Should Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Launched on 11/10/2006, the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $59.37 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

Why Large Cap Value

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.

Value stocks are known for their lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, but investors should also note their lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

Costs

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.06%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.85%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector--about 22.50% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Healthcare round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Broadcom Inc (AVGO) accounts for about 4.93% of total assets, followed by Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM) and Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM).

Performance and Risk

VYM seeks to match the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index before fees and expenses. The FTSE High Dividend Yield Index which is consists of common stocks of companies that pay dividends that generally are higher than average.

The ETF has gained about 2.11% so far this year and is up roughly 10.88% in the last one year (as of 04/03/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $114.71 and $135.06.

The ETF has a beta of 0.77 and standard deviation of 13.87% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 535 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VYM is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $70.55 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $133.61 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Bottom-Line

While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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