ETF Versus

SCHD vs SCHM

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF vs Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SCHD Schwab

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $83.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 20, 2011
SCHM Schwab

Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.40%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $12.6B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.40% Since: Jan 13, 2011

Quick Verdict

SCHM has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.04% vs 0.06%), saving about $40 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SCHM has significantly outperformed with a 18.8% return vs 9.5%. Income investors may prefer SCHD for its higher yield (3.5% vs 1.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric SCHD SCHM
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 3.5% 1.4%
Fund Family Schwab Schwab
Category US Dividend US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 91 102 113 124 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHD +23.3%
SCHM +23.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHD SCHM Difference
1 Month -4.24% -5.47% +1.23%
3 Months +10.03% +2.53% +7.50%
6 Months +11.31% +4.03% +7.28%
YTD +10.03% +2.53% +7.50%
1 Year +9.47% +18.78% -9.31%
3 Years +24.43% +38.25% -13.82%
5 Years +23.27% +23.49% -0.22%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHD Fees SCHM Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $80 $40
$10.000 20 years $515 $344 $171
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $1.112 $552
$50.000 10 years $598 $399 $199
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $5.560 $2.758
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $11.121 $5.516

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHD SCHM
Annualized Volatility 14.6% 19.5%
Max Drawdown -18.9% -27.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.05 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHD SCHM
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.06 $0.44
Dividend Yield 3.46% 1.40%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

SCHD Top Holdings

NameWeight
Chevron CorporationCVX4.66%
ConocoPhillipsCOP4.33%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK4.08%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ4.03%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO3.98%
Texas Instruments IncorporatedTXN3.86%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP3.83%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.78%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.78%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG3.70%

SCHM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.95%
Ciena CorporationCIEN1.21%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.07%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.98%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.74%
Texas Pacific Land CorporationTPL0.63%
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.62%
Tapestry, Inc.TPR0.60%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.57%
FTAI Aviation Ltd.FTAI0.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHM if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose SCHM if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SCHD if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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