- ISIN
- US9219464065
- CUSIP
- 921946406
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Inception Date
- Nov 10, 2006
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Dividend
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- FTSE High Dividend Yield Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Value
- Assets Under Management
- $96B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
VYM Performance Chart
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) is up 11.6% since the beginning of the year. VYM is currently trading at $158 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of VYM shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,796.
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Returns By Period
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) has returned 11.57% so far this year and 25.10% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, VYM has returned 11.78% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.54% annually.
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF
- 1D
- 0.07%
- 1M
- 1.23%
- YTD
- 11.57%
- 6M
- 11.72%
- 1Y
- 25.10%
- 3Y*
- 17.42%
- 5Y*
- 12.42%
- 10Y*
- 11.78%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -0.34%
- YTD
- 8.39%
- 6M
- 8.57%
- 1Y
- 24.33%
- 3Y*
- 18.94%
- 5Y*
- 12.24%
- 10Y*
- 13.54%
VYM Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Nov 16, 2006, VYM's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.83%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 7.0 years.
Historically, 62% of months were positive and 38% were negative. The best month was Nov 2020 with a return of +12.3%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -14.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 6 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, VYM closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 28, 2008 with a return of +11.0%, while the worst single day was May 7, 2010 at -12.1%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.49% | 3.39% | -3.92% | 6.14% | 1.27% | 0.00% | 11.57% | ||||||
| 2025 | 3.74% | 1.28% | -3.16% | -3.54% | 3.71% | 4.01% | 0.62% | 3.77% | 1.88% | -0.26% | 3.46% | -0.67% | 15.42% |
| 2024 | 0.75% | 2.62% | 5.41% | -3.74% | 3.03% | -0.32% | 4.83% | 2.44% | 1.33% | -0.33% | 5.45% | -4.58% | 17.60% |
| 2023 | 2.37% | -3.51% | -0.59% | 1.27% | -5.13% | 5.51% | 4.02% | -2.39% | -3.35% | -2.78% | 6.26% | 5.62% | 6.57% |
| 2022 | -0.53% | -1.47% | 2.76% | -4.20% | 3.52% | -7.85% | 4.60% | -2.45% | -7.88% | 12.23% | 6.26% | -3.50% | -0.43% |
| 2021 | -0.57% | 4.57% | 6.94% | 2.55% | 3.03% | -1.19% | 0.55% | 2.09% | -3.21% | 4.93% | -2.31% | 6.75% | 26.20% |
Benchmark Metrics
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF has an annualized alpha of 1.60%, beta of 0.86, and R2 of 0.85 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since November 16, 2006.
- This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (89.11%) than losses (87.03%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- With beta of 0.86 and R2 of 0.85, this ETF moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index - much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.
- Alpha
- 1.60%
- Beta
- 0.86
- R²
- 0.85
- Upside Capture
- 89.11%
- Downside Capture
- 87.03%
Expense Ratio
VYM has an expense ratio of 0.04%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
VYM ranks 79 for risk / return — better than 79% of ETFs on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| VYM | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.50 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.84 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.44 | 1.35 | +0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.79 | 2.66 | +1.14 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 14.13 | 11.86 | +2.27 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF provided a 2.29% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $3.63 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 15 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $3.63 | $3.50 | $3.49 | $3.48 | $3.25 | $3.10 | $2.91 | $2.84 | $2.65 | $2.40 | $2.21 | $2.15 |
Dividend yield | 2.29% | 2.44% | 2.74% | 3.12% | 3.01% | 2.76% | 3.18% | 3.03% | 3.40% | 2.80% | 2.91% | 3.22% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.86 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.98 | $1.84 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.85 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.86 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.84 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.95 | $3.50 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.66 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.02 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.85 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.96 | $3.49 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.72 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.88 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.78 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.10 | $3.48 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.66 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.85 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.77 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.97 | $3.25 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.66 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.94 | $3.10 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF was 56.98%, occurring on Mar 5, 2009. Recovery took 762 trading sessions.
The current Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF drawdown is 1.23%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -56.98%Mar 2009 | 1y 4mo | 3y 9d | 4y 5moOct 2007 - Mar 2012 |
COVID crash2020 | -35.21%Mar 2020 | 2mo 2d | 9mo 13d | 11mo 15dJan 2020 - Dec 2020 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -16.25%Dec 2018 | 10mo 29d | 3mo 19d | 1y 2moJan 2018 - Apr 2019 |
Bear market2022 | -15.84%Sep 2022 | 5mo 12d | 2mo 1d | 7mo 13dApr 2022 - Nov 2022 |
2025 selloff2025 | -14.46%Apr 2025 | 1mo 17d | 2mo 23d | 4mo 10dFeb 2025 - Jun 2025 |
Drawdown Indicators
| VYM | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -56.98% | -56.78% | -0.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.69% | -9.10% | +2.41% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.46% | -18.90% | +4.44% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -15.84% | -25.43% | +9.59% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.21% | -33.92% | -1.29% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.23% | -2.49% | +1.26% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.18% | -10.72% | +3.54% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.79% | 2.03% | -0.24% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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