SCHD vs VYM ETF Comparison

Set your investment period and amount to compare the returns, growth and risk of two ETFs.

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Key comparison

2016.01–2026.10 · Starting with $10,000 · Dividends reinvested · Data as of 2026.10.23
MetricSCHD VYM
Annualized return +13.5%+11.8%
Final value $39,262$33,483
Volatility (annual) 14.9%13.9%
Max drawdown · daily -33.4%-35.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.730.69
Expense ratio 0.06%0.04%

How it grew

SCHD has been ahead since 2017.10.

SCHD vs VYM Cumulative Return Comparison
ETFTotal ReturnCAGRTotal invested
SCHD+292.6%+13.5%10000
VYM+234.8%+11.8%10000
Hover over the chart to compare every value on the same date.

Worst declines

VYM fell further and took 349 days to regain its peak.

Drawdown paths
Compared portfoliosMax drawdown · daily
SCHD-33.37
VYM-35.22
Hover over the chart to compare every value on the same date.

Three deepest declines

SCHD
DrawdownPeak dateTrough dateRecovery date
-33.4%2020.01.232020.03.232020.09.02
-17.1%2018.09.212018.12.242019.04.04
-16.8%2022.01.112022.09.302023.12.27
VYM
DrawdownPeak dateTrough dateRecovery date
-35.2%2020.01.172020.03.232020.12.31
-16.2%2018.01.262018.12.242019.04.12
-15.9%2022.04.202022.09.302022.11.30

In major sell-offs

Return during each major market decline.

EventSCHDVYM
Q4 2018 Selloff-16.9%-15.8%
COVID-19 Crash-32.8%-34.6%
2022 Rate Hike Bear Market-14.7%-12.8%

Year by year

Over 10 full calendar years, SCHD was higher 5 times and VYM 5 times.

Year by year · Annual
PeriodSCHDVYM
2026Partial year+21.5%+10.1%
2025+4.3%+15.4%
2024+11.7%+17.6%
2023+4.6%+6.6%
2022-3.2%-0.5%
2021+29.9%+26.2%
2020+15.1%+1.1%
2019+27.3%+24.1%
2018-5.6%-5.9%
2017+20.8%+16.4%
2016+16.4%+17.1%

Questions about these results

How did the same initial investment grow?

From 2016.01.04 to 2026.10.23, an initial $10,000 ended at $39,262 for SCHD and $33,483 for VYM. Annualized returns were 13.5% and 11.8%, respectively.

When were the deepest drawdowns and recoveries?

SCHD: peak 2020.01.23, trough 2020.03.23, drawdown -33.4%, recovery 2020.09.02. VYM: peak 2020.01.17, trough 2020.03.23, drawdown -35.2%, recovery 2020.12.31.

How did the results differ during market crises?

During 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market, returns were -14.7% for SCHD and -12.8% for VYM. During COVID-19 Crash, returns were -32.8% for SCHD and -34.6% for VYM.

What are the expense ratios and annual costs?

Weighted expense ratios are 0.06% for SCHD and 0.04% for VYM. Applied to the initial $10,000, estimated annual costs are $6 and $4.

What are the dividend yields and their basis?

The yields are 2.99% for SCHD and 2.28% for VYM. They use distributions from the last 365 days divided by the last closing price and do not predict future distributions.

How similarly do the two portfolios move?

The correlation of shared monthly returns is 0.96: they moved in nearly the same direction.

About the ETFs & sources

SCHD A U.S. dividend equity ETF tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index.

VYM An ETF investing in U.S. high-dividend equities.

Comparison settings

Trading cost: 0 bps per side · personal taxes excluded · see the methodology for dividend calculation Calculation Methodology