Understanding past performance data on Vanguard site

Wobble101

I'm hoping someone here can help me understand the different data visualisations on Vanguard's site - and specifically why they vary for the same investment.

As an example, take the ESG Developed World All Cap Equity Index Fund - accumulation. https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investments/vanguard-esg-developed-world-all-cap-equity-index-fund-gbp-acc?intcmpgn=equityglobal_esgdevelopedworldallcapequityindexfund_fund_link

This next visual appears on the specific page about the fund (note that the starting year is 2016/17):



But the Key Investor Information document has a different visualisation (note this time the starting year is 2012).



There seem to be two possible reasons why they differ. Firstly, the initial starting year is different, and that then affects the % return (but if that is the case I'm still confused by why (for eg) the return is quite so low in the first 2017/18 graphic when compared with the second). Secondly, the second chart appears from the legend to be based on calendar years vs the financial ones - is that really correct or a mislabelling? 

Do these two reasons explain the discrepancy between these graphics or am I missing something? If they do, why do the KII documents use calendar year when everywhere else it is financial? 

Many thanks. 

george4064

Looks like the first graph is based on last month end date (being 31st March) whilst the KII document uses calendar year ends. That’s a 3month difference for each year, and a lot can happen in 3 months!

Alexland

Yes the Vanguard website shows a rolling past whole year(s) view which of course was most recently just after the worst of the virus crash so the recent performance after that looks amazing. The 2020 calendar view in the key information document looks less amazing as it includes both the drop and the recovery. There will be similar differences in the previous years. Stock markets go up and down all the time so looking at slightly different 12 month periods can cause very different graphs.

Thrugelmir

Wobble101 said:

 If they do, why do the KII  documents use calendar year when everywhere else it is financial? 

They'll be no great desire to update KIID's for multiple funds every single month of the year! Though I doubt most people even bother to read them. 

Wobble101

Thanks all, very helpful.