ETF Versus

VOO vs VYM

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF vs Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VOO Vanguard

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.18%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: $792.0B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.18% Since: Sep 7, 2010
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. VOO has edged ahead over the past year (16.8% vs 15.0%). Income investors may prefer VYM for its higher yield (2.4% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric VOO VYM
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 2.4%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Blend US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 103 121 139 157 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
VOO +61.3%
VYM +44.6%

Performance Comparison

Period VOO VYM Difference
1 Month -4.59% -4.59% +0.00%
3 Months -4.14% +2.20% -6.34%
6 Months -2.11% +4.52% -6.63%
YTD -4.14% +2.20% -6.34%
1 Year +16.77% +14.98% +1.79%
3 Years +59.52% +39.18% +20.34%
5 Years +61.27% +44.55% +16.72%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VOO 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 VOO VYM
Annualized Volatility 16.8% 14.0%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -17.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.39 0.28

Dividend Comparison

Metric VOO VYM
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.13 $3.51
Dividend Yield 1.18% 2.37%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

1 of top 9 holdings overlap (11% overlap in top holdings)

VOO Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.31%
Apple Inc.AAPL6.63%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.96%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.47%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.56%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.46%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.40%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.92%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.57%

VYM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO6.48%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM3.36%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM2.83%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ2.63%
Walmart Inc.WMT2.44%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV1.81%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG1.72%
The Home Depot, Inc.HD1.66%
Chevron CorporationCVX1.54%
Caterpillar Inc.CAT1.51%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VYM if...

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

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