What is the expense ratio of VO vs VYM?

VO has an expense ratio of 0.03%, while VYM has an expense ratio of 0.04%.

VO vs VYM

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.50%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $90.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.50% Since: Jan 26, 2004

VYM Vanguard

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (VYM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.37%. Launched in 2006, the fund has a 20-year track record.

AUM: $71.3B ER: 0.04% Yield: 2.37% Since: Nov 10, 2006

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.03% vs 0.04%), so fees are not a differentiator here. VYM has edged ahead over the past year (15.0% vs 11.4%). Income investors may prefer VYM for its higher yield (2.4% vs 1.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric	VO	VYM
Expense Ratio	0.03%	0.04%
Dividend Yield	1.5%	2.4%
Fund Family	Vanguard	Vanguard
Category	US Mid Cap	US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

VO +27.8%

VYM +44.6%

Performance Comparison

Period	VO	VYM	Difference
1 Month	-5.54%	-4.59%	-0.95%
3 Months	-1.24%	+2.20%	-3.44%
6 Months	-2.10%	+4.52%	-6.62%
YTD	-1.24%	+2.20%	-3.44%
1 Year	+11.38%	+14.98%	-3.60%
3 Years	+37.24%	+39.18%	-1.94%
5 Years	+27.84%	+44.55%	-16.71%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	VO Fees	VYM Fees	You Save
$10.000	10 years	$60	$80	$20
$10.000	20 years	$258	$344	$86
$10.000	30 years	$835	$1.112	$277
$50.000	10 years	$299	$399	$100
$50.000	30 years	$4.176	$5.560	$1.385
$100.000	30 years	$8.352	$11.121	$2.769

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	VO	VYM
Annualized Volatility	17.6%	14.0%
Max Drawdown	-28.6%	-17.5%
Sharpe Ratio	0.11	0.28

Dividend Comparison

Metric	VO	VYM
Annual Dividend (per share)	$4.33	$3.51
Dividend Yield	1.50%	2.37%
Distribution Frequency	Quarterly	Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

VO Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Newmont CorporationNEM	1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW	1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM	1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG	1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT	0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC	0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX	0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR	0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI	0.83%
CRH plcCRH	0.83%

VYM Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO	6.48%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM	3.36%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM	2.83%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ	2.63%
Walmart Inc.WMT	2.44%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV	1.81%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG	1.72%
The Home Depot, Inc.HD	1.66%
Chevron CorporationCVX	1.54%
Caterpillar Inc.CAT	1.51%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VYM if...

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

Choose VYM if...

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

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