• 5Y*: 6.75%
• 10Y*: —

HMEF.L

• 1D: -1.66%
• 1M: 6.53%
• YTD: 25.52%
• 6M: 27.29%
• 1Y: 51.20%
• 3Y*: 17.76%
• 5Y*: 5.72%
• 10Y*: 8.47%

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

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
XUEK.L Xtrackers S&P Europe ex UK UCITS ETF	5.66%	23.26%	0.43%	12.46%	-11.69%	15.48%	4.79%	18.78%
HMEF.L HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD	25.52%	21.88%	6.43%	-0.16%	-12.59%	-4.10%	12.68%	7.45%

Correlation

The correlation between XUEK.L and HMEF.L is 0.55, 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	0.55
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.54
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.55
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 18, 2019	0.62

The correlation between XUEK.L and HMEF.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.54 to 0.61 - a consistent structural relationship.

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XUEK.L	HMEF.L
Financial Services	23.5%	17.8%
Industrials	21.2%	6.8%
Healthcare	13.0%	2.6%
Technology	10.9%	42.9%
Consumer Cyclical	7.1%	8.7%
Consumer Defensive	7.0%	2.7%
Utilities	4.9%	1.9%
Basic Materials	4.5%	5.9%
Energy	3.8%	3.5%
Communication Services	3.6%	6.2%
Real Estate	0.6%	1.0%

Return for Risk

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

XUEK.L

XUEK.L Risk / Return Rank: 33
XUEK.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 34
XUEK.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
XUEK.L Omega Ratio Rank: 34
XUEK.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
XUEK.L Martin Ratio Rank: 34

HMEF.L

HMEF.L Risk / Return Rank: 86
HMEF.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
HMEF.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
HMEF.L Omega Ratio Rank: 89
HMEF.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
HMEF.L Martin Ratio Rank: 81

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.

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Xtrackers S&P Europe ex UK UCITS ETF (XUEK.L) and HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD (HMEF.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.

	XUEK.L	HMEF.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.20	2.99	-1.80
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.72	3.88	-2.16
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.55	-0.33
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.44	4.60	-3.17
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.99	15.90	-10.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XUEK.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.20, which is lower than the HMEF.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.99. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XUEK.L and HMEF.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

	XUEK.L	HMEF.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.20	2.99	-1.80
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45	0.35	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.47	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.27	+0.27

Drawdowns

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XUEK.L drawdown since its inception was -27.36%, smaller than the maximum HMEF.L drawdown of -32.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XUEK.L and HMEF.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	XUEK.L	HMEF.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.36%	-32.91%	+5.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.88%	-11.07%	+0.19%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.04%	-15.40%	+2.36%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.76%	-26.99%	+3.23%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-30.58%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.01%	-2.56%	+1.55%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.45%	-12.28%	+6.83%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.14%	3.21%	-0.07%

Volatility

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Xtrackers S&P Europe ex UK UCITS ETF (XUEK.L) is 3.83%, while HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD (HMEF.L) has a volatility of 7.42%. This indicates that XUEK.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HMEF.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XUEK.L	HMEF.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.83%	7.42%	-3.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.56%	14.61%	-4.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.08%	17.04%	-3.96%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.96%	16.23%	-1.27%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.37%	17.92%	-1.55%

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

XUEK.L has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than HMEF.L's 0.15% 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

XUEK.L vs. HMEF.L - Dividend Comparison

XUEK.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.02%, which matches HMEF.L's 0.02% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HMEF.L HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%	0.03%	0.03%	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%
XUEK.L Xtrackers S&P Europe ex UK UCITS ETF	0.02%	0.02%	0.03%	0.03%	0.05%	0.01%	0.03%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XUEK.L and HMEF.L in my portfolio?

XUEK.L and HMEF.L have a correlation of 0.55, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XUEK.L or HMEF.L?

On fees, XUEK.L is cheaper at 0.09% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XUEK.L or HMEF.L?

XUEK.L is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for HMEF.L.

What is the main difference between XUEK.L and HMEF.L?

XUEK.L is categorized as Europe Equities, while HMEF.L is Emerging Markets Equities. XUEK.L tracks MSCI Europe Ex UK NR EUR, while HMEF.L tracks MSCI EM NR USD. They also come from different issuers: Xtrackers and HSBC. Their fees differ too: 0.09% for XUEK.L and 0.15% for HMEF.L.