Over the trailing five-year window, VIG and DGRO moved almost in lockstep (daily-return correlation 0.97), so holding both adds little diversification.

Five-year annualized total returns were within 0.0 percentage points of each other (VIG 10.4%, DGRO 10.5%).

On cost, VIG is cheaper — 0.04% versus 0.08% for DGRO.

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 Aug 7, 2026.

Metric VIG DGRO
5-yr annualized returntotal return, incl. dividends & fees 10.4% 10.5%
5-yr annualized volatilitystandard deviation of daily returns 14.2% 13.9%
Max drawdown (5-yr window)worst peak-to-trough decline -21.5% -20.7%
Return per unit of riskSharpe-style, 4.7% risk-free 0.40 0.41
Expense ratioannual fund cost 0.04% 0.08%

How similar are they?

Relationship metricVIG & DGRO
Correlation of daily returns5-yr; 1.00 = moves identically 0.97
Sector overlapΣ min(weight) across sectors 88.8%

Where each fund is concentrated

VIG — top sectors

  • Technology26.94%
  • Financial Services20.27%
  • Healthcare17.81%

DGRO — top sectors

  • Financial Services20.43%
  • Healthcare17.87%
  • Technology17.29%

Go deeper

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

Related comparisons

SCHD vs DGROVIG vs VYMVYM vs DGRO 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 Aug 7, 2026; they will drift as markets move.