SCHD and VYM are highly correlated (0.92) but not identical over the past five years.

SCHD delivered the higher five-year annualized total return (10.5% vs 10.2% for VYM), though it is only one window and says nothing about the future.

On cost, VYM is cheaper — 0.04% versus 0.06% for SCHD.

The numbers, side by side

Per-fund metrics. Returns are total return (dividends reinvested, net of fees); volatility, drawdown and correlation are computed from daily closing prices over the trailing five-year window ending Oct 9, 2026.

Metric SCHD VYM
5-yr annualized returntotal return, incl. dividends & fees 10.5% 10.2%
5-yr annualized volatilitystandard deviation of daily returns 14.5% 13.8%
Max drawdown (5-yr window)worst peak-to-trough decline -18.9% -17.5%
Return per unit of riskSharpe-style, 4.7% risk-free 0.40 0.39
Expense ratioannual fund cost 0.06% 0.04%

How similar are they?

Relationship metricSCHD & VYM
Correlation of daily returns5-yr; 1.00 = moves identically 0.92
Sector overlapΣ min(weight) across sectors 71.7%

Where each fund is concentrated

SCHD — top sectors

  • Healthcare21.48%
  • Consumer Defensive19.46%
  • Energy15.41%

VYM — top sectors

  • Financial Services21.65%
  • Technology16.96%
  • Healthcare13.63%

Go deeper

For the full write-up, read Best Dividend ETFs 2026: SCHD vs VYM vs DGRO vs DVY Compared.

Related comparisons

SCHD vs DGROSCHD vs JEPISCHD vs SCHGVIG vs VYMVYM vs DGROVYM vs HDV All comparisons →

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Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or tax advice. The information presented reflects the author's opinions and analysis at the time of writing and may not be suitable for your individual circumstances. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. MinMaxDoc and its authors are not registered investment advisors.
Figures computed by MinMaxDoc from historical market data as of Oct 9, 2026; they will drift as markets move.