ETF Versus

VOO vs VYM

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

Last updated: 2026-04-10

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 1.14%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: $858.3B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.14% 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 2.31%. Launched in 2006, the fund has a 20-year track record.

AUM: $74.7B ER: 0.04% Yield: 2.31% 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 (29.7% vs 27.9%). Income investors may prefer VYM for its higher yield (2.3% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric VOO VYM
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 2.3%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Blend US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 102 119 136 153 170 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
VOO +65.2%
VYM +48.6%

Performance Comparison

Period VOO VYM Difference
1 Month +0.48% +1.40% -0.92%
3 Months -2.24% +3.22% -5.46%
6 Months +2.53% +9.20% -6.67%
YTD -0.52% +5.27% -5.79%
1 Year +29.66% +27.88% +1.78%
3 Years +66.05% +42.71% +23.34%
5 Years +65.17% +48.59% +16.58%

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 0.42 0.32

Dividend Comparison

Metric VOO VYM
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.13 $3.51
Dividend Yield 1.14% 2.31%
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.

Related Comparisons